The Ultimate Guide to Making Yeast Breads

If you’ve ever balked at the idea of making your own yeast breads out of intimidation, have no fear. I’ve been in your shoes.  That’s why I created this Comprehensive Guide to Yeast Breads to help clear up the confusion and frustration and bread intimidation that we have all suffered at one time or another.

After you read this, you will be able to conquer and successfully troubleshoot anything yeast breads throw at you!

You’ve got this.

So, let’s start by introducing Yeast Breads.

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What is Yeast Bread?

Yeast bread is simply a bread that uses yeast as a leavening agent. A leavening agent is any substance that produces gas bubbles that allows dough to expand and results in light and fluffy or flakey baked goods.

There are five major leavening agents.

1. Yeast
2. Baking Powder
3. Baking Soda
4. Air
5. Steam

We are simply focused on yeast today.

There are tons of common yeast breads. These include,

• Bread – white, whole wheat, sourdough, potato, you name it!
• Bagels
• Dinner rolls
• English muffins
• Pretzels
• Pizza dough
• Breadsticks
• Baguettes
• Crescent rolls

Batter Breads vs. Kneaded Breads

There are two major types of yeast breads: batter breads and kneaded breads.

Batter bread dough does not require kneading. These breads have a higher liquid to flour and dry ingredient ratio. Gluten is formed in the bread simply by beating the batter for a few minutes and the dough only rises once, while it is in the bread pan. As a result, batter breads do not rise as much as kneaded breads and generally have a coarser shape and texture.

Conversely, kneaded bread dough does require kneading (obviously!). Gluten is formed by kneading the bread, either by hand or in an electric mixer. Kneaded bread typically undergoes several rises. It is first allowed to rise before shaping. Then the dough is shaped and allowed to rise a second time. Then the bread is finally baked. As a result of this process, kneaded breads are smoother in shape and texture and typically rise much more than batter breads.

How Does Yeast Work in Breads?

Yeast produces light and fluffy breads due to the process of fermentation. In fermentation, yeast breaks down the sugars in the dough to produce alcohols and carbon dioxide gas.

Kneading the bread causes a network of gluten to form. The carbon dioxide gas form small bubbles within the gluten matrix of the dough, which traps air inside the dough and causes it to expand during proofing.

During baking, the gas rapidly expands and water turns to steam, giving the dough one last rise. The gases eventually escape, leaving behind air pockets, which gives you the light and airy breads.

Types of Yeast

There are a lot of varieties of yeast to choose from. Fresh and dry. Active dry yeast, instant yeast, cake yeast, rapid rise yeast. Which one is the right one?

For yeast breads there are really three major yeast types: active dry yeast, instant yeast, and rapid rise yeast.

The great thing about these yeast is that they are more or less interchangeable. Just be sure to adjust the proofing time to match the type of yeast–active dry yeast needs more time to proof, while instant and rapid rise require less time.

Active Dry Yeast

Active dry yeast is one of the most common yeasts. It comes in dry granular form and should be dissolved in liquid to dehydrate. This yeast is slow to rise and takes several hours and several rises to reach the desired height. It has a more neutral flavor.

Instant Yeast

Instant yeast is a little finer granule than active dry yeast. It can be added directly to dry ingredients. It also has a stronger, yeasty flavor than active dry yeast. It’s also commonly referred to as “bread machine yeast,” but it doesn’t have to be used for just bread machine recipes. Instant yeast breads generally only require a single quick rise.

Rapid Rise Yeast

Rapid rise yeast is very similar to instant yeast. It’s formulated to give bread one quick rise, so you can shape the dough right after kneading and let it rise just before baking. It works as much as 50% faster than active dry yeast. It also has a stronger yeast flavor.

How to Store Yeast

Yeast is a living organism with a lifespan. To extend the life of your yeast, store it in the refrigerator or freezer, especially after opening. This can help it last as much as a year after the expiration date!

Most Common Mistakes When Making Yeast Breads

Your Yeast is Old

To start off on the right foot, you have to have good yeast.

If you’re working with yeast that has been in your fridge for the last century, I’m fairly confident it won’t work well. Maybe grab a fresh container during your next trip to the grocery store.

If you’re not sure how old your yeast is or if it is still good, there’s a super easy trick to proof your yeast. Simply mix together a little warm water, a dash of sugar, and a pinch of yeast in a bowl. Let it sit for a few minutes. The yeast should start to bubble and expand.

Your Water is Too Hot or Too Cold

Another common mistake when making yeast-based breads is using water that is either too cold or too hot.  If you water is too cold, the yeast will not activate. If your water is too hot, the yeast will die.

The key is to use water that is quite warm, without being so hot that it kills the yeast.

So, there is a simple “water test” you can do to test the water temperature.

Drop a few droplets of your water onto your wrists or run your wrist under the running water. If the water is warm and comfortable to the touch without scalding your skin it is at the right temperature. If it feels too cold or too hot, adjust the temperature and try again.

You Under or Over Proof the Dough

What is Proofing?

If you’ve ever watched the Great British Bake Off you’ve probably heard the word “proofing” a thousand times. “Proofing” refers to the step in which the yeast is activated in the fermentation process.

Often, the term “bulk fermentation” is used to describe the first stage of rising, or “first proof.” It is called “bulk” because all the dough ferments together at the same time, regardless of whether you plan to make multiple loaves or bagels, etc. During bulk fermentation, the majority of the fermentation and rising occurs.

