Some thoughts regarding dough rising

Some thoughts regarding bread not rising:

Yeast gets old. It is a good idea to test your yeast to be sure it is fresh. To test yeast, add a teaspoon of sugar and a teaspoon of yeast to a cup of warm water and stir. In about five to ten minutes it should foam to the surface. If there is no activity after about fifteen minutes, do not waste your other ingredients in a mixture until you have some fresh and lively yeast available.

Also, are you using enough yeast? Years ago a packet of yeast measured a full tablespoon. Today a packet of yeast measures less than two teaspoons. A good rule of thumb is one full tablespoon of yeast for every 4 to 4 1/2 cups of flour

Bread may also not rise if the yeast was dissolved in too-hot or too-cold water. (If the water is too cold, the yeast will not grow. Water that is too hot will kill the yeast. Keep yeast water temperature between 110 and 115 degrees F. )

Over-kneading dough can also make bread not rise or rise unevenly.

Your preparations should all take place in an evenly and comfortably warm area that is draft free. To rise dough it should be placed in a draft-free room at a temperature of 70 to 85 degrees. If the room is cold, place the dough over (not in) a pan of warm water or other heat source. (I know of some people who do put their dough in the oven for rising. I have not tried it myself, however.)

Bring all ingredients to room temperature before starting unless specified otherwise in recipe.

Salt not only enhances the flavor of bread, but is important as a growth control for the yeast. Direct contact with salt will kill yeast, but when the salt is mixed in with the dry ingredients it keeps the yeast from a reproducing frenzy.

Regarding Sugar - Whether its honey, granulated sugar, molasses, brown sugar or barley malt, sugar feeds the yeast. If too much sugar is added, it can make the yeast over produce and essentially wear itself out. In sweetbread recipes the quantity of yeast is increased to compensate for this. Sugars also affect the colour of the crust, making it brown more quickly. If used in larger quantities, such as in sweetbreads, it can change the crumb and tenderness of the bread.

I hope this helps.