# How to tell if yeast is in a dough?



## theseeker (Sep 2, 2014)

Most generally I do desserts however I find myself helping out in the bakery that does bread in large quantities. It supplies bread for 10 outlet restaurants and for banquets (which varies from 500-1500 covers+). Every now and again the people on mixing forget to put yeast in a dough. I'd rather catch this in the early stages of concern than fully shape 100+ lbs of dough to find out not only product has been wasted but labor before it goes to the proofer. Sometimes the shop is a bit cold so it takes longer to bench rest and rise before shaping. My question is what methods are there to find this out. I've heard of boiling water and placing dough in it but am not sure what I'm looking for


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

hum? single rise bread for 10 outlets? ok. Anyway, pick a few bits of dough and roll them into balls. Drop them in some warm water.

If they rise, 'yeast'. If the stay on the bottom, 'no yeast'. I say use a couple of balls, just in case one make attach to the bottom.

  When in a hectic kitchen and scaling,  it's best to identify when active ingredients are being added. Our bench scaler sings the same  short love song in Spanish. Once worked in a shop with Italian bakers and when they added yeast they always yelled out a saying in Italian. Don't know the exact translation but something like " don't want to pee into the wind"


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## theseeker (Sep 2, 2014)

First thanx, that is what I had assumed because of the air pockets created from the yeast. I've just never done so. We do do most of our rolls one rise. Save for that our bench scaler while scaling will start our starters, managing what needs to autolyse and feed mother every day. Some of the reasoning behind only one rise on some doughs is the full list of products and quantity. Including:

Pretzels/ hoagie/sticks/buns 
French/Epis/ baguette/rolls/baskets/kaiser
Parker rolls. 
Pugliese baskets 
Lavash 20 sheets
Grassini 600
Honey wheat rolls/loaves/kaisers
Sourdough baguette/rolls/baskets/loaves/pullmans
Brioche pullmans
Rye rolls/loaves/rye swirl pumpernickel 
Burger rolls/hotdog/burger/hoagies 
Pizza dough

Each batch between 90-150lb to chop and shape depending. Not to mention the viennoiserie and breakfast items we do. That's a good idea from your Italian coworkers. I did identify who had misplaced the yeast a few times and addressed it. Thanx again. 

I'm just getting back into my bread roots it's been since I was an apprentice that I had done any bread production. All their procedures are are already in place the head baker recently decided to pursue other job opportunities. I'm just a filler for now LOL


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## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

"All their procedures are are already in place..."

It sound to me as if the procedures may be somewhat flawed and you need to implement more rigid process controls to ensure adequate quality control.


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## theseeker (Sep 2, 2014)

That has definitely crossed my mind BrainShaw. The Assistan Baker that was supposed to catch me up to speed in assisting run the bakery in the last week and a half that I've been there she has been locked up in the office almost 90% of the time, not very pleased with the situation. The doughs that are only punched once all have starters . But even for the large quantity that we are doing that was one thing I was starting to look at to implement on a daily basis is a second rise as long as you stay ahead of the next dough. Things like pugliese, focaccia, ciabatta are "folded" in the bakers 32 gallon bins 3 times .


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## patrick tre (Jan 14, 2017)

Yes put ball of dough in warm water if it rises to the top it's got yeast,and yes do test it more than once


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## dueh (Mar 4, 2015)

That product list looks almost exactly like the product lineup of the bakery I work for, also in Colorado. Where are you at? 


TheSeeker said:


> First thanx, that is what I had assumed because of the air pockets created from the yeast. I've just never done so. We do do most of our rolls one rise. Save for that our bench scaler while scaling will start our starters, managing what needs to autolyse and feed mother every day. Some of the reasoning behind only one rise on some doughs is the full list of products and quantity. Including:
> 
> Pretzels/ hoagie/sticks/buns
> French/Epis/ baguette/rolls/baskets/kaiser
> ...


That product list looks almost exactly like the product lineup of the bakery I work for, also in Colorado. Where are you at?


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## popcornmaker (Oct 18, 2017)

dueh said:


> That product list looks almost exactly like the product lineup of the bakery I work for, also in Colorado. Where are you at?
> 
> That product list looks almost exactly like the product lineup of the bakery I work for, also in Colorado. Where are you at?


Where at in Colorado? Was just up there.


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## dueh (Mar 4, 2015)

popcornmaker said:


> Where at in Colorado? Was just up there.


Colorado Springs, at a privately owned hotel.


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