Quick-Rise Yeast Means Faster Baking

The thought of baking your own bread, however delicious and comforting, may be a fleeting one, when you consider the time it can take. Lucky for you, today's parade of cook-faster products has touched even bread baking. You can now substitute quick-rise yeast for regular yeast in many bread recipes and cut your dough-rising time almost in half.

This timesaver is simply a stronger strain of yeast, as natural as regular active dry yeast. Breads made with quick-rise yeast can be slightly coarser in texture than those made with regular yeast. Also, the dough may have more oven-spring (the rising that happens when dough is first put into a hot oven). This means the loaves may crack more along the top.

To get the best results from using quick-rise yeast, follow these test-kitchen tips:

-- Use quick-rise yeast for bread doughs that need only one rising, such as batter breads. Doughs made with quick-rise yeast typically don't rise much in a second rising.

-- Choose regular yeast instead of quick-rise yeast for refrigerator-raised breads or sourdough starters.

-- Substitute one package of quick-rising active dry yeast for each package of regular active dry yeast specified in the recipe.

-- Check the expiration date to be sure the yeast is still active. Old yeast, quick-rise or regular, is not satisfactory.

-- Start with ingredients that are at room temperature; cold ingredients slow the rising action.

-- Stir the yeast into the flour, rather than dissolving the yeast in the liquid.

-- Heat the liquid to 125 degrees F to 130 degrees F. Use a cooking thermometer to assure accuracy.

-- After mixing, cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes, then shape the dough. This relaxes the dough and makes shaping easier.

-- Let the shaped dough rise, loosely covered, in a warm place. An unheated oven is ideal. Place the bowl of dough in a cold oven, then set a large pan of hot water under the bowl on the oven's lower rack. Keep the oven door closed during the rising process.

-- Start checking for doubling of the dough at about half of the time suggested in the recipe. To judge whether or not the dough has doubled in size, press the tips of your second and middle fingers into the dough. If the indentations remain, the dough has doubled. If the indentations disappear immediately, then let the dough continue to rise.