There IS a valid reason to delay the addition of the salt (and yeast/sourdough starter) however to allow autolysis to occur. KA explains it better than I could:
I enjoyed the article, and as a bakery/patisserie lecturer fully agree. Salt is important, I teach that it improves flavour, increases shelf life, gives a deeper crust colour and whitens the crumb, but excess salt will delay the yeast action..... believe me when you have a class of 16 bakery students, there will always be one that adds excess salt and can't understand why everyone else has huge ferments and theirs is still the original size. I also agree with the stirring of caramel.... I use a huge amount of boiled sugar for many reasons, got to be very careful up to hard crack, but once it starts to colour, no problem with stirring, the caramelisation seems to prevent crystallisation although I have never questioned why. Will have to do some research now! Cheers.
Thank you from someone who has had to explain it far too many times to people who asked me for my advice on their bland loaves, only to insist to me that they could not possibly add salt because...
I’ve never heard that salt kills yeast activity, just that it retards it which is what you’ve pretty much shown. I do wish that you had included a control with no salt in the initial experiment just to prove the point
The first time I heard this myth I laughed out loud because I’ve always added the salt and yeast together. Thanks for the thorough testing to bust that silly myth!
Oh the glorious detail you have plummeted left me so excited. I've read this and repeated this to too many. As of now I will stop perpetuating a cycle of ignorance based on what I've read elsewhere.. Oh wait maybe I too should actually test what you're saying here to also stop perpetuating the cycle of what I've just read here.. Thank you Ed, I love that you were curious about it in the first place 🤩
Regarding the caramel, investigate the material of the utensil with which it is stirred. I don't have any problems with a wooden spoon, however, if I stir with a metal spoon, it inevitably crystallizes. Greetings!
Yes, THANK YOU! I have made so many successful all-in-one breads (not sourdough) without issue, and am baffled by recipes that ask me to save back the salt.
There IS a valid reason to delay the addition of the salt (and yeast/sourdough starter) however to allow autolysis to occur. KA explains it better than I could:
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2017/09/29/using-the-autolyse-method
Very true
I enjoyed the article, and as a bakery/patisserie lecturer fully agree. Salt is important, I teach that it improves flavour, increases shelf life, gives a deeper crust colour and whitens the crumb, but excess salt will delay the yeast action..... believe me when you have a class of 16 bakery students, there will always be one that adds excess salt and can't understand why everyone else has huge ferments and theirs is still the original size. I also agree with the stirring of caramel.... I use a huge amount of boiled sugar for many reasons, got to be very careful up to hard crack, but once it starts to colour, no problem with stirring, the caramelisation seems to prevent crystallisation although I have never questioned why. Will have to do some research now! Cheers.
YESSSS bust those myths Edd!
Thank you from someone who has had to explain it far too many times to people who asked me for my advice on their bland loaves, only to insist to me that they could not possibly add salt because...
I’ve never heard that salt kills yeast activity, just that it retards it which is what you’ve pretty much shown. I do wish that you had included a control with no salt in the initial experiment just to prove the point
It’s in so many cookbooks and I hear on so many baking shows. A control with no salt could have been interesting, will have to redo the test sometime
The first time I heard this myth I laughed out loud because I’ve always added the salt and yeast together. Thanks for the thorough testing to bust that silly myth!
Oh the glorious detail you have plummeted left me so excited. I've read this and repeated this to too many. As of now I will stop perpetuating a cycle of ignorance based on what I've read elsewhere.. Oh wait maybe I too should actually test what you're saying here to also stop perpetuating the cycle of what I've just read here.. Thank you Ed, I love that you were curious about it in the first place 🤩
Myth... busted! 🍞
Excellent! Very useful information, thank you.
My pleasure
Regarding the caramel, investigate the material of the utensil with which it is stirred. I don't have any problems with a wooden spoon, however, if I stir with a metal spoon, it inevitably crystallizes. Greetings!
Yes, THANK YOU! I have made so many successful all-in-one breads (not sourdough) without issue, and am baffled by recipes that ask me to save back the salt.
This was such a great post, Edd! I learned so much