July 22, 2008 - 3:44pm
humidity
Hope someone has the anwser for me. I have trouble with the second rise for my bread when the humidity is high. Usually, the bread seems "flat". It taste fine, but there is not enought height. Are you supposed to use cooler water? If so, what should the temperature be?
Rachael
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Rachael, I don't think that humidity should be a major concern for you during the second fermentation as long as you stay away from the extremes, i.e., make sure the dough doesn't dry out and don't proof in the rain! :)
I would be more concerned with the temperature of your second fermentation. I find that, as a general rule, a temperature range of approximately 76-78°F works well for most breads for both the first (bulk) and second fermentations. As you may know, the temperature of the water used to mix the dough should be adjusted to bring your final dough temperature to within this range.
SteveB
www.breadcetera.com
Rachael
You can tell that I am not that experienced with this. How do you judge the right temperature of the water if you add the water before the dough rises?
In her blog, Wild Yeast, Susan gives a nice explanation on how to calculate water temperatures (see Principle #2):
http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/07/05/water/
SteveB
www.breadcetera.com