at Thu, 11 May 2006 17:37:00 GMT in <1147369020.679286.89920
@i40g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>, (Bernie) wrote :

>I just became a member of this group today. I need HELP!!! I tried
>making yeast rolls for the first time. I used a recipe from
>foodnetwork.com.

Posting the recipe would certainly be a big help in identifying potential
issues. Can you please post or at least give a specific URL?

> It took five hours and the rolls were thick and
>doughy (although my kids still thought they tasted O.K.). I want to be
>able to make light fluffy rolls without taking all day.

If you're making yeasted rolls, there's no real way of circumventing the
rise-time wait. "Taking all day", though, doesn't mean you have to be
present. For instance, you can put your rolls in to rise and then walk
away, go out, do your business, and whatever else you want to do. Another
solution, if you're uncomfortable leaving the house, is to make the dough
the night before and bake in the morning. Or you can retard the rise by
putting it in the fridge. However, trying to speed things up only makes
things worse, not better.

> Any hints,
>recipes or suggestions would be appreciated. The recipe I used had a
>one and one-half hour initial rising time, then punch down, and
>refridgerate for two hours, shape and let rise again for one and
>one-half hours.

Remember that given rise times are a guideline, not an absolute
specification. You need to wait not for a set number of hours, but rather
for the dough to increase in volume by some sort of specified amount.
Virtually all yeast recipes will tell you how much volume increase you need
for each rise. If your rolls were doughy, then there's a good chance you
didn't let it rise long enough. There's also the possibility you didn't
knead thoroughly enough. It all depends on the specifics of the recipe.

--
Alex Rast

(remove d., .7, not, and .NOSPAM to reply)

Your suggestions were very helpful. In fact, I did not knead the dough
very well as the recipe only called for mixing the ingredients. I will
try to work the dough a bit more. I am determined to master this
process. Thanks.

"Bernie" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Your suggestions were very helpful. In fact, I did not knead the dough
> very well as the recipe only called for mixing the ingredients.

Hmpf on your recipe.

You should knead a yeasted wheat-y bread for at least 10 minutes, and 15 is
better. It's hard to overknead dough by hand. Press with the heel of your
hand, then make a quarter turn and/or fold it over. After awhile, you get
into a rhythm. The idea is to stretch the glutens so that the bread can more
effectively rise. You knead until the dough starts to feel satiny, soft,
stretchy. If you poke a hole in it, the indentation remains.

They often say to use a floured board for kneading. I just thoroughly wash
the kitchen counter, dry it, and then sprinkle flour on the counter, and
knead there. When I'm done, the whole counter gets completely re-washed,
this time to get stuck dough off. For me this is less hassle than a floured
board. Others might disagree. Take off your rings, and then flour your
hands, too, so they don't get sticky.

If the dough is too sticky, you can work in more flour. Typically a bread
recipe will say something like "3 1/2 - 4 cups flour" because the exact
amount of flour depends on the humidity of the kitchen and for all I know
the phases of the moon. Yeast breads are much more forgiving compared to
quick breads in terms of the ingredients. But the challenge is to keep the
thing kneaded without packing too much flour into the dough, which will also
make it too heavy in consistency when baked.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

WOW! Thanks a lot! I fully intend to try this method this weekend.
Will post the results on Monday. Thanks to you and all who helped!
This site is truly wonderful for those of us who are fairly new to
cooking techniques.

"Bernie" > wrote in message
oups.com...

> This site is truly wonderful for those of us who are fairly new to
> cooking techniques.


I had the benefit of learning at my father's knee (knead ?) -- he was a
great baker. If you don't have the benefit of learning from someone in his
kitchen, you've got to draw on other resources. So feel free to ask!

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

I agree, its great to be able to read tips from others and try out new
ideas. Thanks everyone!