Yeast dough is a classic that many people love. However, you absolutely have to let the yeast dough rise properly! For a fluffy yeast dough, both the pre-dough and the main dough or the topped sheet cake must rise in a warm environment. You can also use your oven for this.
The dough should be nice and fluffy but is often compact and firm. One reason for this is that the yeast dough cannot rest and “grow” long enough. In addition, the wrong temperature is often decisive. We’ll show you the right tips to make your dough rise safely!
Properly “feeding” the yeast for the yeast dough
With fresh baking yeast, you must first make a pre-dough. This step is usually omitted with dry yeast. Whether you prefer to use fresh or dry yeast for your dough is up to you. A cube of fresh yeast (42g) corresponds to 2 sachets of dry yeast (each 7g). For the pre-dough, put the amount of flour required according to the recipe in a bowl and make a well in the middle.
In this well, mix the crumbled fresh yeast with a few tablespoons of water or milk and some flour from the edge of the well. The liquid used should always be lukewarm (30-35° Celsius), as the yeast can “work” better that way. Yeast consists of unicellular fungi that feed on sugars. Therefore, “feed” your yeast with a pinch of sugar to make the pre-dough succeed. Salt as an ingredient in a recipe should not be added to the pre-dough as it inhibits the action of the yeast.
The pre-dough forms bubbles in the warm oven
Yeast develops its fermenting effect best at temperatures of 32°C. In summer it is a good idea to leave the pre-dough covered in the sun. In cooler seasons you can simply use the oven as a helper by letting the pre-dough rest in the oven at 32°, covered with a damp cloth. The oven light that is on should produce approximately this temperature.
In addition, you can set this low temperature in a steam oven. Otherwise, any place with a constant temperature of 32°C without drafts would do, such as a sunny window sill or under the covers. If the yeast has bubbled after about 20 minutes and the volume of the pre-dough has increased significantly, you can take the bowl out of the oven again.
Knead the ingredients and let the yeast dough rise
Finally add the remaining ingredients such as fat, eggs, the remaining liquid, and salt to the dough and knead everything for at least 10 minutes. If possible, the ingredients should be taken out of the fridge one hour before baking so that they are hand-warm when preparing the dough and the yeast can do its job better. Now knead the dough well with your hands or the food processor for 10 minutes.
If it’s sticky, add a little more flour and knead again. Depending on the recipe, the yeast dough must now usually be covered for at least one hour in the 32 °C ovens or in another 32 °C warm and draught-free place. When the dough has doubled in volume, you can remove the bowl from the oven. Otherwise, you have to be patient and give the dough enough time.
Let the filled yeast dough rise a third time
After kneading again, shape, braid, and cover the dough until you hold the desired end product in your hands. For a fluffy yeast dough, it is once again important to cover the dough in the finished form with a damp cloth and let it rise with the topping for about 15 minutes, for example on a warm windowsill.
Finally, heat the oven to the desired baking temperature to bake the yeast dough, which will hopefully have risen nicely. Before baking, brush your yeast pastry with egg yolk, but milk is also suitable so that it does not dry out during baking. Finish baking your pastry and enjoy your fluffy yeast cake with a good breakfast or brunch with friends.