Bread Not Rising? Here’s Why (and How to Fix It)
Updated: May 03, 2023Yeast can be a fickle ingredient, but it's essential for homemade bread recipes. Learn why your bread isn't rising (and fix it!).
When it comes to baking, there’s nothing more satisfying than baking bread from scratch. Hearty, crusty and so delicious, homemade bread is a real treat.
But sometimes baking with yeast isn’t such a treat. The little organisms that help your bread rise require a little extra care—warm temperatures, food and just-right conditions. If any of these variables are off, you can end up with bread that just doesn’t rise the way it should. After all that work of kneading and proofing, this can be such a letdown. To avoid future flops, check out these reasons your bread might not be rising.
The Yeast Is Too Old
If the yeast you’re using is expired, chances are you will not get a good rise (if any at all) from it. Yeast is a microorganism and does have a definite life span. For best results, always make sure to use yeast before the “best by” date.
To make sure it is ready to go, always proof yeast before adding it to your bread dough.
The Water Is Too Hot
When you proof your yeast, be sure that the water you use is at the right temperature. Our Test Kitchen recommends water between 105 and 115ºF. Anything hotter than that could kill the yeast and all its rising powers.
It’s Too Cold
Making bread in the summertime is a real joy. The warm, humid temperatures help dough rise beautifully. But in winter, it can be a real bear to get the lift you need in a cooler home. That’s because doughs proof best in warmer temps—around 80ºF is just right for yeast.
If your kitchen is too cold, the yeast just doesn’t have the right atmosphere to help the dough rise. If you don’t feel like cranking up the thermostat while proofing your bread, there are lots of ways to encourage your dough to rise if it’s cold. The easiest way to proof bread when it’s cold is to pop your bread dough in the oven (make sure it is off!) and place a pan of boiling water in the oven along with it. The warmth and steam from the water turn your oven into a proofing chamber.
Overall, though, just be patient with your bread dough. If you’re new to bread baking, it can be surprising how long bread dough takes to rise.
Too Much Salt
Another yeast killer: salt. While most bread recipes call for a bit of salt, too much of the ingredient can keep the yeast from doing its job. To prevent salt from foiling your bread bakes, measure carefully and never pour yeast and salt on top of one another in your mixing bowl.
Too Much Sugar
In general, sweet doughs take longer to rise. That’s because sugar absorbs the liquid in the dough—the same liquid that the yeast feeds on. If you have too much sugar in your dough, chances are that it will gobble up almost all of the food the yeast needs, leaving you with dry, ineffective yeast.
To counteract this, be sure you allow sweet doughs, like the kind used to make cinnamon rolls or babka, plenty of time to rise. You can also use a special type of yeast designed just for sugar-heavy doughs. Look for osmotolerant yeast (that’s a yeast that doesn’t require as much liquid) at your grocer if you plan on stirring up something sweet. Learn how to make gorgeous swirled cinnamon babka.
Too Much Flour
The big lesson here: too much of any ingredient can mess with your bread’s rise—even flour. Too much flour can make your dough stiff and dry. And we all know what happens if there’s not enough liquid present for the yeast to use: It doesn’t work the way it should. So be mindful of your measurements and how much flour your dough picks up in the kneading process. You want the dough to be slightly sticky and elastic.
Our Test Kitchen’s best tip for ensuring your measurements are spot-on: Use a kitchen scale.
Using Whole Grains
Adding more grains to your diet is great for your health, but adding more grains to your bread can be a bit of a headache. White flour, the base for most bread, creates all those wonderful gluten strands that help your bread get its airy texture. Whole wheat and other alternative flours, on the other hand, don’t develop gluten as easily or at all. Without the stretch of gluten, bread doesn’t achieve the same lift.
That doesn’t mean, however, that you should skip baking with different types of flours (who doesn’t love a slice of rye bread or multi-grain toast?). To get the right lift, be sure to use a recipe specially formulated for alternative flours.
