# Baking gone bad



## Oma Barbara (Aug 4, 2020)

Hi!
I’m new to this site and I’m new to bread baking. I started about six weeks ago and was instantly successful. Here is my recipe:
420 g bread flour
2 tsp saf instant yeast
2 tsp coarse sea salt
360 ml room temp water
I mix it all together (no kneading other than getting it to hold together). I let it rise until about doubled in the covered bowl, and then I put it in the fridge until I need to have fresh bread. Sometimes two, sometimes three nights. When I’m ready to bake, I put dough on floured surface, make a loaf, let it rise again for an hour or so, cut slashes in the top, and bake it at 475F for about 35-40 minutes with a pan of boiling water at the bottom for steam. Internal temp 190F. Delicious!

I have no clue what I am suddenly doing different. The last three loaves I made have been getting progressively worse. The inside is dense, the crust is like rock. I keep the yeast in a blue glass jar in the fridge. Have I been slacking off and not paying attention to how long I let dough rise? Perhaps. Could letting it rise too long be a problem?
Does more kneading make the bread denser? 
I would appreciate any thoughts about what might have gone wrong with my baking.


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

There are different kinds of yeast. You mentioned instant yeast. Using instant yeast, there is no need for a double rise. Simply mix the dough, shape, allow to raise, then bake.
Your yeast died because you allowed to the dough to sit too long in the fridge. Had you used regular yeast, you might have better results.


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## Oma Barbara (Aug 4, 2020)

Thank you! I see. Maybe I should not keep my yeast in the fridge at all, but in the pantry instead. The first five or six loaves I made the above way turned out so great I was boasting to my family what a great baker I was! And I WAS told that putting dough in fridge improved the flavor. But maybe my yeast has gone kaput. So I will buy a new badge of yeast, keep in pantry, and try again. Thanks again!


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## granola girl (Mar 8, 2015)

since Covid, I have been baking sourdough bread with wild caught yeast. I also let mine proof overnight in the fridge to improve the flavor. If you use commercial yeast, SAF, they are a quick group of eaters. I agree with the above comment that I think your yeast died because they sat in the finished dough, they have eaten all the flour and died. (would explain the density of the finished bread) Not that the yeast was bad. Commercial yeast should be stored in the fridge before use, to extend the usability. Also, yeast "burps" less with salt in the environment.


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## Oma Barbara (Aug 4, 2020)

Look above, dear! I do keep my SAF yeast in the fridge. But I did some googling on yeast and am told that dry yeast is good in the fridge for maximum four month and in the freezer, maximum six. I bought the last batch in April and have ordered a new batch. So I will see. And I will report back. I also bought _The Bread Baker’s Apprentice_. So I’ll be busy! 😊


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## granola girl (Mar 8, 2015)

Oma Barbara said:


> Look above, dear! I do keep my SAF yeast in the fridge. But I did some googling on yeast and am told that dry yeast is good in the fridge for maximum four month and in the freezer, maximum six. I bought the last batch in April and have ordered a new batch. So I will see. And I will report back. I also bought _The Bread Baker's Apprentice_. So I'll be busy! 😊


I know. I was saying you are correct to keep it in the fridge. Sounds like a good book. Happy studying. At least the homework will be delicious.


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## retiredbaker (Dec 29, 2019)

Oma Barbara said:


> Hi!
> I'm new to this site and I'm new to bread baking. I started about six weeks ago and was instantly successful. Here is my recipe:
> 420 g bread flour
> 2 tsp saf instant yeast
> ...


The weather changed.
The method you're employing of retarding dough for days is fraught with potential trouble, under ideal circumstances you get decent results, but as soon as something changes , like weather, you get bad results.
If all else fails, follow the directions on the jar.
You won't find any instructions that say put the dough in the refrigerator.


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## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

Oma Barbara said:


> Look above, dear! I do keep my SAF yeast in the fridge. But I did some googling on yeast and am told that dry yeast is good in the fridge for maximum four month and in the freezer, maximum six. I bought the last batch in April and have ordered a new batch. So I will see. And I will report back. I also bought _The Bread Baker's Apprentice_. So I'll be busy! 😊


Most of the conventional wisdom on yeast storage is severely conservative. I keep mine (ADY) in the freezer, in a clear glass jar with a very effective seal. It's 5 years old and still has plenty of vitality. But if it gets condensation on it, it's not a good thing.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

NOT true. I've used the same package of SAF Red Instant yeast, kept in the freezer, for over three years and for at least 120 loaves of dough weighing 1.2kg for over three years. I posted this same thing some years ago under my username. Go search.


Oma Barbara said:


> ......................... But I did some googling on yeast and am told that dry yeast is good in the fridge for maximum four month and in the freezer, maximum six......... 😊


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