Hi: I use dry yeast that I buy in l pound packages from Walmart (Sams).
One tb. for 6 cups of flour, first rise to triple the initial volume,
(after neading with the Kitchen Aid mixer, then the 2nd rise (using
perforated bread pans for 1 hour. Works every time. I suspect your yeast.

Joe
"Rick" > wrote in message
om...
> I've recently started venturing into yeast breads after having become
> fairly competent with cakes, cookins, and quickbreads. I'm having
> trouble getting a secondary rise (the initial rise has been
> gangbusters every time so far). I'm using bread flour and
> Fleichmann's dry yeast. I don't know if I'm kneading too long (about
> 10 min), not long enough, whether I should proof the yeast, use AP
> flour, or what. The end results taste just great, but have a texture
> more like quickbread, as opposed to that nice cellular, chewy
> structure I'm after. Any advice is appreciated.
>
> Rick