How do you make good yeast rolls and bread? Mine never rise. What and I doing wrong?

Question

I've tried and tried to make homemade bread and rolls. I've followed reciepes to the letter but to no use. they never rise. Could someone tell me what is wrong? Prehaps walk me through the steps on how to make bread and rolls. Telling me how the dough should look and things like that. Thanks, Mom2x's

I am wanting to do this by hand, not with a bread machine.

Answer 1

My Mother taught me an old trick: After you combine the dough; put it in a greased oven-safe bowl with a towel on top; and place it in the oven. Place a pan of very hot water underneath it on a lower rack or bottom of oven. Turn the oven on at 350 degrees just for a minute, then turn it off again. (just to warm the oven) Let the dough rise in this environment.
This should solve your problem of it never rising!

Answer 2

http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Baking-Yeast-Breads/detail.aspx here is my favorite roll recipe...

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup warm milk
1 egg
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup butter, softened

DIRECTIONS
Place water, milk, egg, 1/3 cup butter, sugar, salt, flour and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough/Knead and First Rise Cycle; press Start.
When cycle finishes, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 12 inch circle, spread 1/4 cup softened butter over entire round. Cut each circle into 8 wedges. Roll wedges starting at wide end; roll gently but tightly. Place point side down on ungreased cookie sheet. Cover with clean kitchen towel and put in a warm place, let rise 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden.

Answer 3

Always use the freshest yeast you can get! Don't be in a hurry and let the dough rise. Sometimes even altitude make the dough rise slow so just give it time, the wait is worth every warm, soft, right out of the oven bite. Enjoy

Yeast Rolls

5 1/2 c flour
1/3 c sugar
2 pk yeast,dry<<<<< CHECK EXPIRATION DATE
1 ts salt
3/4 c milk
1/2 c water
4 tb butter,at room temperature
2 eggs

GLAZE
1 c confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tb orange juice


1. In a large bowl thoroughly mix 2 cups of the flour, the sugar,
yeast and salt.

2. Combine milk, water, and butter in a saucepan. Place over low heat and stir until butter is melted. Mixture should be just warm, about 115-120'F. on thermometer.

3. Gradually add milk mixture to dry ingredients and eat for 2
minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl often. Add eggs and beat well.

4. With a wooden spoon stir in sufficient additional flour (3 to 3-1/2 cups) to make a soft dough. turn out on a lightly floured board and knead about 10 minutes, or until satiny and smooth. Form into a ball and place in a warm bowl that has been generously greased with soft butter at room temperature. Turn to coat all sides with butter. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk, about 1 hour.

5. Punch down and shape into small balls. Place about 1/2" apart on greased baking sheets and again let stand free from drafts in a warm place until DOUBLE in bulk.

6. Bake in preheated 350'F. oven for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly browned.

7. Serve warm.

8. If necessary, under cook rolls just slightly; then reheat just
before serving.

9. If desired, you may fold in about 1 cup lightly floured raisins to dough during final kneading. Then frost rolls while warm with
Confectioners' Sugar Glaze.

*** CONFECTIONERS' SUGAR GLAZE ***

Combine sugar with 1 tablespoon orange juice. Add sufficient additional orange juice to make a medium-thin glaze.

Answer 4

The initial issue is whether your yeast is fresh. Old yeast won't rise. Also, if you are adding too cold or too warm of water to the yeast to activate it, you may be killing it. Also, your relative humidity can play factor in whether it rises and whether it takes forever.