Ah-hah! Im glad I measured the yeast now. I thought maybe there was a difference in brands, but if mfrs did that, it would mess up so many recipes that call for 1 packet. I waited 2 hours last night (yawn) before putting the bowl in the refrigerator but I didnt see much rising then. I used warm water and covered the bowl all around with some towels to keep it warmer. I would have left it out but I could not stay awake any longer. Since I have the baking stone I was not going to use parchment, thinking parchment might affect the crisp crust the porous baking stone is supposed to be good for. I have corn meal around (somewhere). But if parchment makes no difference to that tell me. I dont think I have an instant read thermometer but have the kind with a spike that you stick into meat, and my husband has this fancy gadget with a beam he got as a prize at work: you aim it at a surface (like the grill) and it tells you the temperature. But room temperature is easy enough to tell. Though it wont be warmer than 65 F in this house. Front of the stove is a smart idea. terrapots, I will think of your "Shadow" while mine sits next to me. Her blanket is a foot to the right of the keyboard but if she feels neglected she starts encroaching on the mouse. If I still dont give her enough attention she will stand between the keyboard and the monitor or walk on the keyboard. Thanks for the tips!

FYI... 'Experts' indicate the ideal temperature range for a mixed dough is usually 76 to 80F. Peter Reinhart states in "Crust and Crumb" that "dough temperature increases about one degree per every minute of kneading or two degrees per minute if kneading in a medium-speed mixer. Jeffrey Hamelman ("BREAD" A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes): "For the most part, the temperature zone that works best, particularly for wheat-based breads, is 75° to 78°F." To complicate things even more, there is a whole set of calculations you can use to figure your dough temperature based on the type of mixing method you use (straight dough or pre-ferment), as well as ambient room temperature, flour temperature, etc... If you use a straight dough method and you want your dough to be 76°F you multiply 76 by 3; if there is a pre-ferment method used (which I suggest using for freshly-milled flour) multiply 76 by 4. Examples... Using the straight dough method: 76°F x 3 = 228° (Total temperature factor) Minus flour temperature - 72°F Minus room temperature - 68°F Minus friction factor - 26°F = Water temperature 62°F For the straight dough, water at 62°F gives us a final dough temperature of approximately 76°F. Pre-ferment: 78°F x 4 = 304°F Minus flour temperature - 72°F Minus room temperature - 68°F Minus pre-ferment temperature - 70°F Minus friction factor - 26°F = Water temperature - 68°F Friction Factor: For doughs that mix for 3 minutes on first speed and 3 or 4 minutes on second, the friction factor for most mixers is in the range of 24° to 28°F. "Factors that affect the amount of friction generated during mixing, such as the type of mixer being used (stand, spiral, oblique, or planetary), the length of mix time, the mixing speeds used, and the quantity of dough in the bowl." ------------------------------------------------------- If you work the dough too long and hard in the mixer, the gluten can begin to break apart, so check gluten development by doing a windowpane (or membrane) test. If the dough is stringy and stretchy and sticks to your hands, the dough is probably over-mixed and broken. This isn't the same thing as being too wet. If the dough tears, instead of having an elastic texture, the most common reason for this is under-mixing the dough. ----------------------------------------------------- Another possibility... There is a substance in wheat germ called Glutathione, which breaks down the gluten. By adding an acidic ingredient (ascorbic acid, lemon juice, vinegar) to whole wheat yeast breads, it will counteract the negative effects of Glutathione. I use 1/8 t. ascorbic acid per loaf for this purpose. Ascorbic acid (aka vitamin C) not only helps prevent the gluten bonds from breaking down; but it will help repair gluten bonds that have already been broken. Ascorbic acid also helps sustain the leavening of bread loaves during baking and promotes yeast growth so the yeast works longer and faster. -------------------------------------------------- When the top crust separates (shelling): -the dough was over-mixed -top dried out during rising (use plastic wrap instead of a towel) -oven temperature too low -too much yeast in the recipe -------------------------------------------------------- You may want to do a protein test on your wheat - it can be lower or higher in protein than what you are accustomed to using. I've found this true with Prairie Gold wheat, which I've used a lot of over the years. The local hard white winter wheat I purchase I also know the protein level (13.1%). This is the same wheat King Arthur Flour has milled into their Whole White Wheat Flour, so they have strict protein standards. I've worked with wheat that had 16% protein, and you have to do a LOT more kneading to develop that much protein. How to check protein level: Measure 2 cups plus 1-T. flour (measure by scooping a dry measuring cup into the flour, filling it, and slightly packing the flour as you level it off against the side of the flour container). Add it to a food processor with the steel knife. Add 1-cup of water. Process for about 30 seconds. If your flour is high protein (somewhere around 13-14%) it will absorb 1 cup of water producing a sticky dough ball when processed for 30-seconds in the workbowl of a food processor with the steel knife. If the dough ball looks somewhat "loose", then you may need to add vital wheat gluten to the flour to increase the protein, or reduce the mixing time and see if you get better results. Hope there is something there that helps you out... ~Grainlady

Years ago the ex and I lived in DC in an apartment without AC. DC is VERY humid in the summers. She decided to try to make bread. Unfortunately, she wasn't a very confident cook and tended to follow recipes exactly. She didn't know tricks that most of us know, the rules of thumb, etc. Anyway, all of a sudden she lets out a yell for help. I go into the kitchen and the bread dough is oozing all over the counter and she's desperately trying to keep it from running over the sides of the counter. She added exactly the amount of flour the recipe called for, but it was so humid that the dough was literally still liquid. So, I start working on it, adding more and more flour, until I come close to doubling what the recipe called for. The whole time she's "but I followed the recipe exactly!" while I'm trying to explain to her why baking is different. Never did really get the concept through to her. But, believe it or not, the bread actually turned out fairly decent.

I wouldn't reduce the yeast or you may find you don't have enough yeast activity to get good ovenspring. According to Shirley O. Corriher in her book, "CookWise", when retarding (chilling) dough overnight or longer, it influences the bread in three ways: -Enhances flavor. The cold temperature forces the yeast into dormancy so it is no longer gobbling up all the available sugars. The bacteria then can feed and produce some of their flavorful acids, which add subtle complex flavors and enhance keeping quality. Acids produced at cold temperatures 30-40-degrees F) are wonderfully flavorful, and even at cool temperatures are good. -Reduces ovenspring and loaf volume. Chilling for a period as long as overnight reduces ovenspring (oven rise) and reduces loaf volume. Alcohol that was made by the yeast from the beginning changes to a gas in the hot oven and is a contributor to ovenspring. During a lengthy cold period, alcohol simply evaporates from the surface of the dough and some goes to vinegar. ...Chilling reduces the carbon dioxide in the bubbles, which contributes to a slight change in texture and possibly slightly reduced ovenspring and loaf volume. -Opens texture slightly. Chilling dough retards the action of yeast and influences texture, though much more subtly than breadmaking method. Another point about refrigerator doughs... Enriched recipes designed for the refrigerator (such as Betty Crocker - Potato Refrigerator Dough) include mashed potatoes (or instant mashed potato flakes). WHY? Lloyd M. Maxon, author of "The Baking Book" and a microbiologist who specializes in yeast biochemistry explains... Mashed potatoes - or any pureed vegetable - is vital for refrigerator doughs because it preserves moisture in the dry climate of a fridge. A regular yeast dough would dry and become unworkable more rapidly. These refrigerator dough recipes are great when you want to make the dough ahead of time and the next day use a portion to make hot dog or hamburger buns, cinnamon rolls another day, and dinner rolls yet another. -Grainlady