Do jalapenos effect yeast?

I have been making bagels with jalapenos. They do not always turn out as fluffy as other bagels. I have modified the water slightly to account for the extra water in the jalapenos. Could it be that the jalapenos are killing/deactivating the yeast? I was trying to look up capsaicin's effect on yeast, but the answers do not pertain to bread.

MJR
  • Posted by: MJR
  • October 17, 2014
  • 6982 views
  • 2 Comments

2 Comments

Maedl
Maedl October 18, 2014
I have never thought fluffiness was a good quality in a bagel--they should be chewy with an even chewier crust.
 
dinner A.
dinner A. October 17, 2014
At very high concentrations, capsaicin can hinder baker's yeast growth, but I'm sure your bagels don't approach those. I think reducing the water in the dough might be why your bagels' texture is different. The jalapeños won't release most of their water into the dough, and what they do release will probably be very localized to immediately around the jalapeño piece while it cooks, so I would use the same amount of water in the dough as usual.
Also, depending on the texture of the dough and how it's handled, sometimes chunks of things mixed into the dough will mechanically reduce the rise by disrupting the structure of the rising dough.
 
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