Wake up your yeast before it meets the flour
Warm milk, a pinch of sugar and 10 minutes tell you the yeast is alive before you commit the whole dough.
Stir the yeast into the warm milk with a pinch of the sugar you've already measured, then leave it for 10 minutes. If it turns foamy, the yeast is working and the dough will rise.
If nothing happens, start again with fresh yeast. You've only lost a little milk instead of a whole batch.
