Is there a difference between a lot of yeast and rising a short time vs little yeast and rising a long time?
I have heard some people say that to make the best bread, you should use little yeast, and let the dough rise for a long time (about 24h). However, I am wondering if you can achieve the same results by just putting more yeast in the beginning, and rising it for only several hours. Chemically I don't see what the difference would be.
Best Answer
Yes, there is a lot of difference. In principle, having food prepared under different conditions while keeping some total variable the same, tend to have different outcomes - having the same outcome would be the exception, not the rule.
Yeast colonies live and metabolise differently under different circumstances - imagine how people live in the Icelandic countryside and in Hong Kong, something similar happens to your yeast.
What is most pertinent to the taste are some compounds which get built in hot, overcrowded conditions (a quick rise), but not in the slow ones. These are most notably ammonia and thiols, and some people experience them as too harsh in taste. Also, if you do a low and slow rise, you get a tiny bit of lactic and acetic acid formation, as in sourdough. During a slow rise, the texture also changes, with extra gluten formation through autolyse.
The current trend is for artisan breads to do slow rises and to have the flavor profile from retarded doughs. Quickly risen breads have a homemade quality to them, and are not perceived as very refined. It is up to you which one you prefer.
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Quick Answer about "Is there a difference between a lot of yeast and rising a short time vs little yeast and rising a long time?"
Less yeast + more time leads to more fermentation, more flavor. More yeast + less time leads to rising but without fermentation, hence less flavor. I agree with this answer, I would add that whether you will notice it or not depends on the rest of your ingredients.Is it better to use too much or too little yeast?
Too much yeast could cause the dough to go flat by releasing gas before the flour is ready to expand. If you let the dough rise too long, it will start having a yeast or beer smell and taste and ultimately deflate or rise poorly in the oven and have a light crust.What happens if yeast rises too long?
Texture and Taste Because the dough is fermenting during both rises, if the process goes on for too long, the finished loaf of bread can have a sour, unpleasant taste. The finished loaf usually also has a dense texture and isn't sufficiently chewy. Over-proofed loaves of bread have a gummy or crumbly texture.Does more yeast mean more rise?
Adding extra yeast in bread can cause it to rise too much and produce large holes. Too much yeast in bread may cause various problems. Follow your bread recipe closely, so you can have the pleasure of eating delicious homemade bread.Can I use less yeast and rise longer?
There's no hard and fast rule about how much longer your dough will need to rise when you use less yeast. It could be twice as long, or even longer. Leader says waiting for the dough to double in size is \u201can old-fashioned metric,\u201d and is not always the desired outcome, especially with wet and sticky doughs.Yeast Choices - Cutting Through the Confusion
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Answer 2
I think the difference has to do with fermentation - more fermentation, more flavor. When you are relying mostly on yeast for the rise over a short period of time, flavor that stems from fermentation doesn't really have time to develop. Less yeast + more time leads to more fermentation, more flavor. More yeast + less time leads to rising but without fermentation, hence less flavor.
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