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Bread Making Question

post #1 of 17
2/6/06 at 2:53pm
Thread Starter 
I usually just cook cakes and stuff but I wanted to try to make bread. I read somewhere that yeast is kind of unhealthy and wanted to try and make it with something else. So here's my question, can I make bread rise without yeast? I was thinking I could make it with baking powder but I wouldn't know how much to substitute for yeast. Also is it possible to knead bread with an electric mixer? I'm sorry to ask such dumb questions but I've never made bread before and want to give it a try! Thanks
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post #2 of 17
2/6/06 at 3:34pm
Yeast unhealthy? I never heard that before. I would definately question the source of that information before giving up on yeast altogether.

Bread making is a multi-step process that uses a lot of chemistry and physics. There isn't a substitute for yeast in a yeasted bread recipe that I've ever heard of. There is the famous (and deliscious) Irish Soda Bread that uses baking soda as the leavener but it is an entirely different process than making yeast bread.

But seriously, get a second opinion on the "unhealthy" yeast issue. If you want to stay away from commercial yeasts, you can always use a wild yeast starter and make sour dough breads.

Jock
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post #3 of 17
2/7/06 at 4:28am
I too would love to see your information on the health implications of yeast. As Jock mentioned, if you do not want to use commercial yeast wild yeast is abundant and fairly easily cultivated. AKA sourdough, wild yeast has been leavening bread for centuries :)

As to your mixer question, I knead dough in my stand mixer all the time.
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post #4 of 17
2/9/06 at 3:02am
ixirockx,

There are certainly other ways of making bread, but a yeast bread, given plenty of time to rise will have a flavor unmatched by non-yeast breads.

Can you recall the context of the source of your info? The only ways I can see it being unhealthy are if a person has food allergies, or if a person ingests too much live yeast but I believe the real danger comes from a lack of balance in what a person eats in general.
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post #5 of 17
2/9/06 at 10:40pm
Possible explanation... I've been disappointed at some of the vehement anti-yeast rhetoric on some food intolerance sites. Apparently some people who suffer strong bouts of chlamydia need to avoid all yeasts... but at times this recommendation is taken to mean yeast=bad.:( :eek:
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post #6 of 17
2/10/06 at 5:17pm
Thanks lamington, that would explain it. It does seem strange to me that yeast could be unhealthy since a good chunk of the world's population has been eating yeasted breads for many ceturies with no apparent ill effect. For those who cannot eat bread for health reasons, I can only say, I am so very sorry.

Jock
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post #7 of 17
2/10/06 at 10:11pm
Food faddists / fascists deserve everything they eat and don't eat.

Yeast unhealthy? Unfreakin' believable, though I do believe that some people will believe anything.
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post #8 of 17
2/10/06 at 10:19pm
I think a *little* moderation in your opinion might be useful -- the general population generally has a pretty poor understanding of health issues, so small things easily become big things. I don't think there is any food "fascism" going on about yeast (though if there are examples, fine). Assuming that there is scientific support for the consumption/exposure to yeasts being a problem for chlamydia sufferers (and there does appear to be evidence), then for that group of people a food sensitivity does exist (and any of us could catch chlamydia and therefore join that group). The frustrating thing is that ill-informed people might extrapolate from it to believe that yeast=bad.
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post #9 of 17
7/13/06 at 11:18pm
chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease and has no connection to yeast breads.
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post #10 of 17
7/14/06 at 12:16am
By 'electric mixer' do you mean a food processor? I love using my food processor to knead bread doughs. It only takes about 60 seconds.
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post #11 of 17
7/14/06 at 2:17am
Reread my posts more carefully.
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post #12 of 17
7/14/06 at 8:26am
Stupid question alert.... isn't the yeast dead by the time we eat it in bread? Perhaps handling of the live yeast could be done with gloves to avoid contact?
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post #13 of 17
3/28/08 at 1:03pm
Well unfortuanately yeasts provides two major things that we love bread for..taste and lift. If you don't care about the lift in the dough then go with a flat bread formula like pita or other middle eastern breads. You could also use butter but only if you use a pastry or lamemated dough technique.
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post #14 of 17
3/28/08 at 1:44pm
Having been an RN before becoming a Chef I totally agree on what you have said. Yeast also causes a lot of problems with person dealing with IBS. So castironchef was a bit out of line with his comments. Lets hope he is better informed with what he teaches and shows more patients with his students than what he has shown on this forum. This is a learning forum folks so please keep the questions coming no matter what they are and pay little attention to those that just wish to express an opinon without a solution.
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post #15 of 17
3/28/08 at 2:38pm
Hi,

THis thread was a little on the old side when you posted. THat's not a problem, but i would just let sleeping dogs lie when it comes to things that may have been posted.

Now, as to the bread stuff. I'm of the opinion that yeast should not be tasted in bread. It serves its purpose and goes away. In France if you can taste the yeast the bread is considered bad :)
Just one man's opinion.
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post #16 of 17
3/28/08 at 3:39pm
So we are not allowed to respond on any posts. Strange blog you got going here. I was trained at the Cordon Bleu in France and learned quite the opposite. Strange you were told that about breads in France, but maybe that person liked eating very stale bread. Where the yeast is not usually the main flavor in a flavored bread, it certainly is there to enhance and enrich the flavor of the bread.
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post #17 of 17
3/28/08 at 4:10pm
You can reply to any and all posts without regard to their age :) I was referring to your observation of a potentially inflamatory remark included in another post. We try and keep things civil here and I just did not want to reignite an old fire.

As to the yeast thing, we can agree to disagree :)
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