Yeast Bread Tips

Again, in my opinion, if you want to substitute whole wheat flour for the white flour called for in the recipes start with 1/2 to 1 cup to see if you are happy with the result. Just keep in mind that wheat flour will really affect how the bread rises, as well as, the finished texture of the bread. That said, here are some hints that should "encourage" your bread to rise. Hopefully, one of these will help you bakers.

First, find the warm areas of your house. Maybe put the bread on top of the refrigerator or water heater. Cover the top of your bowl of dough with lightly greased plastic wrap, wrap the bowl in a large dish towel or thin bath towel, and set it in your "warm place". A wood stove, radiator, or hot air vent is great if you have something, such as a shelf, near and above these heat sources.

Second, set a heating pad on low, wrap it in a towel, and set your covered bowl on top.

Third, preheat the oven on "warm", for 1 minute, turn the oven off, then set the bowl of dough inside. Turn your oven on to "warm" for 1 minute every 45 minutes until the dough has risen enough.

After the dough has risen, take it out of the bowl and squeeze it gently to deflate it. Don't punch the dough down or smash it on the counter. Handle it gently (1) to prevent the dough becoming tough, (2) to keep the air in the dough for a nice, light bread.

If you want to left the dough rise twice when the recipe says once, that should produce a lighter bread.