First Time Baking Problems

[GallatiinNick]

Hello All,
So I recently started baking bread, as in a have attempted a few loafs, but for some reason i cant get my bread to rise like i want it to. My parents have never had any problems with the recipe.
550g flour
400mL water @ 110 degrees
50g sugar
45g butter
5g salt
1 packet active dry yeast
Im following the recipe instructions very carefully, but it still wont rise. Any insight would be appreciated.
Also, i dont know if elevation is an issue, but i live @ ~5000ft

 

[Angelica]

I assume you're proofing the yeast before use?

The elevation shouldn't matter at 500 ft. Higher elevation usually means more rising anyway.

How long are you leaving it to rise? In the fridge? Not in the fridge?

 

[J13]

As Angelica said, is your yeast good? Bubbling and frothing? If it's not as active as it ought to be, you might try taking the water temperature down to 105. Yeast is a finicky thing. The water/kitchen need to be warm enough to coax it to rise, but if it's too hot, it dies. So, lower the temp of the water a tad, and make sure your kitchen is, itself, nice and warm.

Also, what kind of flour are you using? Unbleached and "fresh" (meaning no where near the expiration date) is best. Bleach can affect yeast. And I've known a bread baker or two who had trouble with rising simply because their flour was expired.

Finally, as you're just starting out, I recommend you check out this guy's videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTVR5DSxWPpAVI8TzaaXRqQ

"Bake with Jack" is a great and fun series and he answers all kinds of questions including "why won't my bread rise?" Hope that helps!

 

[retired baker]

Hello All,
So I recently started baking bread, as in a have attempted a few loafs, but for some reason i cant get my bread to rise like i want it to. My parents have never had any problems with the recipe.
550g flour
400mL water @ 110 degrees
50g sugar
45g butter
5g salt
1 packet active dry yeast
Im following the recipe instructions very carefully, but it still wont rise. Any insight would be appreciated.
Also, i dont know if elevation is an issue, but i live @ ~5000ft

Get some fresh cake yeast, use cold water with the fresh yeast, it will improve your bread dramatically.