What if your yeast doesn't get foamy?

[SeekingSimplicity]

The kids are making cinnamon rolls from a recipe out of a library book. It says mix sugar and yeast with warm milk, let sit for 5 mins till foamy. It's been 5 min and it's not foaming up at all. Is that bad?

[Suzanne in ABQ]

How old is your yeast? If it's close to the expiration date, and I lived close to the store, I'd go get some fresh yeast. It "dies" after awhile.

[Mama Geek]

It sounds like you need new yeast or that you don't have the milk warm enough.

[SeekingSimplicity]

I just checked. It expires this month. And we don't live close to a store. :( No cinnamon rolls, huh?

[3lilreds in NC]

Did you get the milk warm enough? Or too warm? If it was warm you might have killed the yeast. I did that once and we had some thin-crust pizza that my younger dd really enjoyed. :lol: When I have made things recently, it calls for the liquid to be about 110 degrees (I use my candy thermometer to check).

 

Do you keep your yeast in the fridge? If it expires this month, I think it should still be OK. Check the temp on the milk.

[abbeyej]

If the milk wasn't warm enough, you can just keep waiting. If it was too hot, you may have killed the yeast, and you'll need to start again. If your yeast is just borderline old, waiting longer will probably be adequate. (You may also find that your rising times are a little longer -- though once it gets going, you'll be fine.)

[Veritaserum]

Add your sugar to the milk with the yeast instead of with the dry ingredients. It helps the yeast foam. :)

[KingM]

In addition to what the others said, make sure you know what foamy looks like. It's not like a full head of beer, mainly just thickened up and a little bubble on top.