once more - with treacle

Bread-making is a science.  Experiment after experiment, then the write-up; apparatus, method, results, conclusion.

Last Sunday I made a loaf of 50% rye flour and 50% wholemeal with chocolate stout mixed with water.  I mentioned trying again, but using treacle instead of the sugar.  

Anniemay pointed out, in the interests of science, that I should go back to a pre-chocolate stout version when I use the treacle otherwise I’d be swapping two variables at once.  You can’t swap two variables at once and call it science.

So today’s version is 50:50 rye and wholemeal flour, water and treacle.

Results
Similar yummy taste, but slightly more chewy.  Very slight.  Hardly noticeable in fact.  Except to the trained scientific palate.  What is noticeable though is that it hasn’t risen as much as last week’s effort.  See extra (which also happens to be last week’s extra.  Can I do that?)

Conclusion.
(i) Yeast reacts differently with treacle than it does with granulated sugar.
(ii) The additional yeast in the beer caused last week’s to rise more.

So - more work to do.  Next experiment will be a beer and treacle loaf.  If the loaf rises then we can assume it must be the extra yeast in the beer.  If not, back to the lab.