Wednesday, October 14, 2009

The Results of the Everlasting Yeast Trials

Someone else tried this with me and had similar results, though she suspected the salt, which tends to kill the yeast when combined in the sort of close manner, was her trouble. I don't/didn't add the salt, so that's not the issue at all.

I know my yeast was good, flour fresh, etc.

The bread simple didn't want to rise as well thatI noticed. Any other time, baking as I normally would, I'd have had a heaping bowl of dough off that 6 batch recipe rising in the cool of the fridge overnight. This batch didn't make it to the rim of my bowl, was down about 2 inches.

I punched it down, didn't go rough or knead it or anything like that, and let it sit on the stove top ALL DAY and it still barely rose a second time. We're in Mississippi...it's not exactly cold here, so I don't think a cool house was an issue either.

When it finally rose some, I divided it into the pans and warmed the oven -- I generally do bread this way every time...this bread, in pans, sitting on a warmed oven, still took a very long time to rise at all. They were risen some from initial start in the loaf pans, but still below the rim. Baking didn't rise them much either.

My starter still just looks like the finished product of the original. It never seemed to have any action at all, even when I first added the new feeder to it.

The finished bread was edible -- the chickens aren't getting it just yet -- but it's a much shorter and more dense bread than I've made from whole wheat in a a long, long time. Some of my first wheat recipes turned out similarly to the textures of this batch, but I've been producing much nicer loaves now than before.

I won't say it's a total dud, but I guess I'd have to learn to like sourdough and go with that sort of starter instead of the everlasting yeast -- at least as the recipe stands.

I'll play with it some more, and try some other recipes as we go along. It was a good idea in theory.

5 comments:

MyBulletinBoard said...

You've got more nerve than I do. 6 loaves! I imagine it would work better if it aged, but I'll await the results of your test kitchen. Just got my new year's supply of SAF from Walton's. Think I'll stick with easy. Would still like to get good at sourdough. Serene at Above Rubies makes it look so good. . . . . . . Hope you get a break in the rain soon!

Paula said...

That's too bad it didn't work out. I was hoping it would. I don't like sourdough -I've tried a number of times. But I sure like the idea of not having to use bought yeast all the time.

Anonymous said...

I'm able to buy a bigger bag of Red Star dry yeast at Costco, I use 1T- per batch of bread, pizza crust or cinnamon rolls; it lasts for a while in an air tight container in the pantry; I never make it to the bottom without it losing it's punch. Since it's such a good buy (around $4)it still makes sense to buy it. I found out that salt kills yeast the hard way - a couple year ago my yeast had gone old, so I dumped it down the disposal and forgot to run it right then! Well, old yeast in quantity does come back to life and it did! We dumped a ton of salt down hoping to loosen it up, Hubby had to take apart the p-trap and he still teases me about it. In my dough making, I stir my salt in with the dry flour before adding the proofed yeast. I was following your progress with your experiment, too.

Paula said...

Kimberly, put the yeast in the freezer. It will keep forever. I've never had bad yeast keeping it in the freezer.

Charity said...

I stumbled across your blog looking for some help w/ everlasting yeast. I tried it just like the recipe (w/ salt) and it made the most wonderful bread I've ever baked. I did let it rise both times in a warm oven, though. I think because of the low yeast that warmth may be neccessary. I too am a christian, homeschooling momma. So glad I ran across your blog.

Jer.6:16

Jeremiah 6:16
Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.

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