AboutElyse Grau Expertise I can answer any questions about baking. The only thing I'm not too good at is baking pies, nor do I know much about high altitude baking.
Experience I have been baking for over 30 years. One of my hobbies is creating recipes, most of those for baked goods. I made my own wedding cake. Currently I prefer to bake healthier things. I use a lot of whole wheat and other whole grain flours, and prefer to use less sugar or sugar substitutes in my baking. I do a lot with fruit.
Question I've been trying to bake bread and have found a way to make the dough rise well before putting it in the oven, but it does not change shape at all when baking and stays quite compact, despite the dough having risen well on proofing... where am i going wrong??
Also do you advise the use of fresh or dry yeast?
Do you use 2 proofing periods or just one?
Many thanks for your expert answer!
Answer Violaine-
I'm not sure if I understand your problem completely. You say the dough has risen before you put it in the oven, but you also say it is quite compact. Usually, if the bread has fully risen before baking, it is not going to get much larger, though it may expand a bit.
Most breads take two rises, sometimes 3, your recipe should state. The first rise takes place in the bowl, before the bread is shaped. Then the loaf is shaped either as a free-standing one or put into a loaf pan. It should then be allowed to rise again before placing in a hot oven.
Sometimes recipes call for starting the bread in a cold oven, this does have the effect of giving it additional rise time as the oven heats up.
As for yeast, either variety works. If you are using active dry as opposed to instant yeast, be sure to dissolve it in warm water first.
