>"Bakers: Though I've been making bread for twenty years, I have yet to
>figure out why some loaves rise quite a bit as they bake, and some hardly
>at all. I can't find a pattern to this; all have been allowed to rise to
>the subjective point of being "light" before being baked. The flour
>doesn't seem to make a difference, either. Any ideas?"
>- Maureen
There are so many reasons. Here's a few:
1: Strength of gluten--the higher the gluten content of the flour, the more
the rise.
2: Amount of enzyme--too much enzyme (from sprouted wheat) can weaken the
dough. Flours can vary from purchase to purchase depending on the quality
control of the company;they also can vary year to year--this is usually not
a problem but you can get a sack on occasion that reacts differently.
3: Water content--not as much rise if very high or very low.
4: Amount of first (and second) rising--if you overrise the first or second
time in the bowl, there'll be less oomph the final time around.
5: Amount of final rising--rising to double in volume will give optimal
oven spring. If over risen, there's won't be much oven spring. If under 2X
volume, you can get a lot of oven spring as well as break or "shred" at the
side of the loaf where the top crust breaks from the side.
6: Heavier flours or additions to the dough cut the rise.
7: Moisture in oven: Steam helps oven spring.
8: Yeast activity: The more active the yeast, the more the rise. Quantity
of live yeast can affect (age/activeness of yeast).
9: Dough temperature out of mixer--temperatures above 80 F start damaging
the structure
10: Dough temperature going into oven--cool (not cold) doughs expand more
because of the expansion of air during heating
11: Temperature at which the yeast was dissolved--if using dry yeast--at
ideal temperature the walls of the yeast cell hydrate and seal up. At too
high temperature, yeast is killed off. At too low temperature, yeast cell
contents leak out and the glutathione release relaxes the dough.
12: Shape of bread pan--sloped sides give more spring.
13: Material of bread pan--metals that conduct heat better will result in
better spring.
14: Crust or hardening on bread during rising will cut oven spring.
15: Making the bread by recipe rather than by feel: If you use the same
amount of water when the weather is humid as you do when the weather is
dry, you will have a different consistency dough, because flour is
hydroscopic--taking on water when it is damp, and giving it up when it is
dry. Heaviness of structure will affect the rise.
Bev