Homemade bread shouldnt be dense. You can make light airy loaves that are every bit as good as the bread from the local bakery. The secret is in using quality ingredients and getting your bread to rise properly. In this article, well examine the factors that make your bread rise.
There are five important factors that make the difference between light, airy bread and a dense flop. None is difficult to managein fact, yeast is quite forgivingbut youll be a better bread baker if you understand these factors.
Yeast is a living organism. As with any other living organism, it needs an acceptable environment in which to grow and multiply. As the yeast grows, it produces carbon dioxide gas that lifts the dough and creates an airy structure.
There are five factors that affect how fast yeast will grow.
Factor 1: Temperature
Yeast is extremely sensitive to temperature. Ten degrees difference in the temperature of the dough profoundly affects the growth rate of yeast.
The temperature where yeast grows best is around 78 degrees. The temperature of the dough is the result of the temperature of the water that you use, the flour temperature, the...