A lot can go wrong when making bread at home, and when you have bread that tastes like yeast, you’re probably wondering what on earth happened.
A few different things can cause your bread to develop a yeasty flavor. One makes the dough rise too quickly, and the other adds too much yeast to it. You can get rid of this type of flavor by slowing down your fermentation process and using less yeast overall.
Let’s learn more about how to bake a bread that doesn’t taste like yeast!
Why does my bread taste yeasty?
Excessive yeast flavor in bread is usually due to either adding too much yeast to the dough or having it rise too quickly. Your dough needs time to develop its flavors. So if you speed up the fermentation process, you’ll end up with a loaf that tastes unpleasant.
For this reason, most bakers run a long initial proofing process. This gives the dough time to develop its flavor and break down the yeast, making the flavor less noticeable. The longer the first fermentation process, the less the dough tastes of yeast. It also gives the bread a better texture.
If you keep getting yeast bread, there are two things you need to check:
- How much yeast do you put in the dough?
- How long do you let the dough rise?
Correcting one or both should resolve the issue.
See also: How to prevent bread from getting moldy
How Can You Prevent Yeast Flavor?
There’s not much you can do to salvage your current bread since it’s already baked and its flavors are set. But for next time you can learn. First, review your recipe and approach. If you know you’ve given the dough a lot of time to rise, you should be wondering if you’ve added too much yeast.
It is worth checking this first as it comes before the verification process. Next time consider reducing the yeast by ¼ or ½ teaspoon and see if that helps. You’ll probably have to let the dough rise longer this way, but since this can also help with flavor issues, it’s still a good idea.
Next, think about where you’re going to proof your dough. Many websites recommend putting it in a warm oven so it rises quickly and you can bake it sooner — but that can cause problems. It increases the speed at which the yeast activates and makes the dough rise faster, but rising isn’t just about volume.
The fermentation process is necessary for the aromas to develop in your bread dough. If you rush the process, you might still get a good texture, but the flavor will be noticeably worse. There’s a lot of movement and change in the dough as it ferments, and if you rush it, your bread just won’t taste good.
Some bakers therefore prefer to put their dough in a cool place to extend the rising time. If you allow it longer than the standard 60 minutes, you’ll have more time for good flavors to develop and your bread will taste much better.
How to slow down the fermentation process?
Two things make your bread rise more slowly: less yeast and colder temperatures. Most commercial bread recipes call for a packet of dry yeast (about 7 grams), but surprisingly the bread rarely needs that much.
The reason they charge such large amounts is that it speeds up the verification process. The recipe becomes more attractive because it is relatively quick and easy. Some people even add more yeast to make the bread rise even faster.
Overall, less yeast is better (up to a point). Beginning bakers often avoid recipes that require more than 3 hours of rising time, unaware that this often gives the bread a significantly better taste.
Amazingly, you can often reduce the amount of yeast a recipe calls for by as much as three quarters. Sometimes you need half to get light bread. By significantly reducing the yeast, the risk of an unpleasant taste is massively reduced.
Of course, this means that it takes a lot longer for the bread to rise – but that’s basically a good thing as long as you are aware of it and can plan for it. You should experiment with reducing the amount of yeast and letting the dough rise longer; You will be amazed at how much better the bread tastes.
If you don’t want to reduce the yeast, you can increase the rising time by leaving the dough in the fridge overnight. At colder temperatures, the yeast activates much more slowly and the flavors have more time to develop.
If you put in too much yeast you’ll probably still get a little yeasty flavor, but that should mitigate it. Don’t add more yeast, even if you slow down the rising of your bread.
What else can you do to combat yeasty bread?
A lot of people think that to enjoy bread you have to have commercial yeast because without it you get flatbread. However, that is not entirely correct. You can use other methods to get a light, fluffy bread, and consider these if your bread keeps getting too yeasty.
use starters
Many people have started experimenting with sourdough bread, and this one uses a starter instead of yeast to add structure to the bread. It’s a great way to avoid yeasty-tasting breads, although inexperienced bakers often feel intimidated by it.
Sourdough bread tends to require more work as you need to feed the starter regularly to keep it active and make sure it’s in good condition for your bread to rise. It only takes a few minutes to feed an appetizer and schedules vary — but be aware before you decide to try sourdough bread.
Starter works by developing its own yeast from wild yeast in the air. These get into your flour and water mixture and start developing a colony there. Sourdough bread still contains yeast, but it’s a more natural variety that can have better flavor.
Sourdough bread has significantly longer rising times, so keep that in mind if you want to try your hand at this type of bread.
Use a pre-ferment
You can make a sponge to use in your dough if you prefer. This is something you mix up ahead of time. It uses flour, water, and a small amount of yeast — so it still has yeast in it, but only a small amount.
These pre-ferments can be referred to as sponge, poolish, or biga. Try the different methods to see which works best for you and results in a bread you like. You typically use these by mixing the ingredients together and letting them rise for hours before mixing them into a dough.
They can often massively improve both the texture and flavor of a loaf of bread, so they’re worth considering if you’re struggling to get a good flavor.
See also: Why your bread burns on the bottom
tips
- If you’re still having trouble reducing the yeasty flavor, try using a different leavening agent for your bread, such as: B. Baking powder.
- If you add other flavors to the bread (such as rosemary), add them to the batter early so they have time to interact with it.
- Aim for a rise time of around 5-6 hours, but be careful not to over-rise your recipe or you’ll end up with a flat, chewy loaf.
frequently asked Questions
Do you have to use yeast?
You need a leavening agent in the bread (or you can get flatbread) and yeast is usually best. If you don’t like it, you should experiment with baking soda.
How cold should the dough be made?
To make cold protection, your dough should be around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Putting it in a fridge also works.
How can I make sure my bread doesn’t taste or smell like yeast flour?
Too much yeast in your dough will make the bread smell and taste yeasty.
Conclusion
Yeast bread is usually the result of a hasty fermentation process or too much yeast in the recipe. To fix this, try halving your yeast and adding several hours to your rise time.