Why is my bread dough rising this quickly?
I've been making Jim Lahey's no-knead bread pretty much since the recipe first appeared in the New York Times. In the last year or so, I've noticed a strange phenomenon: the recipe says to let the dough rise for 12-18 hrs., but the dough looks ready after 10 hrs, and sometimes as little as 8. Here's today's dough after 10 hrs:
Lahey's advice is: "Dough is ready when it's dotted with small bubbles," and there they are. And that's fine, but I'm wondering why my dough is rising so much more quickly than the recipe specifies. My kitchen isn't unusually warm, so that can't be it, and I'm not using too much yeast. I'm also using active dry yeast, not instant. Here's the recipe for reference:
- 420g flour
- 345g water
- 8g salt
- 1g yeast
Combine ingredients and mix to form a soft dough. Cover and let rise 12-18 hrs. Turn out onto a floured surface, fold over on itself, and let rest 15 mins. Shape into ball, cover, and let rise 2 hrs. Preheat oven to 450F/220C with cast iron Dutch oven inside. Bake dough in Dutch oven, covered, for 30 mins, then uncover and bake another 15 mins.
Best Answer
My kitchen isn't unusually warm, so that can't be it
That may be so, but what is the environment of your kitchen like in comparison with Jim Lahey's when he originally produced/tested the recipe? Two major variables in fermentation are temperature and humidity (https://www.polygongroup.com/en-US/blog/the-importance-of-humidity-control-in-bakeries). All other things being equal (e.g. ingredients, technique etc.) these would appear to be the most obvious culprits.
The YouTube baker Bake with Jack (https://youtube.com/c/BakewithjackUk) stresses this point in his training videos to the extent that he states the temperature in his kitchen for all of his recipes, so that people may compensate accordingly. I don't recall any else going as far as actually stating that, but it has certainly helped me achieve more consistent results as a result.
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Quick Answer about "Why is my bread dough rising this quickly?"
Your dough is rising too fast because it either has too much yeast in it or it's too warm. Yeast produces gas to rise the dough, so too much of it will cause a very quick rise. Warm temperatures cause the yeast to work faster to produce more gas. A cooler proof with less yeast is best.Why is my bread rising too fast?
If your dough is rising too fast, it could be because of two main reasons. First, if your yeast is old, it won't produce enough carbon dioxide gas to help raise your bread. Second, if your flour is not well mixed, it will take longer for the gluten strands to form and trap air.What causes dough to over rise?
The reason bread dough spreads out rather than rise up is likely because of weak gluten structure. A better gluten structure means a better upward rise. Gluten essentially acts as a netting that keeps the bread together, confining the gas produced during fermentation and giving it the texture we all love.How do you keep bread dough from rising?
Cover the bread dough with a clean towel and place it in the refrigerator. Some bakers like to wrap the dough in a towel and place this in a bowl or on a cookie sheet. Others simply lay a towel over the pan, which is perfect for loaf bread. Before baking your refrigerated bread, allow it to warm to room temperature.THE SECRET OF DOUGH RISE FASTER IN JUST A FEW MINUTES
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