Dead yeast- dang!!!

[Lux Man]

I’ve been baking bread. I’ve got a successful recipe made two loaves today I do two proofs one in the refrigerator overnight and then the final on the counter the next day. This is what I had after four hours at 80°.

I had two choices make focaccia or go to the store and get some new yeast and give it a try. I typically use yeast out of a jar, but my wife had bought some packs so these two loaves were made from that and they both looked like this.

So after getting fresh yeast at the store, I added it in, first checking it with a little water and a little sugar. It was alive. I kneaded it for four minutes and now I’m reproofing. It looks like I’m gonna salvage them.

I’ll try to remember to take a picture of them when they come out of the oven in about an hour.

By the way, I used an autolyse method and it reduced the kneading in the mixer in half to get to a successfulwindow pane. That’s huge because my KitchenAid mixer doesn’t like kneading dough for 10 minutes.

 

[Lux Man]

Considering what this dough has been through it came out pretty good. One won’t win any awards for appearance though but I’m sure it’ll taste just fine.

 

[trinhsman]

I grew up in the bakery industry. If yeast is in doubt, put a small amount with some warm water. Stir well. Wait a few minutes. The mixture foam should rise in the bowl or glass.
I prefer fresh yeast over dry yeast. Also, remember dry yeast is about three times as powerful as fresh yeast.
1 oz of dry yeast would be equal to 3 oz of fresh yeast.

 

[Lux Man]

I grew up in the bakery industry.

So was this a family owned bakery? Was it your family? Just curious, my father was a baker from the time he was in high school until he retired. My job was cleaning the bakery -
I have his books from the Peavy Company whom I am sure you recall. I've read them but the recipes are for "large" batches but there is still good food science information in them. He is 97 now and with some early dementia my questions are difficult for him.

 

[trinhsman]

So was this a family owned bakery? Was it your family? Just curious, my father was a baker from the time he was in high school until he retired. My job was cleaning the bakery -
I have his books from the Peavy Company whom I am sure you recall. I've read them but the recipes are for "large" batches but there is still good food science information in them. He is 97 now and with some early dementia my questions are difficult for him.

Family bakery for over 30 years. I did 6 years in the business with my father and then 20 years with Publix Supermarket when their bakeries were all scratch. Then another 18 years with a baker packaging company.

 

[robgmn]

I've heard "windowpane" with reference to pizza dough being stretched. What does it mean when referencing a bread dough?

 

[Lux Man]

I've heard "windowpane" with reference to pizza dough being stretched. What does it mean when referencing a bread dough?

It's the same test. It's used pretty universally to indicate how well the gluten network is developed in a dough.