Congratulations on working it out!

i'm not sure if you wanted commentary or not, so please stop here if it's not. Rapid Rise yeast is just Active Dry yeast (granulated) which has been ground finer so it dissolves and activates faster. When you open a new jar of any kind of yeast it can be really eager. :) I'm sure you must keep yours in the fridge in Florida. It takes longer than to when it feels room temp for the yeast to really awaken. Either way, unless you're air conditioning the heck out of your kitchen, the difference may come down to how warm the air was (and other ingredients), or how cold the yeast started, other than that first bump from a new jar.

Your too sticky and no oven spring description sounds like too much water or too weak gluten. If you're using the same flour, it's probably the water, or perhaps not enough kneading, autolyse or sitting time for full gluten development. Most likely too much water. If the dough is unusually sticky (can be caused by damp air or flour, not just measures of water), don't hesitate to knead in some flour.

One of the issues with rapid rise yeast outside of a bead machine is that it can go all springy dingy before the flour has a chance to absorb the water. Another way to approach it would be to mix all the ingredients (which may only be flour and water, saving a little water to dissolve the yeast in) and let site for at least an hour, or even eight hours for whole wheat, so that the water has a chance to soak in. This can also improve the flavor. :) Then add in the yeast dissolved in the rest of the water, and finally the salt (which can retard the yeast), after the yeast starts bubbling. BTW, nothing wrong with feeding the yeast honey if you want the honey flavor in your bread, but you can give it a spoon of the flour instead, or even just water if it's not super dormant or old.

yes, i do that as well ... nice sweet rise ...

So I should try dissolving and blooming the rapid rise yeast first to more accurately compare - rather than using according to directions?

If you're looking for accurate experiments, sure. If you're just baking bread, do what works for you.

I like to dissolve salt (and honey, if using) in warm water first, as I use coarse salt, and I can feel the grains of salt when kneading, if I don't dissolve it first.

I buy instant dry yeast in one pound packages, which I store in sealed jars in the freezer. I add the yeast with the last addition of flour.

This is what works best for me. I generally bake bread once a week, but I make pizzas much more often, but I still use the same method of dissolving the salt in water first.

I baked a loaf of 100% whole wheat bread yesterday, but I had to substitute malt syrup for the honey because I was out of honey. The bread rose just as I wanted it to, but I noticed that the rising time is significantly different, depending on the temperature of the room. It was warm today, and so it took less time.

I mostly make 100% whole wheat bread or some kind of rye bread, with caraway and/or fennel, which I grind in a coffee mill that I use as a spice grinder. I sometimes use 25% whole wheat flour when making pizza dough.

FWIW, I 've also been using the rapid rise/instant yeast to make a flatbread to use for pizzas and it works fine for that. It just gave me less than ideal results for my homestyle loaves. The dough just never seemed to puff up the way it does with fresh active yeast that's been 'proofed'.

And I also used instant to rescue a loaf that didn't rise properly because of bad yeast - kneaded in a couple of tsp. and let it rise again, and got a satisfactory, but not exemplary loaf by doing that.

BTW, rising time is not my concern. It's more about texture and loft for me. I like a big, soft, puffy loaf of bread for sandwiches.

I want the opposite of big puffy loaves....If it's soft and puffy you wzant maybe you need to try a tangzhong method.

Don't attribute properties to yeast that is doesn't have. It is a "thing" not fungus norq uite bacteria, that digests carbohydrates producing carbon dioxide. If it's more finely ground it can start faster when mixed with liquid. But it can't change the texture of your bread....that depends on time, ingredients, temperature and how much you beat the bread around and develop the gluten.

Not attributing properties, just noting my personal experiences. I know what baking yeast is and how it functions.