The Exterior Is Too Dry
When it comes to proofing bread, you need to keep the dough nice and moist. If a crust develops on top of the dough after it’s been sitting out proofing, it can be difficult for the bread to rise up in the oven later.
To keep your dough moist and elastic, be sure to cover it with plastic wrap, a reusable wax wrap or a damp tea towel. If you’re worried about the dough sticking, give it a quick spritz with cooking spray.
Using the Wrong Pan
Sometimes you get everything right—the measuring, the proofing, the kneading—and your bread still doesn’t have the height you envisioned. In this case, double-check that you’re using the correct pan size.
Most yeast bread recipes require an 8½” x 4½” pan. This helps them achieve that great height and square size that’s so good for sandwiches. Be sure that you’re not using a 9″ x 5″ pan, commonly used for quick breads. If you bake your yeasted bread in this larger pan, the bread will still rise, but it will be wider and shorter—not a good look for your BLT!
Straight from our Test Kitchen, these bread recipes get it right
Baker's Dozen Yeast RollsA yummy honey-garlic topping turns these easy dinner rolls into something extra special. Try ’em with soups and chili. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Buttery CornbreadA friend gave me this homemade cornbread recipe several years ago, and it's my favorite of all I've tried. I love to serve the melt-in-your-mouth side hot from the oven with butter and syrup. It gets rave reviews on holidays and at potluck dinners. —Nicole Callen, Auburn, California
Have you ever ended up with undercooked bread? Learn what to do about it and ensure it never happens again.
Oatmeal Dinner RollsThese fluffy rolls go perfectly with any meal. They have a delicious homemade flavor that's irresistible. I like them because they're not hard to make and they bake up nice and high. —Patricia Staudt, Marble Rock, Iowa
Apple Zucchini BreadSince apples and zucchini are so abundant in this area, it's only natural that the two be used together in one recipe. I really don't know the origin of this bread, but I do know it's been one of my favorites for many years. —Patti Dillingham, Scranton, Arkansas
For more, check out our collection of zucchini bread recipes and also learn how to make zucchini bread.
Apple BreadI got this apple quick bread recipe a long time ago and with a few changes it's become one of our favorites. Everyone who's ever tasted this apple bread has asked for the recipe! —Phyllis Herlocker, Farlington, Kansas
Honey CornbreadServing this moist cornbread to family and guests is a pleasure. Honey gives the bread a slightly sweet taste, and most people find it difficult to eat just one piece. —Adeline Piscitelli, Sayreville, New Jersey
Pull-Apart Garlic BreadPeople go wild over this golden, garlicky loaf whenever I serve it. There’s intense flavor in every bite. —Carol Shields, Summerville, Pennsylvania
Potluck Pan RollsThe appealing homemade yeast-bread flavor of these golden rolls is unbeatable. Soft and light, they're great alongside any entree. Folks are disappointed if I don't bring them to potluck dinners. —Carol Mead, Los Alamos, New Mexico
Sesame French Bread Homemade French bread isn’t at all difficult to make, and it’s perfect alongside Italian foods. If you’re not serving a large group, freeze one loaf to enjoy later. —Peggy Van Arsdale, Trenton, New Jersey
Hawaiian Dinner RollsPineapple and coconut give a subtle sweetness to these golden homemade rolls. If there are any leftovers, they're great for sandwiches. —Kathy Kurtz, Glendora, California
Tomato-Herb FocacciaWith its medley of herbs and tomatoes, this rustic bread will liven up any occasion, whether it’s a family dinner or a game-day get-together. It never lasts long! —Janet Miller, Indianapolis, Indiana
Garlic Herb Bubble LoafI adapted an old sour cream bread recipe for this deliciously different pull-apart loaf that smells heavenly while baking. It has a light crust, tender interior and lots of herb and butter flavor. We think it's wonderful with a hot bowl of potato soup. —Katie Crill, Priest River, Idaho
