Since you mention being a novice, I'd suggest using the type of yeast called for in the recipe. Each type of yeast works a little differently, and unless you know how to adjust recipes or yeast amounts, it's probably best to make the trip to the store.

For instance, with a fast-acting yeast you can eliminate one rise and allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes before forming, instead of a long period of fermentation where the dough "doubles" in bulk, common to recipes using active dry yeast.

If you substitute a fast-acting yeast for an active dry yeast, you need to reduce the amount by 25%, but that doesn't necessarily work in reverse - it depends on the recipe and other factors.

If you are using a bread machine and the fast (1-hour) cycle, using a fast-acting yeast is a must.

I keep bulk amounts of active dry yeast and SAF-Instant (a fast-rising yeast) in the freezer. Packets (envelopes) of yeast are just so expensive; and that way I have my bread-making bases covered by the correct type of yeast for the recipe.

-Grainlady

I use Active Dry for everything. But of course, always allow my bread to rise twice.
I sure would proceed with the recipe.
Linda C

Thank you very much! I went to the store and got the rapid rise and it's now rising. I'll report back on how it turns our.
May

Like LindaC, I use Active Dry for everything, I'd just have gone ahead with that recipe.

I'll be watching for that report, though, seeing if we have another bread baking addict, LOL. Tonight I'm planning an Apple Challah in solidarity with my Jewish friends. I'll take the rest to the office tomorrow and tell them to celebrate Rosh Hashanah!

Annie

In certain recipes using Rapid Rise Yeast (or other brands of fast-acting yeast like SAF-Instant, Quick Rise, or Bread Machine Yeast), it's used for a purpose that often can't be duplicated with the more common active dry yeast methods. YES, you can adapt the Rapid Rise recipe to active dry yeast. But since I didn't have the benefit of the full recipe, sticking with the recipe and the type of yeast it called for made the most sense.

For those of you who ALWAYS use active dry yeast no matter what type of yeast is called for, I also assume you use active dry yeast methods.

One of the possible reasons Rapid Rise yeast is used is for the Rapidmix method, a method that made breadmaking quicker. It was also called the "one bowl method".

Rapidmix is where you no longer proof the yeast in water/sweetener, but the yeast is added undissolved to some of the dry ingredients. The liquid ingredients are heated to a warmer temperature (125°-130°F) than when active dry yeast is proofed (100°-110°F). The reason the liquid is warmer than proofing water temperature of active dry yeast is because it is added to a larger amount of ingredients. When the liquid is added to the bulk amount, the temperature quickly cools because OF the bulk amount, so a higher temperature is necessary for a Rapidmix method.

Another aspect of using Rapid Rise yeast is that you can elminate the first fermentation/rise. Instead of a long 45-minute to 1-hour rise, the dough only requires the dough be covered and a 10-minute rest. This type of yeast and this method also made bread quicker than when using active dry yeast.

After the 10-minute rest, the dough is panned, and the panned bread allowed to double during the final proof and baked as normal.

Therefore, if the recipe using Rapid Rise yeast included these kinds of instructions, using active dry yeast WITHOUT altering the mixing method or rising time could have ended up a failed recipe.

-Grainlady

Lots of things COULD result in a failed recipe, like the wheat bread that I made Saturday that was dry, didn't rise well and was generally pretty awful. I followed directions carefully, used the kind of yeast called for and it was a recipe from a source I've always trusted to boot. Still awful.

Anyway...

I buy yeast in 2 lb. packages at Sam's Club and I use that yeast for all my bread recipes. I use my bread machine whether or not it is a recipe made for bread machines. 99% of the time it comes out well, sometimes exceptional. And that one time in 100 when I follow all the rules? Failure. Go figure.

People have been baking bread for generations, even centuries, without scales or special recipes, even without ovens. Somehow, we manage to muddle through. I will say that some of us have enough experience to recognize problems and rectify them during the process, others don't have that experience and so they need to follow instructions until they become comfortable enough to just make bread by reflex instead of by equation.

Annie

Grainlady,

I appreciate your very clear explanation of the characteristics and uses of the two types of dry yeast. Until now Rapid Rise and Active Dry were just marketing jargon so far as I could tell.

I like to have more than just a rote recipe to work from. I like to have an understanding of the principles involved so I can make intelligent adjustments as I work. You have given me that.