After bulk fermentation, the dough is divided and shaped and will undergo a final proof before baking. The dough will rise to double its size.

What Is Under Proofing?

During proofing, yeast consumes sugar to produce carbon dioxide gas in the fermentation process. The carbon dioxide, in turn, allows the dough to expand and rise to those beautiful heights.

If you skimp on the rising time for bulk fermentation and/or final proofing, the yeast will not release enough carbon dioxide and the gluten won’t stretch to produce the necessary air pockets that result in light and fluffy baked breads. In this case, you’ve “under proofed” the bread.

You can test if you’ve under proofed the dough by pressing down on the dough. If it springs back immediately, you need to let the dough rise a little longer, as it’s under proofed. It should spring back slowly when it is ready.

What is Over Proofing?

If you have too much rising time for bulk fermentation and/or final proofing, the dough raises too much and the air bubbles begin to pop, which can lead to dough collapse. In this case, you’ve “over proofed” the bread.

You can test if you’ve over proofed the bread by pressing down on the dough. If it does not spring back, you’ve over proofed the dough. Luckily, you can rescue over proofed dough by pressing on the dough to release the gas. You will then have to reshape and reproof the dough.

How to Diagnose Over and Under Proofing

The end result of booth under and over proofing is bread that does not bake properly.

Typical signs of under proofed bread include the following:

1. Cracks/tears in the crust
2. Bread is over-expanded around the edges
3. Uneven distribution of air pockets in bread interior (the “crumb”) – ie. large pockets at exterior, few to no pockets in interior
4. Coarse, dense texture

Typical signs of over proofed bread include the following:

1. Flat/deflated loaf
2. Edges of bread conform to shape of the bread pan
3. Wrinkled crust
4. Little to no air pockets in the bread crumb
5. Coarse, dense texture
6. More sour taste

Bottom line: let your dough proof properly first and do the proof test before baking!

Ultimate Tips to Make the Best Yeast Breads

1. Flour or wet your hands when kneading – We’ve all heard our grammas say to flour our hands to prevent sticking when kneading, but did you know you can also wet your hands to prevent sticking? You can use water or oil to help the dough from sticking to you. I still prefer the old school flour method, though.
2. Kneading is about texture and spring not time – Many times recipes will have you “knead for 10 minutes.” Kneading is not about time, it is about achieving the desired smooth, elastic texture and a dough springiness that indicates your dough has been sufficiently worked and is ready for the rest and rise phase. This can take anywhere from 4 to 10 minutes, so don’t feel compelled to keep kneading for the sake of kneading to achieve some time goal. Stop when the desired texture is achieved and when you poke the dough, it springs back slowly.
3. Work small amounts of flour into the dough – Kneading flour into the dough can be a time intensive process, but do not give into the temptation to dump ½ cup at a time to sticky dough. It often takes less flour than you think and if you add too much too soon, you’ll over-flour your dough and the result will be dense bread. Instead add a few tablespoons at a time, work it into the dough, and repeat as needed until the dough is no longer sticky.
4. Use the Fold, Push, Turn Method for Kneading – The best kneading technique involves the “fold, push, turn” method. Flatten the dough and fold it toward you (Fold). Push the dough back, away from you in a rolling motion with the heel of your hand (Push). Rotate the dough a quarter turn and repeat (Turn).
5. Let the dough rise in a warm place – if it’s too warm, dough will rise too quickly. If it is too cool, the dough will rise too slowly.
6. Always cover dough with a clean cloth or saran wrap – covering dough helps keep moisture in and dust and debris out
7. Lightly grease bowl before adding dough to rise – to prevent dough from sticking to the bowl during rising, lightly mist the bowl with cooking spray. That way when it comes time for shaping, you can easily remove the dough.
8. Place the dough seam side down – If you’re after the picturesque loaf, make sure once you’ve shaped the dough to place it seam side down in the pan.
9. Preheat the oven – Always preheat your oven. It allows for even cooking and perfect bread. You never want to start baking bread in a cold oven. I generally like to have my oven warm for 10 minutes before I put my bread in, that way the hot air has had time to distribute evenly.
10. Check bread 10 minutes before recipe “done time” – Baking time varies by oven, so to prevent browning and burning start checking your bread about 10 minutes before the recipe says it should be done.
11.  If your loaves are browning too quickly, cover with foil – to prevent excessive browning, remove your loaves and tent with foil to shield the heat from the already brown tops. This will allow the rest of the bread to continue baking without having burnt crust.
12. Cool bread on wire racks – Steam accumulates in the bottom of the loaf pan. If you don’t want soggy bread, turn it out on a wire rack to cool.
13. Let bread cool before slicing – bread is still baking and drying when you take it out of the oven. Let it. If you cut too early, your bread can take on a misshapen form or appear sad and soggy.

Storing Yeast Bread

Store yeast bread in an airtight container at room temperature. I prefer to wrap my loaves in saran wrap as well for an extra layer of protection before storing in a Ziploc baggie. Keep bread in a dry environment to prevent molding.

Do not store in the fridge, as this will dry the bread out quickly and cause staling.

If you need a long-term storage solution, wrap in foil and place in an airtight freezer bag and store in the freezer.

Put your knowledge to use with these recipes:

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