Couple pizza dough questions

[Lexi]

Ok yeast - I bought instant dried yeast and put in freezer like container says, but when I used it the dough hasn't risen.  Does the yeast need to be warmed first???

2nd question - freezing left over dough - you do this after the rise, then after the 15min rest??

tia

[Ceejay]

I use lukewarm or tepid water whenever I make a yeasted dough Lexi.  If you add the yeast to the warm water with a little salt/sugar and mix it on 1 or 2, it should start to froth and you can smell a strong yeast smell as it starts to activate.   
Sometimes if it's been in the freezer, I find it takes a little longer to rise. 

I freeze pizza dough after the first rise and just leave it out 30 mins before I need it, to defrost.

Good luck! 

[CreamPuff63]

I keep my dried yeast in the fridge as I seem to use it before the use by date. Doesn't seem to affect the rise, whereas if it was frozen you may need to take it out of the freezer at least half an hour before. Some recipes call for warming with water, sugar mix first and then you may get away with it, but fridge is fine for me.

[cookie1]

I'm the opposite to CP. I keep mine in the freezer and have never really had any problems with it rising. You don't really use that much (up to 3 teaspoons sometimes) and with warm water it seems fine. Try to keep your yeast and salt apart if you can until you mix. I put them on opposite sides of the blades. My sourdough teacher told us that salt will  inhibit the yeast.

[judydawn]

I do the same as Cookie and have had no problems.  Don't know who told me about the keeping of the salt and yeast apart (probably Chookie) but I do that too.

[dede]

I do the same as Cookie and have had no problems.  Don't know who told me about the keeping of the salt and yeast apart (probably Chookie) but I do that too.

Same here, I always add the flour on top of the yeast mix then the salt. Not sure where I heard it from either but that's what I always do now.

[Lexi]

ahhh ok thanks heaps for that!!

[Frozzie]

We had a discussion about salt a while back.. It kills the yeast so you should always add it in last and seperate from the sugar as the sugar activates and the salt inhibits or kills the yeast if i remmber correctly

Alot of recipes use warm water and/or ask to heat it for a minute or so with yeast first before adding other ingredients..