You’ve had a jar of instant yeast in the fridge for a little while… and you want to bake. How do you know if it’s still active? Here’s the answer….. To check if instant yeast is still good, perform a quick "proofing" test: mix 1 teaspoon of yeast with 1 tablespoon of warm water (around 100°F) and a pinch of sugar; if it becomes foamy, bubbly, and forms a dome within 5-10 minutes, it's active and good to use, but if nothing happens, the yeast is dead and should be tossed.

Good morning, bakers. Today’s Ciabatta Bake is happening, and I just posted the recipe above. If you’re baking along and run into questions, weird dough behavior, timing issues, or just want a second set of eyes, leave it right here in this thread. Recipe: https://pantry.bakinggreatbread.com/recipes/quick-ciabatta?utm_source=skool&utm_medium=community&utm_campaign=recipe-share This will be our working chat for the day so everyone can see the questions and the fixes in real time. I’ll be checking in all day. If it makes sense later, I may pop open a short live, but for now this is home base. Let’s bake.

Quick check-in. Where are you at for tomorrow's bake? Drop a comment if you have questions before tomorrow. I'll be here all day to walk you through it.

Thinking both were over kneaded in my Ankarsrum mixer...taste was decent, outside appearance looked good, crumb not where I was hoping. The First Sourdough came from the Classroom in the first 1-2 lessons. The Ciabatta was recipe scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday)

Tomorrow's the day. If you're joining the ciabatta bake, here's what you need to know: Start whenever you're ready. I'll be here all day to walk you through it, answer questions, and help troubleshoot. No set start time. Just jump in when your morning allows. Before tomorrow: - Read through the recipe so there are no surprises - If you're using Krusty, click "Bake with Me" and hit the microphone. Have a conversation with him. Ask questions. Let him help you prep. Here is the recipe: https://pantry.bakinggreatbread.com/recipes/quick-ciabatta?utm_source=skool&utm_medium=community&utm_campaign=recipe-share About that special equipment... Tomorrow's bake calls for a couche, and most home bakers don't have one. Don't panic. A pillowcase works great. So does a heavy linen towel. What you need is something sturdy that you can shake flour off easily. When I teach this bread, I use a pillowcase myself. Here's why it matters: normally when I say "lightly floured surface," I'm being cautious because extra flour throws off your recipe. With ciabatta, that rule doesn't apply. All that flour stays on the outside of the bread, and you absolutely need it. Flour liberally. Don't be shy. You'll also need two bench scrapers (or dough scrapers). You're going to use them to lift and move the dough. The less you handle ciabatta with your hands, the better. Those bubbles you worked so hard to develop during fermentation? You want to keep them. I'll post a quick video showing how to set up and use your couche (or pillowcase) so you're ready. See you tomorrow. Let's bake. Saint Germain Bakery Premium Professional Bakers Extra Large Couche 35"x26" from France - Heavy Duty Proofing Cloth 100% Natural Flax Linen: https://amzn.to/4pLpBvE