Yes, I always use extra yeast on most of my doughs. Way too much might give a slight bitter taste depending on the dough batch size. Here, I dont use recipes and just add the bread flour, warm water, yeast, ascorbic acid, a bit or diastolic malt (sugar), potato flour (adds more moistness), and maybe a bit of honey, and/or multigrain mixtures, as well as the necessary salt. One of my breads, as mentioned in an older thread was rolled out like a jelly roll, with lots (a cup or more of each) of chopped onion, and shreaded cheddar cheese. Its rolled up, and allowed to rise. Once baked and cooled a little, it shrinks down flat due to all the cheese. My brother nick named it 'lead bread' due to it being quite heavy. At Easter time, I make a Polish bubka with added eggs, margerine, milk, mace, sugar, and white raisins. I do have a bread machine here too, but use it less, as I make most breads in larger batchs beyond 2 pound loaves. The automatic bread maker can only do about 1 to 1.5 pounds of bread. Beyond that, the lid would pop open when its risen. Keep an eye on yours after its first rise. If its getting too tall, take out some of the dough for a second batch. The CHEAPEST you can find yeast is in the 1 pound packages at Costo, or two 1 pound pacjkages at BJ's. I usually freeze the extra. The cost of these bigger yeast bags are close in price to the tiny packets you see in supermarkets.

I forgot the yeast once. Your bread must be done about now. I did have bread run over in my machine once and it was an absolute mess. Raw dough on the heating elements is not easy to clean up. 3 teas.of yeast isn't bad but 3 Tbls ?

That makes me think of the I Love Lucy when the bread "loaf" is in the shape of the oven and pins her against the counter.

I use my bread machines to do the mixing, kneading, and first rise. Doing it in the Kitchen Aid stand mixer just about killed my work horse, so the cheap, and sometimes free, second-hand bread machines do the work for me. Then I punch it down by hand, form the loaves, or braids or buns, and let them rise again. I still get to play with the dough but I don't wear out my old hands doing ALL of it. I have adapted a lot of my tried and true hand-kneaded recipes to the machine, just by measuring the flour to what an average loaf calls for in the machine instruction booklet, and adjusting the amounts for other ingredients in my original recipe proportionally. I ignore the part that tells you in what order to put the ingredients as I find it makes little difference. I also use the commercial big packages of Instant Yeast from the bulk stores (BJ's, Sams Club) and find that if all the ingredients are at room temperature before dumping them in the container, and making sure that I put at least a pinch of sugar in there - I don't have to dissolve the yeast in water or worry that it won't rise. I think that yeast is less prone to having the correct temperature range than the three packet Fleichmann's from the grocery store. And, a whole lot cheaper, just as Ken says. Even if you only make bread once a month, the bulk stuff keeps forever in the freezer verified by the fact that I've been using one lost package from 4 years ago in my latest binge bread making endeavor. The second rise makes the bread less dense and more fluffy/hole-y too.

Nancy

Kitchen aid has a big dough hook attachment, which should not labor down the machine much. My Sunbeam Oster Kitchen Center as two spiral dough beaters, that are on a slower and different gear reduction compared to the regular beaters. The reason they say to add the ingredients in a specific order is for those who load up the machine and set the timer to start the whole process veary early in the morning. Adding the water salt, and sugar at first, then flour and yeast last will keep the yeast from overworking once it gets wet. The flour acts as a dry barrier so the water can't get to the yeast early on. For me to get a big bunch of holes, I like adding a little sprinkle of yeast after the first rise and the dough is in its final rise.

Has anyone checked out the natural foods stores for yeast? You can buy it there in bulk, by the ounce, however much you want. When you keep it in the freezer, it lasts forever. A pkt of Fleischmann's holds just a skimpy tablespoon, so 2 Tbsp doesn't seem like a huge amount. I'm a little surprised at 2 teaspoons, but then bread machines don't really hold all that much, do they.

The Fleischmanns yeast in the 3 packet strip around here costs about $3.00 or more. For another 50 cents you get a whole pound of yeast from places like Costco and BJ's.

BJ's has Fleishmans bulk yeast in 1 lb vacuumed packages. Two packages taped together for $5.99. Can't beat the price.

Ruth - by now you have finished your bread, but my advice would have been to let the machine knead it and start to rise, then punch it down and put into bread pans. Let it rise a little less than you would like and let it bake. It should be edible, but a bit soft.

Nancy

I see Saft brand as a yeast in some of the food clubs. BJ's sells it in two one pound bags shrink wrapped together. Costco sells the yeast in a one pound bag for about $3.50 or less. I'm thinking about getting some of the dried milk that is used in breads. They claim that regular dried milk has enzymes that slow down the yeast activity. Plant to make a big batch of English muffins soon, also some with cinnamon and raisins.

I did take it out after the knead and rise and baked it in the oven and it was very good. It tasted a little more yeasty than most but I don't dislike that taste. My yeast is old and I was using the last of it so that might have been a factor in the fact that it didn't blow off the lid. The next time I go to sams I will buy some yeast as I have bought it there many times. I bought a little jar today to tide me over..

Ruth, if you keep your yeast in the freezer it will last a long timelike gran said, I keep mine handy on the freezer door compartment.
I don't buy strips of yeast, I get dry bulk also.
I even freeze fresh yeast, I wait for that to go on sale. too pricy at 1.33 per cake.

Even those little glass jars of yeast are expensive. Here, we used to have a Sams Club some years ago, but it closed up in less than a year. Its now a Home Depot. The closest Sams is at least 60 miles from here. I never see yeast cakes sold here anymore. They tend to go bad quicker as they are live cultures compared to the dried granulated type. Usually there are two common forms of yeast, one for regular breads and dough, and the other for sweeter breads and rolls. I also have sourdough cultures both pasty liquid and dried. I don't freeze them hoever, as they are somewhat more delicate than regular yeasts. They keep a very long time in the fridge.

I buy the yeast in the 3-to-a-strip when it's on sale and keep it in the fridge and I've never had a problem with it going bad - I keep it in the covered butter section (where I never keep butter.) Of course, I usually end up using most of it way before the expiration date, we love bread. Especially since I traded the old Mixmaster for a Kitchenaid with the dough hook. Makes a big difference!

Those packets do have an expiration date and as mentioned, cost about $3 or more. A whole pound of yeast (50 times bigger) is almost the same price. I haven't bought packets in years, and am always shocked at how high they sell them for. Its almost like yogurt. You can make your own if you start off with an active culture. It can keep going for years if your a big yogurt maker. My mom would put it through a fine sieve to remove the whey and then the cheese was spread on bagels.

I'm 60 miles from Costco or Sam's too but when I go I will pick up some. I have used it for years and I just keep it in the freezer like everyone else. I just don't make that drive all that often but my kids have one close so I might just ask them to bring me some.

Speaking of yogurt, I make mine own and often. It is so much better homemade...I had been buying Okios greek yogurt but my Wal-Mart stopped carrying it. I like it nice and thick and I sweeten it a little but it is way different than all those fruity sweet yogurts...If I buy it, I always buy plain...

You could have extended that Greek culture by starting our own batches. It also depends on the kind of milk used, and if its skim, part skim, or whole, not to mention any cream, fat, or fat free. There are many variables.