activating yeast is the death of me

[Anonymous]

I do the water by touch, looking for something that is warmer than my fingers but not bathwater warm. A little sugar, a little flour, and then wander off to do something for 15-30 minutes. You should return to a foamy pool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And honestly why i never got into the breadmaking craze a few years ago.

Well, here I am trying to use it for a recipe and, even tho the pack says it is still "alive" (not expired). I bought these packets last Dec. and the expiration says good until 2024. Is it possible the little F'ers are dead despite the expiration?

Then there is the water temp. I've tried every mix from almost cool to scalding (I know the extremes won't work but wanted to try it all . . . ) and everything in between. And nothing.

Help? Tips? Ideas?

Just get an instant read thermometer. 105 degrees. Takes all the guesswork out of this, and many other, cooking issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SAF yeast. I keep a huge bag in the fridge. 1 tsp sugar. Watch your temp I have a thermapen.

+1. Thermapen FTW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Use an actual thermometer and make sure the temperature is between 110 and 115 degrees. Add a tablespooon of sugar or 3 tablespoons of honey or whatever the recipe calls for. Set a timer for twenty minutes and don't add it to anything until it has a good head on it (like beer) and smells yeasty. I was apparently not getting my water hot enough. (I now do about a minute in the microwave.) Mine usually takes about ten minutes to 'bloom'. I've got the touch! I am now making some darned fine brioche and babka!

+1

this is what i do too. Testing water temp and adding a bit of sugar is key.

[Anonymous]

I find that most of the recipe sources I use test their recipes with SAF instant (not rapid-rise) yeast, so I just buy a pound at a time and store it in the fridge. It works great, and a bag lasts 2-3 years or more.

[Anonymous]

Same here until I figured out that you have to buy new yeast every time. Even though it looks like it keeps - it doesn't. Also get the instant kind!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SAF yeast. I keep a huge bag in the fridge. 1 tsp sugar. Watch your temp I have a thermapen.

This. I keep mine in the freezer and keep one jar’s worth in the fridge.

[Anonymous]

For water temperature, think baby's bathwater.

Also -- are you putting the salt in with the yeast? Don't put the salt in until later. Salt can kill yeast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you sprinkle the yeast on the water and let it sit, or mix it to dissolve?

How long do you let it sit?

Do you see any activity at all?

If the recipe calls for sugar, you can try mixing it into the water with the yeast to feed it as it gets started, that can help move it along.

OP here. Sorry for the delay.

So, I ended up getting new yeast and still it didn't work well. I tried diff temps. I added a bit of sugar and stirred it. I started to get a bit of foam but not a lot. Some things i read said you don't always see a lot of froth. So I used it. The first two stages it rose, but took awhile.

The last stage, it was supposed to triple in size and didn't move at all so I tossed it.

I'm frustrated. LOL. I want to try again this weekend but we'll see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, instant yeast is available these days and not that expensive. Just buy new instant yeast and call it a day. Life's too short.

OK but that's not what the recipe calls for. . . . if I were to do that, is it a 1:1 substitute?