Jim

I buy the bulk size yeast at Costco and use it for everything. I rarely measure it and vary the method each time. While my breads may come out a bit different with each loaf, I have never had a bad loaf of homemade bread. Even my worst loaf ever tasted better than store bought. I see bread making as a creative task, so I try not to worry too much over the details. A neighbor came over a couple of weeks ago, had a slice of homemade bread and came back the next day for the "recipe". She was disappointed when I told her there wasn't a recipe. I poured the yeast in the palm of my hand like I always do. She then measured it and worte it down. Same with the flour, salt, etc. Now I have a written down recipe for my yeast rolls! :)

Another "palm-er" here.
Once you recognize certain things, like less yeast, more time, equals better tasting bread. more yeast equals quicker bread...but not as developed a flavor.
2/3 of a cup of liquid will make one loaf big enough for bread for dinner for 4 and a couple of slices for morning toast.
Back when I made 8 to 10 loaves of bread every week, I would startw ith a quart and a half of liquid....milk, beer, water. Then add sweetener, honey, molasses, sugar, brown sugar, sorghum and 2 1/2 teaspoonsful of salt.
Then I can add upo to 2 cups of "extras"...like blue cornmeal, buckwheat, rye flour, kasha, oat bran, 7 grain cereal, Malt o Meal...
And some dry milk of it want it to toast well and maybe butter for flavor, or oil for keeping qualities, maybe an egg or 2 if I want to add richness.
Then add white flour until it's "kneadable", and knead it until your arms fall off and your hands get numb, let rise until double, punch down and fold, allow to rise again and shape, rsie and bake.
But if I want fresh bread NOW...I mix 3 3/4 cups of flour ( up to 1/2 a cup whole wheat if I wish) a "palm" of yeast ( about 2 1/2 teaspoons), 1/2 a palm of salt ( 1 1/2 teaspoons), into the FP, let it run to mix and slowly add 1 1/3 cups of cold water. Run the processor until the dough feels warm but not hot, dump onto a floured board.
Put a 2 cup measure of water into the micro and bring it to a boil. Shape the dough into 2 baguettes or batons, place on parchment and put into the warm micro.
It should rise in about 30 to 40 minutes....
Preheat the oven to 375, place the parchment with the risen bread onto a cookie sheet ( warmish....not icy cold from my cold cupboard), shash the loaves, top with egg wash and seeds if you wish and bake...
About 1 1/2 hours start to finish.
All the same yeast...
Linda C

Thanks for all the discussion! As a new bread baker (I've actually baked bread once before in my life and it came out fine but I never did it again till now), it's definitely educational!

My challah came out perfect! I'm glad I took grainlady's advice and went by the recipe. It was definitely much easier than I'd worried it would be and I'm going to make other kinds - so yes, Annie, you have another bread baking addict!

Here's a quick question for you bread mavens--
I've had some yeast from Costco stored in the garage fridge for over a year, maybe longer. I'd like to try my hand at bread again when it gets a bit cooler. Should I pitch it and buy new, or is it still ok?

Ellen, it's probably still OK. You might want to "proof" a bit to make sure it's alive. Take about 1/4 cup of warm water, dissolve a teaspoonful of yeast in it. Add a tsp of sugar and let it sit for 5 minutes or so. If it "works", gets foamy/etc. it's fine, use it. If you get no action, it's too old, and ditch it.

Annie

I forgot to add congratulations to May. It's a lot easier than you thought? Of course it is, most things are, LOL.

Actually, bread can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it. A plain white baugette can be flour, water, salt, yeast. Or, you can start your own sourdough, use no yeast, get into the long rises and the starters, start playing with whole grains, it's all good.

Bread, from tortillas to sourdough to my own native Fry Bread, have been a staple food for generations. Until very recently people baked most of their own, or purchased it from someone who baked it. I bake all my own and just can't bring myself to even call that white, puffy, spongy stuff you get in the mass market/stores bread. As far as I can tell, it's closer to a cross between a Twinkie and cotton batting!

Annie

Thanks Annie! You're right of course - Most things ARE easier than you think. And I couldn't agree more about the spongy stuff that costs 1.29 a loaf. I much prefer so-called "artissn" breads and that's what I buy for myself.

I just think I'm more into the idea of creating something that will take hours of waiting at this point in my life than I was when the kids were around. Bad timing, really because just as I am willing to invest the time to do this, there are only two of us around to eat it! LOL

Probably if I'd been baking bread enough BEFORE kids I wouldn't have been intimidated by the idea of it DURING kids. In any case, I'm going to try to bake some kind of bread once a month, and hope to get really good at it so that I can do more adventurous recipes in the future.

Thanks Annie!
Keep it up May, you're inspiring me!

Go for it Ellen! For me, the hardest part was making sure I got started early enough in the day to have plenty of time for rising and baking.

The fun part was discovering that it had risen so much it overflowed the bowl! I'm going to use a different bowl next time, and in fact, it reminded me that my mother, who made bread regularly, used a particular large bowl which I now have. I'd forgotten that, among other uses, that bowl was her bread rising container.

So now when I make bread, I'll have a reason to use that bowl and think of my mother. How lovely is that!?