Chapter 7
Yeast Breads
Yeast
• A living organism, one-celled fungus, with various
strains present virtually everywhere.
• It feeds on carbohydrates present in starches and
sugars in bread dough, converting them to carbon
dioxide and ethanol during fermentation:
– Yeast + carbohydrates = alcohol + carbon dioxide
On Baking: A Textbook of Baking and Pastry Fundamentals, Second Edition
Labensky, Martel, Van Damme
Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
Yeast Basics
• Carbon dioxide is trapped in the dough made with
yeast, leavening the bread while the alcohol
evaporates.
• Yeast is very sensitive to temperature and
moisture.
• Salt inhibits the growth of yeast and controls the
dough’s rise.
On Baking: A Textbook of Baking and Pastry Fundamentals, Second Edition
Labensky, Martel, Van Damme
Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
Types of Yeast
• Bakers yeast is available in three forms:
– Compressed, a mixture of yeast and starch with approximately
70% moisture content; it must be kept refrigerated.
– Active dry, with virtually no moisture, is dormant and can be
stored without refrigeration for months.
– Instant dry can be added directly to dry ingredients in a bread
formula without rehydrating.
On Baking: A Textbook of Baking and Pastry Fundamentals, Second Edition
Labensky, Martel, Van Damme
Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
Natural Yeast Leaveners
• Natural yeast starters used prior to the development of
commercial yeast
• Made by capturing wild yeast caught in a liquid dough
mixture
• Sourdough is a type of natural yeast starter with a
characteristic tangy taste although all starter is not sour.
On Baking: A Textbook of Baking and Pastry Fundamentals, Second Edition
Labensky, Martel, Van Damme
Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
Temperature for Yeast
• Temperature affects yeast activity.
On Baking: A Textbook of Baking and Pastry Fundamentals, Second Edition
Labensky, Martel, Van Damme
Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
Production Stages for Yeast Breads
• Production is divided into 10 stages:
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Scaling the ingredients
Mixing and kneading the dough
Fermenting the dough
Punching down the dough
Portioning the dough
Rounding the portions
Make-up: Shaping the portions
Proofing the products
Baking the products
Cooling and storing the finished products
On Baking: A Textbook of Baking and Pastry Fundamentals, Second Edition
Labensky, Martel, Van Damme
Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
Obtaining Proper Dough Temperature
• Yeast activity most beneficial when dough reached
75°F to 80°F ( 24°C to 27°C( after mixing.
• Baker’s use formula for adjusting temperature of
the water used to make bread dough.
– The formula takes into consideration: the friction
factor, how much machine mixing warms dough;
ingredient temperature; and room temperature
On Baking: A Textbook of Baking and Pastry Fundamentals, Second Edition
Labensky, Martel, Van Damme
Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
Mixing (Kneading) the Dough
• Yeast breads are mixed by:
– The straight-dough (direct) method
or
– A pre-fermentation, where dough is mixed in
several stages:
• Sponge
• Old dough
• Sourdough starter method
• Kneading moistens ingredients and develops
wheat gluten
On Baking: A Textbook of Baking and Pastry Fundamentals, Second Edition
Labensky, Martel, Van Damme
Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
Fermentation
• Fermentation enhances the taste and texture of the
finished bread
• Fermentation is divided into two stages:
– Bulk, where the entire mass rises before shaping
– Proofing, the rise given to shaped yeast just prior to baking
• Fermentation time is controlled by three factors:
– Ingredients
– Dough temperature
– Room temperature
On Baking: A Textbook of Baking and Pastry Fundamentals, Second Edition
Labensky, Martel, Van Damme
Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
Baking Yeast Bread
• Chemical changes take place during baking that
add to yeast bread’s appeal
– Washes applied before baking effect bread’s
appearance
– Scoring (slashing) or docking dough before baking
improves bread’s appearance
• Steam in the oven improves bread crust
• Learning how to recognize when bread is fully
baked essential
On Baking: A Textbook of Baking and Pastry Fundamentals, Second Edition
Labensky, Martel, Van Damme
Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
Qualities of Bread
• Bread is judged by:
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External and internal appearance
Flavor
Aroma
Keeping properties
On Baking: A Textbook of Baking and Pastry Fundamentals, Second Edition
Labensky, Martel, Van Damme
Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
Convenience Products
• Bread bases are dry blends of specialty ingredients
that must be added to a scratch formula or a mix.
• Powdered sourdough starters give bread a tangy
flavor.
• Frozen dough enables restaurant operators to offer
freshly baked bread.
• Parbaked bread is solidified, unbrowned flashfrozen bread dough.
On Baking: A Textbook of Baking and Pastry Fundamentals, Second Edition
Labensky, Martel, Van Damme
Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.