There are a few factors that create a rise in baked goods. Sourdough bread, yeast bread, and some coffee cakes are types of baked goods that need a slow rise before baking.
Brownies, cakes, and quick breads like biscuits and banana bread need no extra time before being baked. In fact, with these types of baked goods too much time can cause them to fall flat!
This article is just for baked goods made with wheat flour, wholly or in part. If you are gluten-free, you may find this article more helpful.
Role of Gluten
What is gluten? Gluten is a protein that gives structure to dough in baking, which helps it to rise. Since different types of flour have different percentages of gluten, you will get different results if you switch out a high protein flour with a low protein flour.
Which flour has gluten? Most types of wheat flour contain gluten, including all-purpose flour, bread flour, and whole wheat flour. Other types of flour made from grains that have gluten, such as barley and spelt, also contain gluten.
Rye flour, on the other hand, does contain gluten, but it is a type of gluten that is more difficult to work with than the gluten in wheat flour. The gluten in rye flour is less elastic and stretchy, which can make it challenging to work with when baking bread. Despite this, rye flour can still be used to make bread, but often with the addition of wheat flour to improve the texture and rise of the loaf.
Slow-rise Yeast-Based (includes sourdough)
How does gluten help in slow rise yeast-based baking? Gluten forms a network of elastic strands in dough when it is mixed with water and yeast. As the yeast ferments the sugars in the dough, it produces carbon dioxide gas. The gluten strands trap the gas and cause the dough to expand and rise. The gluten also helps the dough retain its shape and provides the chewy texture in the finished bread.
How do I activate the gluten in yeast-based, slow rise baked goods? To activate gluten in dough and get bread to rise, it’s important to mix the dough thoroughly and for the right amount of time. Here are some steps you can follow:
- Mix the dough: Combine the flour, yeast, salt, and water (or other liquids) in a mixing bowl and mix until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Knead the dough: Kneading helps to form gluten strands and develop the gluten network. Knead the dough by hand or with a dough hook attachment on a stand mixer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Proof the dough: Cover the dough and let it rest in a warm, draft-free place until it has doubled in size. This allows the yeast to ferment and produce carbon dioxide, which will cause the dough to rise.
- Shape the dough: Once the dough has proofed, shape it into a loaf and place it in a greased loaf pan.
- Bake the bread: Bake the bread in a preheated oven until it is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.
How do I activate the gluten in slow rise bread make with a sourdough starter replacing store-bought yeast? I’ve found it to be incredibly similar to the yeast-based, slow rise steps above. However, I’ve gotten the best results and lightest loaves and rolls with the following steps:
- Mix the dough until all ingredients are fully incorporated. I use a Danish dough hook and do this by hand. It takes less than five minutes.
- Proof the dough. I cover the mixing bowl and place in a warm, draft-free place until it has doubled in size.
- Knead and shape the dough on a floured surface. I knead and shape by hand. The kneading and shaping generally takes less than ten minutes total for two loaves.
- Place shaped loaf in baking pan, cover and let it rise until it is has risen just over the top of the pan and it passes the Finger Indent Test. *
- Score the top with a sharp knife. Bake in preheated oven until it is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack.
* Note: The finger indent test is a common method for determining when bread dough has fully risen. To perform the test, gently press your finger into the center of the dough. If the indentation stays and does not bounce back, it means the dough has fully risen and is ready to be baked. If the indentation bounces back quickly, it means the dough needs more time to rise.
It’s important to note that the finger indent test is not foolproof, as the dough could still continue to rise in the oven. However, it is a useful indicator of when the dough has reached its maximum rise and is ready to be shaped and baked.
Quick-rise Baked Goods and Pancakes
What role does gluten play in quick rising baked goods like cakes and biscuits? In quick-rise baked goods, gluten is still important for structure and texture, but the focus is on tender, crumbly, and/or flaky textures.
In cakes, gluten helps to give structure to the batter and hold it together as it bakes. However, too much gluten development can lead to a dense, tough texture. To prevent this, cake batters are often mixed briefly and gently to minimize gluten formation.
In biscuits, gluten development is often kept to a minimum to create a tender, flaky texture. This is achieved by using a low-protein flour like cake flour and by cutting the fat into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. The resulting gluten network is fragmented, leading to layers in the baked biscuit.
In both cakes and biscuits, the leavening agents (such as baking powder or baking soda) provide the majority of the rise, rather than yeast and gluten. This is also true if you are using discarded or active sourdough starter. The starter will add little rise, but will add extra flavor depth.
You can power up your leavening agent with buttermilk. Buttermilk contains lactic acid, which reacts with baking soda to produce carbon dioxide gas. This reaction helps to leaven baked goods and make them rise. To use buttermilk in baked goods, simply replace a portion of the liquid in the recipe with buttermilk and add an appropriate amount of baking soda to activate the leavening. The exact amount of buttermilk and baking soda will depend on the recipe and the desired outcome, but as a general rule, you can use about 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda for every cup of buttermilk.
It’s also worth noting that buttermilk can add a tangy flavor to baked goods, which can be desirable in some recipes but not in others. If you’re not a fan of the tangy flavor, you can use regular milk along with a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice to achieve a similar effect.
For other types of quick-rise goodies like brownies, and pancakes/griddle you will find you are better off mixing the least amount, until the ingredients are just combined (not mixed well) to achieve maximum fluffiness. Don’t be afraid of lumps when making these types of batters. Make sure you give a good scrape or two to get everything off the bottom and embrace the lumps.