My yeast is a dud [View all]

I've had the yeast in the pantry and it's best buy date is 7/26. I finished the old jar for Thanksgiving rolls and added a little from the new jar. The rolls weren't my best this year, but I put it down to letting them raise once, not twice as usual.

I started a loaf of bread today. I did everything as usual, same ingredients, same timing, and used the yeast from the fresh jar. I make a starter and let it sit 1 hour. Then I add the rest of the flour, knead, shape and let it raise for an hour. Then bake. I noticed that the starter was kind of flat, but thought maybe I'd used more water than usual. I added flour and kneaded it. It felt okay, but not as elastic as usual. I shaped it and let it rise for an hour. When I checked, it hadn't raised. I brought it out and added a little more yeast and also heated the oven a little more. It is rising, but slowly. I proofed some of the yeast, and it is very slow. I'm going to try to return the jar.

I hope I can salvage the loaf. I read about slow rising bread, but it wasn't what I wanted to do today. Finding out your yeast isn't lively in the middle of baking is a bad experience, for sure.