Preparedness for when

westcoastscot

Grandma I understand sugar feeds the yeast - any ideas what "salt retards the growth" actually means? perhaps I'm being a bit dense?

OK, I had a google - apparently salt contains the yeast so it doesn't grow so fast that it collapses, so if you reduce the salt you should reduce the yeast also. Salt-less dough rises at double the speed, so shall have to watch this with my next loaf. Will have a bit of an experiment tomorrow - we're using more and more shop bread as mine isn't as good as it was.

fuddle

I always thought breadmakers should put the yeast at the oppisite end if the bowl to the salt as salt prevents the yeast activating. I may be wrong but sounds like it could be connected?

nuatha

westcoastscot wrote: »

Grandma I understand sugar feeds the yeast - any ideas what "salt retards the growth" actually means? perhaps I'm being a bit dense?

OK, I had a google - apparently salt contains the yeast so it doesn't grow so fast that it collapses, so if you reduce the salt you should reduce the yeast also. Salt-less dough rises at double the speed, so shall have to watch this with my next loaf. Will have a bit of an experiment tomorrow - we're using more and more shop bread as mine isn't as good as it was.

I was taught that the salt slows the yeast activity, this helps develop a more even structure, which is stronger (because of the slower growth) and therefore keeps the carbon dioxide bubbles smaller resulting in a lighter loaf.
The slower growth improves the flavour of the finished bread (though the salt itself is a flavour enhancer, if your proo=ve in a fridge, you tend to get a better flavour so I can see why this works).
The same baker recommended that the amount of salt should be 2% of the weight of the flour.
HTH

westcoastscot

Thanks guys - Fuddle I don't have a breadmaker, but make bread by hand.
Nuatha that explains things a bit then - I used to make my dough at night and bake it the next night - raising it in the fridge - and that worked ok, but i've started making it on my days off and baking it when risen. Think i'll try less yeast and if that doesn't work i'll go back to using the fridge.

It's odd - i'd been making bread daily for 20 years until recently, and never had issues before.

nuatha

fuddle wrote: »

I always thought breadmakers should put the yeast at the oppisite end if the bowl to the salt as salt prevents the yeast activating. I may be wrong but sounds like it could be connected?

We do as putting them together will kill the yeast. Salt is a desicant and will prevent dried yeast from absorbing sufficient water to regenerate or dessicate fresh yeast. Putting them at the opposite sides of the bowl allows the yeast to get sufficient water to kick into life, when it encounters the salt in the dough its action is slowed rather than halted.
Hope this makes sense.

fuddle

I dont have a breadmaker either wcs. I meant bread maker as in the person not all one word meaning the machine... gosh it's boring splitting hairs, especially when its over my own mistake :rotfl:

Goldiegirl

RAS wrote: »

A propos of mar's note about sweeties and rationing; found a little book in the CS last week with more info.

Bread - rationed July 1946-8
Jam - off ration 1948
Tea - off ration October 1952
Eggs - off ration March 1953 with cream a month later.
Sugar - off ration September 1953
Butter, cheese, marg and cooking fats - off ration May 1954
Meat - off ration July 1954 after 14 years.

So the things we think of as basic staples were rationed longer post-war than during the war itself.

Carrot roll consisted of grated carrot and oatmeal wrapped in mashed potato and baked "until nicely browned." To be served with well seasoned brwon gravy; where the heck did they think that was going to come from?

One thing that really struck me is how much fuel was needed to turn the rather poor ingredients into something vaguely inedible. Many of the recipes needed cooking for an hour or more!

Rationing went on for a surprisingly long time after the war. I'm always greatly entertained by the fact that my husband (born 1951) had a ration book. It makes him sound a lot older than he actually is.

I wonder how we'd get on these days if we had to live on war time rations. It'd be an interesting challenge.

westcoastscot

fuddle wrote: »

I dont have a breadmaker either wcs. I meant bread maker as in the person not all one word meaning the machine... gosh it's boring splitting hairs, especially when its over my own mistake :rotfl:

Fuddle it's an old joke in our house that i used to have a breadmaker until she moved to aberdeen :rotfl:

nuatha

westcoastscot wrote: »

It's odd - i'd been making bread daily for 20 years until recently, and never had issues before.

What else have you changed?
You've gone to a substitute salt and stoped retarding your proving, anything else?

You could try double proofing, allow the dough to rise to double, knock back and shape or put in tins and allow to prove to double again.

(incidentally 2% salt to flour weight, on a 60% hydration white loaf works out to close to 1% of the finished weight)

sorryImoved

Please explain suet puddings for this ignorant American. Love your posts. They are the highlight of my day. I get most of what you are all talking about but can not figure out suet puddings! Would dearly love to try to make one. Instructions please!!