Why won’t the bread dough rise?

If you have ever tried to bake bread at home, you must have encountered the problem and question: Why won’t the dough rise?” This can be frustrating, especially when you put in the effort, take the time to prepare, and patiently wait for the dough to rise, and instead of a nice, risen loaf, you end up with a hard, inelastic dough. Although baking bread requires attention and precision, the reason for failure usually lies in a few key factors. In this text, we will expose the most common mistakes we make while making bread and how to avoid them.

Why won’t the bread dough rise?

Old yeast

Dry yeast can last for years if stored properly, at the right temperature. However, if you used a packet of fresh yeast that was forgotten in the back of the fridge, chances are it has become inactive.

Even if you just buy a fresh package of yeast, there is a possibility that it is already “dead”. Yeast that has been stored in warm conditions or exposed to fluctuating temperatures can also lose its effectiveness, regardless of whether it was recently purchased. So, first ask yourself — is the yeast fresh?

The yeast is too hot

Recipes that call for active dry yeast usually call for the yeast to be dissolved in warm water. However, what temperature is really “warm” and what temperature is too hot for yeast? If the liquid is too hot, it will kill the yeast.

Yeast is quite sensitive – it doesn’t like too cold or too hot. To avoid mistakes, use a kitchen thermometer to accurately measure the water temperature called for in the instructions.

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The dough will not rise in a cold room

As already mentioned, yeast has specific temperature requirements and is best activated in the range of 24 to 32 degrees Celsius. Although there is little room for variation, an environment that is too cold can slow down or completely stop yeast growth.

This often happens in winter, if it is impossible to keep the kitchen at a suitable 24°C. If the dough sits too long in a cold room, the yeast will simply stop working and the dough will not rise. To avoid this, place the dough in a warm place, such as the top of the refrigerator or in a preheated oven.

You can turn the oven on for a minute or two, turn it off, and then put the dough inside to rise. Just don’t forget to turn off the oven before adding the dough!

You didn’t wait long enough

We live in a time where we want everything immediately and quickly. However, when it comes to raising the dough, patience is required. This may take longer than you expected, or than indicated in the recipe. Prolonged rising time may be due to the room being too cold or, perhaps, the yeast having lost its effectiveness.

Also, if you use a different type of flour or whole grain flour, the process may take longer. If your dough hasn’t risen as expected, simply give it more time. And don’t forget — a longer rising process usually results in tastier bread.

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Wrong size container

Sometimes the problem isn’t that the dough hasn’t risen, but that it doesn’t look like it has risen. Often the reason is that the bowl is too big for the amount of dough. Here are the rules for choosing the right container size:

• The recipe with about 3 cups of flour fits perfectly into a 22 cm x 11 cm dish.
• The recipe with about 4 cups of flour corresponds to a dish measuring 23 cm x 13 cm.
• A recipe with about 4-1/2 cups of flour fits perfectly into a 25 cm x 13 cm pan.

When you use the right size pan, the dough will have enough room to rise and form a nice, even loaf.

Do not throw away dough that has not risen

Meanwhile, what can we do with that hard lump of dough that hasn’t risen? Don’t throw it away!

Knead it a little, thin it out and bake homemade crackers or flatbread.

Good luck!

Source: Mother Earth News