That time my bread dough looked like a science experiment gone wrong

For years I just tossed yeast into water at whatever temp came out of the tap, figuring yeast is yeast. Then I read on King Arthur's blog that 110-115F is the sweet spot. Last week I finally used a thermometer and my dough doubled in size in under an hour, not the usual 3 hour sluggish rise. Has anyone else had a huge change just from temp control?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_oscar15d ago

science experiment gone wrong" lol. Yeah temp control is the biggest game changer, no cap. I went from guessing with tap water to using a thermometer and my loaves never looked back.

the_nathan15d ago

Right? I used to just wing it with water straight from the sink. Then I grabbed a cheap instant read thermometer and started aiming for 78 degrees. Made a huge difference in how consistent my crumb turned out.

harper69314d ago

Used to think that was overkill until I tried it myself.