"dead" Yeast

[debmidge]

How do you know if your yeast is "dead"? For example, you use a pre-packaged mix and the bread doesn't rise; you know you didn't use water that was too hot or too cold for the yeast to do their job.

Do most people NOT use the yeast in pre-packaged mixes due to this problem?

What temperature is best for the water? I have used water temp as low as 95 and as high as 99 F. Am I doing this wrong?

[Guest nini]

I've always used "warm to the touch" water... didn't worry about the actual temp... if the bread was having a hard time rising I put it on top of a preheating oven and cover it with saran wrap... this usually kicks it into gear...

[debmidge]

I did move to the stage of putting it on/over stove and put low heat oven on to help "kick" it in and it still is not rising quickly or enough. hmmm

[Guest nini]

hmmm... I suppose you could have "dead" yeast... I usually have no problems with the packets that come in the mixes though. But if you worry about that, you could by the containers of Red Star Yeast and keep it in the fridge. I keep a back up supply of that in the fridge.

I say "usually" have no problems, but that is not to say that I haven't had problems with it in the past. Even in my bread machine, sometimes it just doesn't rise. I sometimes wonder if it has anything to do with humidity or the ambient temperature in the room. Or even NOISE. I had someone tell me one time that a noisy room could prevent your bread from rising. Now, I don't know if there is anything to that, but I thought I'd mention it!