Getting Bread to Rise

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What are the secrets to this phenomenon?

Yeast and I do not get along. About the only time I've had bread rise and turn out has been by using a bread maker. However, I came across this recipe on Pinterest for twisted bread I'd like to try. I know I can use the dough cycle on the machine but I'd really like to learn how to make bread on my own.

I'm assuming that the bread machine works because it gets the temperature of the liquids right before it drops the yeast. However, I've tried having the liquids at various temperatures and about everything else google suggests for getting bread to rise to no avail.

So what's your secret?
 
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I no longer use a bread machine, so I am not sure how to advise there. When I make my bread I mix my yeast with warm water. Not too hot, you might kill the yeast. Then I let it set for about five minutes. The yeast water gets kind of bubbly.It is hard to explain, but it is kind of foamy.

Mix ingredients as stated in recipe. When it comes time, you let the bread rise. Cover the bowl and set it in a warm area. I put mine on the stove, sometimes. I did have one recipe, that required you to put the dough in the fridge, though. So, then you just let it rise for a long time. Don't peek in on it, just be patient. The dough should rise dramatically. If it does not rise, either you have bad yeast or you killed it when you added it to the water. That is what I assume, anyway. Good luck!
 
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Is it warm enough in your kitchen? If not the bread will eventually rise, it will just be really slow. If it's cold in your kitchen either put your bread in a room that's warmer while it rises or turn your oven on the lowest temperature, let it heat up and then turn it off. Put the bowl of dough in there and it should rise. If neither of those things work I agree with the previous poster that you're either using bad yeast or your water is too hot.
 
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Do you use the liquid called for in the recipe to get the yeast bubbly? Or add some extra water?

Our kitchen ranges from warm to hot. Right now the outside temperature is probably low 80s in the day. Every time a bread recipe fails new yeast is bought but that isn't to say it hasn't gone bad on the shelf?

I am going to try again tomorrow making sure I just slightly warm the liquids. Maybe it will be my lucky day as I'm really looking forward to making the pretty looking loaf of bread.
 
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Good luck! Let us know how it goes. One time my bread was insanely slow to rise, so I had to put the bowl on my back eye, with the oven on. My back eye seems to get hot as the oven heats up. Sometimes you just have to wait a long time for it to rise. I am an impatient person, so it is always hard when it comes to the rising part of bread making.
 
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I am impatient too. I wasn't to see the rewards of my work right away. Maybe I will just have to let things rise longer.

I am not sure, does humidity affect anything? I have done a complete 180 from where I once lived to now. Dry, high altitude to humid low altitude. The learning curve has been so unreal but I won't give up.
 
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It may help if you let the bread rise longer. Add an extra 10 to 15 minutes to the rise time. Be sure to cover the bread with a dish towel. Placing it on the stove may help. It also may help to place the bread pan on the counter next to the stove and not on top of it.
 
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I always cover it with a dish towel. I heard/read somewhere that it likes a dark place. I usually put it in the over to rise but maybe I'll try keeping it out when I try tomorrow.
 
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Well I did it!!

I warmed the water, scalded the milk and let it cool. The first rise the dough easily doubled. I had it on a pizza pan in the oven and it rounded and almost overflowed the pan.

I intended to make a loaf of bread but they turned into breadsticks; to accompany the pasta we were having for dinner. They rose and spread so big they easily could have been cut in half!
 

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Great job! See persistence pays off! Those bread sticks look yummy. I think humidity does play a big role, when it comes to baking. I like to make no bake cookies, the chocolate ones with oats. If it is rainy or a weird weather day, the cookies will not set. They end up staying runny and you have to eat them in a bowl with a spoon.
 
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Thanks! I've got a loaf of bread in the oven from the same batch. I froze the dough and let it thaw while we were out today. I think the dough could have been left to rise a bit longer, after shaping, but someone in my family was getting on my case as they want to eat. It isn't my fault you need bread for the stew you had in the crock pot all day. Grr, some people ;)
 
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The image is the second of three loaves the recipe I was trying made. I was right that it could have been left to rise a little bit longer and it was slightly dense. For the final loaf, I will put my foot down. I was pleased with it, seeing as I wasn't entirely sure how it would turn out after having froze the dough and then letting it thaw all day before braiding it.
 

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Wow, this looks good! I always have trouble getting my bread to rise because I'm bad at kneading, and my hand are always cold, so the structure does not really develop well... But I do have a machine somewhere, never got around to trying it, it's an old thing. It's actually interesting to know that there is a mode just for kneading.
 
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When I was first learning to make yeast breads it was a disaster! I just could not get my bread to rise. Then my husband was stationed in Ethiopia where I had a "housegirl" who did everything. One day she was making rolls for with dinner and I asked her to teach me how. She proofed the yeast in about 1/2 cup of water with a small amount of sugar added to it. When it got bubbly, then she added it to the flour, oil/shortening, salt mixture. She told me she did it this way for two reasons,,, she could make sure the yeast was good and she did not kill the yeast by using water that was to warm. I have proofed my yeast the same way for almost 50 yrs now and have never had a problem with my bread not rising.
 
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So great to read about some successes!! I love to bake, but cannot bake bread. Proofing of yeast , bubbly sponge or bubbly yeast mixture everything goes ok there raises great,,, bread just never raises. Have let sit for hours with nothing happening. Quick breads seem to be my thing.
 
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is this what makes Bread so dense after it is baked ? I've all ways have problems with it being dense,i made a simple skillet bread a couple of weeks ago and it tasted great,but was way to dense ,what can I do to solve this problem ?
 

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