As I have read for survival and food stuffs, you should practice what you plan to do. So, today I thought I would make bread. Nothing fancy the first time out, but I do have questions. First, here is the recipe...
My questions,
Step 1. I let it proof until it looked like the head on a pint of Guinness. I thought that looked right. Is it?
Step 2. I did the mixing and kneading for about 5 minute. I covered it and let it sit for an hour. It did look like it rose, but no where near double. I did a quick search on the internet. There was a site that said if the recipe has alot of sugar or the place I set it to rise is too cold it might not rise. It gave a suggestion of getting it to rise in the oven. That worked, but it took about 2 hours. My house is cool (~65 degrees). Is 2/3 cup of sugar enough to affect the rise?
At the moment it's back in the oven, in the loaf pans, rising again. I started this about 5:30pm, it's now 10:50pm. I'm in no rush, but is this normal?
Thanks
Amish White Bread
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45degrees C)
2/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cups bread flour
1. In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
2. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.
My questions,
Step 1. I let it proof until it looked like the head on a pint of Guinness. I thought that looked right. Is it?
Step 2. I did the mixing and kneading for about 5 minute. I covered it and let it sit for an hour. It did look like it rose, but no where near double. I did a quick search on the internet. There was a site that said if the recipe has alot of sugar or the place I set it to rise is too cold it might not rise. It gave a suggestion of getting it to rise in the oven. That worked, but it took about 2 hours. My house is cool (~65 degrees). Is 2/3 cup of sugar enough to affect the rise?
At the moment it's back in the oven, in the loaf pans, rising again. I started this about 5:30pm, it's now 10:50pm. I'm in no rush, but is this normal?
Thanks