Yeast Notes

by Andrew Barrow, Posted Jul 12th 2006 @ 5:35PM

There are three types of yeast you can use in baking; but if you can find fresh yeast anywhere for sale in the UK you are a better man than me!

Fresh Yeast - limited shelf life, impossible to find although apparenlty some health food shops stock it. Should be wrapped and stored in a cool place but used as soon as possible after purchase. Can be frozen but defrost for 30 minutes before using.
Granular Dried - this is the stuff that needs activating before use; lukewarm milk or water is commonly used. Must be used within use by date or the bread won't rise.
Easy Blend Yeast - the little packeted stuff does not need activating before use and can be added directly to the flour. Again will not work if it becomes stale.

Dried yeast is twice as potent as fresh, so use 15g (½ oz) dried to approximatly 26g (1oz) fresh. Two level tespoons is approximatly 15g (½ oz) dried yeast.

Tags: baking ingredients, BakingIngredients, food and drink, FoodAndDrink, ingredients, types of yeast, TypesOfYeast, yeast

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

7-12-2006 @6:05PM Myron said... Do yourself a favor and buy a 1 pound brick of SAF instant yeast from King Arthur. It's reliable and potent. A pound is a lot for a home baker but just keep it in an air-tight jar in the freezer and it can last for years. If you don't believe me, just throw away the excess. At $5 a pound its dirt cheap, especially compared to buying packets at the grocery store.

Recently I've found 4oz jars of the same yeast at the grocery store (for $5 if I remember). Its labeled "bread machine yeast".
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7-12-2006 @7:15PM Dr. Electro said... I haven't seen fresh yeast anywhere in the U. S. either. At least not in the past forty years or so.

I prefer the Fleischman's brand over on this side of the pond.
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7-13-2006 @1:34AM EvilHayama said... I've bought fresh yeast from a deli near my house just recently (in Sydney, Australia) It was incredibly cheap too, I paid 5c for enough for 4 loaves.
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7-13-2006 @1:45AM gwaant said... I get my fresh yeast from Sainsburys..... Just go to the bakery dept and ask for some. They'll ask you how much you want, and go and fetch some in a little plastic bag. It's pretty cheap, because they normally print out a price label, but can't be bothered to weigh it, and I usually get 3-4 times as much as I ask for.

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