Instant Dry Yeast

Today I am exploring the option of instant dry yeast as opposed to active yeast. I'd love to pretend it was a choice, but in fact I just bought the wrong kind (a pound of it). I went to proof it as usual and ended up with no foam. I tried again, then left it in disgust. Came back later -- foam.

One Google later, and I found out from https://www.chowhound.com/post/instant-yeast-screw-503236 that instant yeast goes a little slower (funnily enough) on the first rise and doesn't get proofed (proven?) first.  So I made the batch of dough, and I'm waiting to see how it goes.

***

OK, after an hour and almost no growth, I was all set to call it a bust, and then I realized that due to my always sucky math and previous use of the packets only, I put in waaay too little yeast. So today's second experiment is to see if you can take dough with a little yeast in it, let it sit for a while, then add in the rest of the yeast (by kneading it), and then still have it all work.

Oh, BTW,

How much dry yeast is in ¼-ounce packet?

About 2 1/4 teaspoons.

 

***

 

OK, the dough definitely rose, but there are little grains of yeast on the outside. I should probably toss it and try again, but that always just feels like such a failure, you know? It's like YOU WASTED FOOD YOU SUCK YOU CANNOT COOK GO INTO YOUR CORNER AND FEEL SHAME!

 

So I did the first turn (I'm making croissants, which I do often.), and the dough felt all right. Maybe a little less elastic than usual?  Two hours until the next turn.

 

(Oh, I follow the Julia (Yes That One) Child recipe you can see here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZmrvEfhfsg 

  

It's excellent, though my first batch when I tried it a while ago had too much flour because my board (which is not all fancy marble like hers) was warm. Second batch, I put the board in the freezer, and all went very well.)

***

OK, second turn got more rise than usual (with the active yeast) and again seemed more relaxed. Could be the extra kneading or the longer rise time or my imagination.

***

Arg. How many batches of these things will I have to make before they start coming out remotely the same size?

***

OK, they look fine.  Whew.

In fact, they look a little poofier than usual, which could be the different yeast, the extra kneading/rise time, the fact that the final rise happened while my dishwasher was on, filling my teeny kitchen with hot steam, or because the Underwear Gnomes came by an fluffed them up.

With baking, who the hell knows? They're gonna taste just fine.