Autumn Pear BreadPears give these little loaves delicious flavor and help keep them nice and moist. They make lovely gifts to share, too. —Mary Lynn Wilson, Linden, Texas
Soft Sesame BreadsticksI've been making these tasty breadsticks that go with almost any meal for years. Since they use ingredients like flour, sugar, baking powder and milk, it's convenient and inexpensive to mix up a batch. —Nancy Johnson, Connersville, Indiana
Caraway Seed Rye BreadMy parents were immigrants from Czechoslovakia and my mother would pull out this rye bread recipe when guests came over for dinner. Every time I bake it, I get nostalgic for those days. —Millie Feather, Baroda, Michigan
Butternut Squash Dinner RollsThese wholesome rolls are a pleasant addition to any entree. I get so many requests for them at holiday time. I make about 100 dozen in December! —Ula Kessler, Liberty Center, Ohio
Oat Pan RollsI've made so many of these delicious rolls that I think I could make them blindfolded! I always take about 200 of them to the senior citizens dinner at our church. After shaping the rolls, you can freeze them, then just thaw and bake when you need them. —Debbie Johnson, Centertown, Missouri
No-Knead Casserole BreadYou'll love this cheddar bread made in a casserole dish. It is one of the easiest yeast breads to make. And since it calls for rapid-rise yeast, you don't have to wait long to enjoy it! —Peggy Key, Grant, Alabama
Handy Sausage BiscuitsThese are similar to old-fashioned biscuits made from scratch, but they're even better thanks to the tasty sausage throughout. It's almost impossible to stop eating them. I like to serve these biscuits with an egg dish or soup. —Nancy Parker, Seguin, Texas
Honey Spice BreadThe texture of this bread is almost like a cake, so I usually serve slices of it for dessert. The loaf looks so festive with the pretty glaze drizzled on top. —Gaye O'Dell, Binghamton, New York
Mom's Buttermilk BiscuitsThese fluffy buttermilk biscuits are so tasty slathered with butter or used to mop up every last drop of gravy off your plate. I can still see Mom pulling these tender gems out of the oven. —Vera Reid, Laramie, Wyoming
Whole Wheat French BreadThe first time I made this recipe my husband asked it if was homemade or store-bought. When he reached for a second piece, I knew I had a winning recipe. —Roseann Loker, Colon, Michigan
Date Pecan Tea BreadPacked with dates and pecans, this sweet bread is excellent on its own and even better topped with the chunky cream cheese spread. We enjoy it during the holiday season, but also for after-school and late-night snacks. —Carole Resnick, Cleveland, Ohio
Wholesome Wheat BreadMy sister and I were in 4-H, and Mom was our breads project leader for years. Because of that early training, fresh homemade bread like this is a staple in my own kitchen.
-Karen Wingate, Coldwater, Kansas
Soft Buttermilk Dinner RollsWarm, buttery dinner rolls are absolutely irresistible. I save time and use a stand mixer to make my dough. —Jennifer Patterson, Shoshone, Idaho
Honey Whole Wheat RollsMost of the farmers in our area grow wheat, so this recipe definitely represents my region. I bake these rolls often, especially when I'm making soup or stew. —Celecia Stoup, Hobart, Oklahoma
Wonderful English MuffinsWhen I was growing up on a farm, my mom always seemed to be making homemade bread...nothing tasted so good! Now I like to make these simple yet delicious muffins for my own family. —Linda Rasmussen, Twin Falls, Idaho
Feather-Light BiscuitsI usually used a glass as a cutter so the biscuits are bigger than average size, and I always baked some extras to send home with the kids. They liked to split them and fill them with cheese or peanut butter and strawberry jam. —Eleanore Hill, Fresno, California
Wild Rice Bread with Sunflower SeedsI loved skipping the boring school cafeteria meals and going to my grandma’s house for lunch. She spent most of her life in northeastern Minnesota, which is reflected in this bread's ingredients. Now my family uses this for our holiday stuffing. —Crystal Schlueter, Northglenn, Colorado
Up Next: The Best Bread Recipes of 2022
Originally Published: February 19, 2021
