Yeast Batter Bread Tips - Easiest of All

Batter breads are made from a yeast batter or dough that is too soft to be kneaded.  Batter yeast breads are easy to mix and rise quickly.  They don’t have to be shaped; they take on the shape of the pan or bowl in which they are baked.  Some are stiff enough to be shaped into breads, however.

These breads and rolls are not Artisan types of bread, but loaves that are softer and finer-grained.  They make especially good rolls, usually baked in muffin pans, and casserole-type breads baked in a round Pyrex casserole like the ubiquitous “Dilly Bread”.  

Beating Batter

Here are some hints for making batter breads from The Fleishmann Treasury of Yeast Baking, 1962, which has a whole chapter of delicious yeast batter bread recipes.  As we start baking for Spring events, we will be including some batter bread recipes for you to try, as well as these batter roll recipes.  Myrna shows you how a loaf of batter bread should look in these pictures.

First Rise

Beating the batter:  Beating can be done by hand or with the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, and should be done vigorously to get good gluten formation so the bread will hold its shape.  The batter should leave the sides of the bowl and follow the beater or spoon.  Strands of dough may be seen.    

Stirring Down

Rising:  When doubled in bulk, the batter looks moist and somewhat rough, the top will look rounded and soft.  If batter is allowed to rise too long the bread will fall or sag in the center.             

Stirring down:  If a recipe says to “stir down”, stir the raised batter with a spoon until it is reduced to almost its original size.

Batter in Pan

Baking:  Always bake yeast beads in a pre-heated oven.  The oven heat makes them rise quickly during the first 5-10 minutes, called “oven-spring”.  During this time, the breads should not brown.  If they brown too rapidly, you won’t get sufficient rise. 

Cooling:  As soon as breads are done, remove them from the baking pans to cool, on a wire rack.  This prevents condensation that makes a soggy crust.

Some batter roll recipes

Thanks, Myrna, for the pix.  I sent her an e-mail saying "take pictures of your batter bread loaf" and in 10 minutes she sent me these from her morning baking!