"Janet Bostwick" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Dee Randall" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> "Janet Bostwick" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>>
>>> "Boron Elgar" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>> snip
>>>> I read the OP's message about sweet breads taking longer to rise, and
>>>> I have certainly some longer rises (with a sourdough starter, not
>>>> yeast) with mine but nothing as long as you mention.
>>>>
>>>> And I have made stollens that rise so fast you can watch them. Those
>>>> are sweet, rich doughs. The right amount of yeast is needed, too. Did
>>>> you use regular or rapid rise or fresh? I like to use fresh with sweet
>>>> doughs.
>>>>
>>>>>Thanks for your ideas,
>>>>>very helpful,
>>>>>Dee Dee
>>>>>
>>>> Always a pleasure. Let's see what Janet says.
>>>>
>>>> Boron
>>>
>>> I was going to suggest more yeast. I have made stollens that rise well.
>>> I have more success with the rise for stollen if I use active dry yeast
>>> and bloom it than if I use instant yeast. There is an osmotolerant
>>> instant yeast for highly enriched dough and maybe that would work for
>>> Dee's raisin bread. The other thing might be the temperature of the
>>> dough after mixing. If it was too cold -- say 60F -- it might take a
>>> long time to recover in that high sugar environment. I have had poor
>>> success when adding the dry yeast to the dry ingredients when making a
>>> really rich dough. The yeast just doesn't seem to dissolve as it
>>> should. Boron, you always use fresh yeast don't you?
>>> Janet
>> An aside -- in this particular recipe, it called for the dark brown sugar
>> to be mixed with 1/2 cup of the milk and to be stirred to dissolve
>> completely. Then sprinkle the yeast into the milk/sugar mixture, let
>> stand for 5 minutes; stir to dissolve completely. It did not mention
>> temperature of the milk. When the bread was mixed, I 'infrared' the
>> temperature from the outside; it was 65 (about the temp) of the room at
>> that time. I put it to raise in the utility room which is 80-82º.
>> Booo to this receipe - there are others.
>> Thanks for your comments. I appreciatethem.
>> Dee Dee
> The dough should have finished at about 78F. I know you have had this
> problem before because your kitchen is cold. I suspect that may have been
> your problem. You may have to look up the rule of 240? over at
> alt.bread.recipes. Or heat the milk quite warm, scalding probably
> wouldn't hurt here, dissolve the sugar in the hot milk, allow the
> milk/sugar mixture temperature to drop to around 95 or so and then
> dissolve the yeast in the mixture and allow it to bloom. That way the
> vessel you use to dissolve everything will have been warmed as well and
> you should be able to get a nicely warmed liquid to use for mixing the
> flour. Hope this helps.
> Janet
Thank you, Janet. Yes, I know (only too well) about the 78F. That was the
reason I was wondering what the temperature was -- being 65º. And I know
the 240 rule, too. Guess I just was going against the Gods on this one!
Probably because I hate being so darned scientific, I got caught! I think I
had a thing against this recipe at the very start because of my dislike for
brown sugar; you know, "so what if it doesn't work, I won't "have" to eat
that brown sugar!"

I took the chill off the milk in the microwave before the sugar was
dissolved in it, but did not test the temperature; I could've gone a higher.
I did warm the vessel, I learned that from you speaking of my
low-temperatured kitchen.
You are right about everything here. BUT I was hoping that my 80-82º
temperature for the raise would compensate for all my foilables, but alas,
it did not.
Thanks, Janet,
Dee Dee