.Notes on Yeast Doughs
Source of Recipe
Cooking for Graduate Students & Other Beginning Kitchen Dwellers (James W. Cooper)
Recipe Link: http://wywahoos.org/wahoos/cookbook/cover.htm
Yeast
Yeast is a single celled plant which consumes sugars and starches in a dough. It gives off carbon dioxide gas, which causes the dough to rise, and ethanol which gives bread rising its characteristic smell. Generally yeast is available as a dry powder, eit her in small packets or in jars. You generally dissolve the yeast in warm water before using it: be careful, however, of high temperatures which will kill the yeast: Water should be at about 95 - 100 degrees F and not much hotter. Luke warm to the touch i s fine: hot will probably kill the yeast.
Kneading Dough
The purpose of kneading of yeast dough is to stretch the gluten in the flour. Gluten is a long tangled chain molecule that initially is tangled randomly when you mix the dough with water. By kneading, you are stretching these molecules and orienting them more in one direction. To knead yeast dough, push it down on a floured board and push into the front of the dough with the heel of your hands. Then fold the back of the dough over the front and repeat. After a few minutes kneading (or a few seconds in a f ood processor or bread machine), the dough will become smooth and elastic and somewhat shiny.
Dough Rising
You let dough rise covered with a damp cloth to prevent it drying out, and generally until it is doubled in bulk. According to the Fleischman's Yeast Book, dough is doubled when you can stick two fingers about a half inch into the top of the dough and the holes remain when you remove your finger. If they spring back right away, let it rise another 15 minutes and try again.
Dough rising is influenced by room temperature, and sugar content of the dough. You can also slow the rising of dough by adding salt to it. Slower rising yields an finer textured dough. Faster rising can yield an "over risen" dough with a yeasty taste and large air pockets.
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