It depends on how you want it to behave. Rapid rise yeast is cut up so it dissolves and gets to work faster. If you're using a bread machine, being cold may be a problem. If you're just baking in the normal way, just like with ADY (Active Dry Yeast, the un-cut-up version), if you're dissolving the yeast in slightly warm water, the temperature of the yeast doesn't really matter. Don't make the water hotter--it can kill the yeast if it's too warm. Just add a pinch of flour from the recipe (or sugar if it's an enriched dough) and let it wake up and bubble before stirring it in. Putting it somewhere gently warm can help. For me, the top of the cable box works. In the old days, they'd put it on top of the pilot light. If you're just putting it into the bowl with the flour and water, it could take a lot longer to rise, but it should still rise.

I can't advise you about bread machine, other than take the jar out and measure into a prep bowl, then put the jar back, and let the yeast come to room temperature. Like if you're planning a loaf in the morning, measure it out the night before.

For regular baking, at least try to pour the water on top of the granules to help them dissolve faster. Let your dough rise in a warm place. Standard stuff. But if there's water in the recipe, and it's a delicate one, just do the warm water dissolve. Don't try to warm the yeast other than in the warm water. Just a little above baby bottle.

The alternative is time. For my everyday bread (weekly bake--current one is peaches, slightly spicy dill pickles, allium pepper, and madeira wine), it's a long enough process not to matter and I just dump in the yeast straight from the fridge. But that's a 6 hour preferment with a teaspoon of ADY, then an hour soak with another spoon of ADY after mixing in the flour and all. And my kitchen is always warm. There wasn't any actual water in this week's loaf, but the yeast did its stuff.

That is helpful info - thank you!

No bread machine, BTW. Most of my recipes are no-knead types. I have a couple that require kneading but those use active dry, I still have packets of that, I don't go through anywhere near as much as the rapid rise.

I keep my rapid rise yeast in the refrigerator and use a bread machine. I haven’t noticed any issues at all. For the first part of the cycle the machine just sits and thinks about things, and I guess that as the yeast is sprinkled over the top of the flour, it has time to warm up a little.

I also keep my rapid rise in the freezer and have no problem with the bread machine.

I've never had a problem, as long as the yeast's not too old. I keep both kinds in the fridge, always have. I don't have a bread machine, and I've been baking bread around 50+ years now.

With rapid rise, I never dissolve it first, it's mixed into the dry ingredients. I dissolve active dry yeast in warm water tho. I think simply stirring the dry yeast into room temp. flour will take off any chill, since it's only something like 1 or 2 tsp..

I also keep a Costco size package of yeast in the freezer, they come in two packs, so I put one into a quart canning jar and put it in the fridge, the other gets frozen until I need it. I use a bread machine regularly, but not always. I use the yeast straight from the freezer or the fridge no matter whether I'm using the bread machine or not, and I haven't experienced any difference in my recipes or results.

Annie

I buy a commercial brick of yeast, quick rise. I keep 99% in the freezer and a small jar in the frig. I don't warm it up before using it...