[oscarvan]

I've been making bread for a while. Nothing exotic, just my one or two loaves of whole wheat, a recipe I've been tweaking for a few decades. It's down to minimal work for maximum result. If someone is interested:

O's bread.... Makes two loaves:

3 cups water 115º
2 TBSP yeast.

Mix.

add:

2 cups unbleached all purpouse flour
4 TBSP molasses
4 TBSP = 1/2 stick melted butter
2 TSP salt

mix until homogenous.

add:

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose unbleached flour
1+ cup rolled oats.

Knead and knead...... Put in 2 greased bread pans (I use PAM) and rise in 95º oven for 45 minutes AND doubled in size. Turn heat up to 350º and bake for 40 minutes.

Remove, let cool and eat.

Now, I have always wanted to get just a hair more fluff, but if I add more yeast it gets, well, too yeasty. Getting involved in this beer thing I am suddenly immersed in a whole world of the care and feeding of yeast. In fact, an Erlenmeyer and stir plate are in the mail..... But, that got me to thinking. Would it make sense to wake up my bread yeast in the Erlenmeyer and aerate it for 10 or 15 minutes? Would I get the yeasties more "pumped"? Anyone played with stir plates and bread yeast?

[stlaleman]

To get more "fluff" in bread, you have to excite the gluten, not the yeast. Try making bread when you are really pissed off, the extra hard pounding you give the dough while kneading will make for better bread.

[oscarvan]

To get more "fluff" in bread, you have to excite the gluten, not the yeast. Try making bread when you are really pissed off, the extra hard pounding you give the dough while kneading will make for better bread.

Meet "hobie"......that's a 1/8th horsepower pounding, but, your point is taken.

[beerocd]

Would it make sense to wake up my bread yeast in the Erlenmeyer and aerate it for 10 or 15 minutes? Would I get the yeasties more "pumped"? Anyone played with stir plates and bread yeast?

You use a stir plate to build up the yeast - "grow more" of it. Bread yeast is SO cheap I can't see any benefit of it. A brick of red star yeast is less than $4 at costco or sams. Are you shooting for wonderbread fluff? They inject air into their dough.

[oscarvan]

No, I will not be looking to match the Doughboy..... OK, more yeast in the next loaves.

[beerocd]

No, I will not be looking to match the Doughboy..... OK, more yeast in the next loaves.

You know, too much yeast can destroy your bread too. I think maybe look at your proofing to improve your bread.
Also how do you bake it? I use a cast iron dutch oven, but I'm not shooting for soft and fluffy so much.
How about a pic of the bread? Loaf and sliced so we can see the crust and the crumb.

[oscarvan]

[beerocd]

My whole wheat out of the bread machine is like that unless I add vital wheat gluten. Then I get a better rise.
Not that I'm criticizing; you wanted more lift. Looks good, dense - like real bread.

[oscarvan]

AHA! That's a new one on me...... I will try it.

http://www.arrowheadmills.com/product/vital-wheat-gluten

[euge]

Looking at your pic and recipe. For more "fluff" use bread flour or add gluten, make sure it is nice and sticky and slash the top of the loaf before you put it in the oven.

I see classic "all purpose" crumb and rise in those pics.

[MrNate]

I'm a novice, but what seems to be holding true is that bread flour, long knead time, and not overrising make for the best rise. When I do it that way I get all the oven spring my oven can handle. I knead by hand for about 30-45 minutes, and usually throw a few good jabs in there. It's good GnP training.

I'll post pictures next time I bake, since I have this nifty new phone and all. 

[oscarvan]

Looking at your pic and recipe. For more "fluff" use bread flour or add gluten, make sure it is nice and sticky and slash the top of the loaf before you put it in the oven.

I see classic "all purpose" crumb and rise in those pics.

More good advice......thanks.

[oscarvan]

OK, I put Gluten in there in todays loaves. And it came out perfect...... too perfect. Like the crap you buy at the supermarket.....minus the list of unpronounceables.....I think I miss my somewhat underbubbled bread. Hmmmm........

[James Lorden]

Another question, in the old days the brewer and the baker were best friends.

Anyone have any idea of measurements that could be used for using yeast from the bottom of the fermenter in place of those packets of dry yeast?

[oscarvan]

Ooooooohhhh, make bread with the yeast cake! Does that work?