Discover Cooking

Many people are a little apprehensive when it comes to cooking with yeast, mistakenly believing that it is difficult. However, like most cookery techniques, once you have grasped a few basic principles, there is nothing mysterious about it. Whilst there are no short cuts, and recipes made with yeast must be given time to “prove”, you do not have to stand and watch the dough, meaning that it is not as time consuming as you may imagine.

Home baking can fit into the most hectic family life, and who knows, you may even find all that kneading and punching quite therapeutic!

What is yeast?
Yeast is a very small fungi that can remain alive at low temperatures. Between approximately 23 º C and 29 º C, yeast will quickly multiply, hence the reason that recipes specify lukewarm water in order to activate the yeast.
Cooking yeast comes in two forms. It is either fresh, or active dried yeast granules. Fresh yeast comes in a small block and looks a little like clay! It can last for around a fortnight in the fridge, and 1 month in the freezer. Active dried yeast can be kept much longer. As a rule, you need half the amount of dried yeast in a recipe if substituting for fresh yeast.

Activating yeast
Place the quantity of yeast specified into a cup and add around ¼pint of lukewarm water and a little sugar. Keep the mix in a warm place and in around 15 to 20 minutes the liquid will become frothy. If nothing happens, the yeast may not be fresh enough, so start again.

Making a dough
Once the yeast solution is frothy, it can be added to the quantities of flour and salt in your recipe , with sufficient milk if needed. Mix thoroughly and you will have made dough.
The dough then requires kneading to strengthen the gluten in the flour. This traps air and helps to form a lighter mix. Kneading simply means that you fold the dough into the centre of a board, press down and elongate the dough, then turn it and repeat the action. The dough should be soft and pliable. If it flattens out, you probably need more flour. If it is hard to handle, try a little water from a spray bottle.

Proving the dough
When you have thoroughly kneaded the dough, it should be placed in a large, oiled bowl. Cover with a cloth or an oiled plastic bag and leave in a warm place, such as an airing cupboard or a sunny spot in the house. Leave for between 1 and 2 hours. It will be ready when it has approximately doubled in size.

“Knocking back”
It may sound violent, but this refers to punching the centre of the dough and then pulling the sides of the dough down into the centre of the bowl to form a ball. Repeat this action several times. After this stage, place the loaf in an oiled tin, and again leave it in a warm place to rise. When it has doubled in size again, it is ready to bake.

Baking
Bread generally bakes at between 200 and 230 ºC. Do not open the oven in the first half of the cooking time, but after this if the bread is browning too quickly, open the door and cover the top with foil. The loaf will be ready when you tap the top and it sounds hollow.

Cool on a wire rack. Leave for as long as you can resist the smell, then cut a slice whilst warm, butter and enjoy. Making the loaf might be easy, resisting the temptation to eat it all certainly isn´t!

Still not sure about baking some bread. Then start by baking a cupcake. This cupcake recipe with lemon cream cheese frosting is a good way to practice your baking skills and build up confidence.