The thought of working with yeast causes many cooks a moment of panic.
A basic bread recipe sounds simple enough. It's just flour, liquid, yeast, salt and a tiny bit of sugar. Still, many home cooks don't take the plunge. They're not sure how the dough should be mixed, how long it should ferment or whether the oven is hot enough for bread baking.
Bread baking isn't complicated, especially if you tackle something fun and simple like breadsticks. If they turn out a little crooked or even a little too crunchy, everyone will just think that's how they are supposed to be.
Chef Aaron Brown, baking instructor at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, gave us a few tips to take the fear out of working with yeast dough.
"Yeast dough is fun to work with," said Brown in a phone interview from the institute in the Napa Valley. "There are some tips that will make it easier for the home cook, but it's not complicated. I think where people panic is they work too hard at it. They just need to relax and enjoy the experience."
Brown took us through the basic ingredients of yeast dough, explaining the function of each and how to end up with perfect results.
FLOUR
Some recipes give a range for the flour, such as 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups. The dough is supposed to be moist and elastic. If it sticks to your hands or the work surface, add a little more flour.
"Some doughs are supposed to be slightly sticky," Brown says. "So pay attention to the recipe guidelines. For basic bread dough, strive for a soft, elastic texture and add liquid or flour as needed."
YEAST
Yeast is not as temperamental as most people think. To begin, most recipes require that the yeast be dissolved (or activated) in warm liquid between 110 to 115 degrees. You can use an instant-read thermometer, but basically, if the liquid is comfortably warm, it will be fine for the yeast. If the liquid is a bit cool, it will just take a little longer for the yeast to dissolve and for the dough to rise. A slow rise isn't a bad thing, says Brown. A slow rise actually helps the bread to develop a better flavor.
Some recipes that use instant yeast (the granular type that comes in a little packet) call for mixing the yeast and flour together before adding the liquid. Either method works fine as long as you follow your individual recipe.
Salt, sugar and fat
Every ingredient in the recipe is there for a reason. Leaving one out or making a substitution might affect the results.
Salt acts as an inhibitor which controls the yeast action and slows the rising time. Salt is also added for flavor.
"Sugar (or other sweetener such as honey or molasses) in the recipe does a couple of things," says Brown. "It is a stimulant that wakes up the yeast. It also helps the bread to turn brown. Don't leave out the sugar; it's there for a reason.
"Fat in the recipe helps the dough to retain moisture so that it won't dry out. It's also there for flavor," says Brown.
While it's possible to change the fat – substituting olive oil for melted butter, for example – you should not cut down on the fat. Nor should you leave it out entirely.
Mixing and kneading
After blending the ingredients together, the dough is turned onto a lightly floured work surface, then kneaded for several minutes.
Kneading is done by pushing the dough with the heel of your hand, then turning and folding the dough toward you and pushing again. This process develops the gluten in the flour, which is what makes the dough smooth and elastic and the bread tender.
When it is perfectly kneaded, you will be able to pull apart a piece of dough and a hole will open in the stretched piece. The hole will not tear but will hold its shape.
"We call this test a window," says Brown.
"After kneading, the dough is generally allowed to rest for a few minutes. That helps the gluten to relax so that the dough is easier to shape."
Rise
Most yeast breads need a rising or resting time after kneading. For breadsticks, the dough just needs a short rest and it rises very little before being kneaded a second time.
Call The Bee's Gwen Schoen, (916) 321-1146.
