You might recall my post about being scared to use yeast. Well, it’s only taken 5 months for me finally get over my irrational fear and use it! I currently have dinner rolls rising {at least I hope they’re rising…}.

First off, I was completely miffed by the idea of proofing my yeast. Maybe it’s because I have no clue what I’m doing, but I kept thinking “So, if I proof the yeast and it’s active, then what? What do I do with the stuff in the cup? How to I know that putting the yeast straight into the mixture won’t kill it?”  Turns out, you use the yeast you proof. Of course it would be that simple. Duh…

Here’s a simple way to proof your yeast:

Measure 1/2 cup of water into a coffee mug.

Measure 1 tablespoon sugar into a small bowl.

Measure 2 1/4 teaspoon yeast {or one packet} into a small bowl.

1. Heat water in microwave until temperature is about 100 degrees {which was 12 seconds in my microwave}.

2. Add sugar. Stir until dissolved.

3. Add yeast, stir {won’t dissolve fully} and set for 5-10 minutes.

If your yeast looks like this:

Then you’ve done it right and your yeast is active. Now, apparently {I say apparently, because I still don’t know the final outcome of my rolls} you can just add this mixture into your recipe. You will need to subtract 1/2 cup water, 1 tablespoon sugar and 2 1/4 teaspoon yeast from the original recipe.

If my rolls turn out {and even if they don’t} I’ll make sure to let you know all about it!