• Reply by sandra Alicante on February 21, 2012 at 3:50 pm
• 

All rising times are variable. Lots of things can either speed up or retard the dough. For a first rise you are usually looking for a doubling of bulk.
Go by the feel and look of the dough, not the time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CwhKQfWKj4

sandrascookbook.com

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• Reply by KAF_Frank on February 21, 2012 at 4:02 pm
• 

Hi,
Yes, it can be. As a dough rises, it produces heat, which encourages the yeast to work faster. With an over risen dough, there will be less food left for the yeast later in the process. In a worst case scenario, the yeast will consume all of the starches, the finished loaf will have no color, the flavor will be tending towards sour. Over rising can also damage the gluten that you so carefully developed during kneading, leaving a free form loaf to spread like a pancake instead of blossoming up in the oven. Frank @ KAF.

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• Reply by mrscindy on February 21, 2012 at 4:15 pm
• 

So, janwein11, what is the status of your dough? Did you allow it to over-rise? If so, you need to de-gas it, re-form it and allow it to proof, again, if it will. Then, when almost doubled in size, bake it! Let us know. We want to help!

~Cindy

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• Reply by Janwein11@aol.com on February 23, 2012 at 11:21 pm
• 

Thank you for reply Cindy. Actually my dough never did double. I used my Kitchen Aid and dough actually came out of bowl and over top. I could smell my motor (burning?) so stopped n put in bowl. It rose very little in bowl n in pan. But baked nicely n tasted good. (was Cinnamon Raisin)

I'm very new to baking bread. (this my 3rd loaf)

I did initially let rise 15 min. more Than called for. What do u mean by de-gas it?
Jan

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• Reply by Mike Nolan on February 24, 2012 at 12:01 am
• 

A cinnamon raisin bread may not always double in size.

Most recipes call for 'punching down' or kneading the dough after it has risen before shaping it. That gets all the gas out (hence de-gassing) and also distributes the yeast around a bit, and usually makes for a better end result.

Depending on how big the recipe was, it may have been more than your mixer could handle. A dough that isn't very moist can also tax the mixer more.

What we often suggest to new bakers is to start with fairly simple recipes (like white bread) and gain some experience.

Even if you use a mixer for most of the kneading, it is helpful to do the last bit by hand. Your hands will tell you a lot about the dough you're working on.

I always recommend bakers take good notes on what they do, how it feels and what the final loaf is like. If you know what worked (and what didn't) and what you liked, you're better equipped to repeat your successes.

One thing you will discover is that recipes can't always be followed exactly as written, you need to allow for some flexibility. Some days you will need a little more flour or a little more moisture in the dough. Sometimes it won't rise as quickly, because the temperature in your kitchen (or wherever the dough is) won't always be the same. The baking time given in the recipe may need adjustment, too, because your oven may not be exactly the same temperature as the one the author used.

As you gain experience, you'll know what the dough should feel like, how it should rise, when it's done baking, etc. But take heart, we've all been there at some point, too.

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• Reply by mrscindy on February 24, 2012 at 9:51 am
• 

Looks like Mike answered all your questions. I, too, second Mike's suggestions about note taking, finishing kneading by hand and starting simple.

Taking notes and keeping them with the recipe is one of the smartest things you can do. Believe me when I say going back six months later and trying to remember what you did to a recipe that made you add the note 'Excellent' to it is nearly impossible. So make those notes!

Get your hands on the dough. It will tell you so much more than your eyes can IN THE BEGINNING! Later you can look at it and tell, but in the beginning you need to feel it. Do a windowpane test. Stretch a small amount of dough between your fingers until you can almost see through it without it tearing. Make a 'windowpane' out of it. If you've got a windowpane then your dough is correctly kneaded.

Start simple. Find a simple basic bread recipe, follow the directions exactly the first time. Then start to experiment with different flours, adding or subtracting ingredients and make that recipe YOURS!! Don't forget: Make Notes along the way.

We are here to help you, but please, don't burn up your KA. That is an expensive piece of equipment to replace 😄!

~Cindy

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• Reply by Mike Nolan on February 24, 2012 at 10:14 am
• 

When my sister taught me (and my brothers) how to bake, over 50 years ago, she always made us taste the dough.

These days I often still do that, but usually not for doughs that contain egg in them.

Possibly the biggest single error I've made when baking (one my wife won't let me forget) was the time I apparently put in 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and then ANOTHER 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt (instead of sugar).

It produced a salt lick brick even the birds wouldn't eat!

But had I tasted the dough, I'd surely have noticed something was wrong! I might not have been able to save the dough, but I probably would have just quietly tossed it out and started another batch.

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• Reply by mrscindy on February 24, 2012 at 10:25 am
• 

........... and your wife never would have been the wiser 😄. Now she can remind you with frequency!

~Cindy

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