Cheryl, we recently did this experiment in our bakery. And no, it didn't matter, combining salt, yeast, and the rest of the dry ingredients all at once. Too much salt in yeast dough will definitely slow down the yeast, as it steals much-needed water from the growing yeast. But so long as you use the proper amount of salt (my guideline, in the absence of any other salty ingredients in the recipe, is a scant 1/2 teaspoon salt per cup of flour), don't bother to segregate salt and yeast in the mixing bowl; it's not necessary. PJH

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