"yeast" news and stories

Today (January 26th) is Australia Day and one way that some of our friends down in summery Australia are celebrating is with Vegemite gelato.

The combination sounds slightly horrifying to anyone who doesn't already love Vegemite, the salty brewers' yeast paste that, like Marmite, is popular on toast in many parts of the world, but for those who enjoy its flavor, the combination is proving to be a popular seller for its creator. Gherardo Deflorian is from Italy and has a gelato shop, Gelateria Cremona, in Brisbane. Not a fan of Vegemite himself, he thought that the flavor would be unique, a little controversial and a bit more interesting than the same old flavors that everyone uses. He had to have his customers taste the gelato in progress, as he just couldn't stomach the concoction himself, but it has been met with positive feedback from gelato (and Vegemite) fans who say that "it reminds them of when they were little and they had Vegemite on toast with butter."

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The Cinnamon Bun Bread that Alison, from The Flour Room, recently made is the perfect recipe for anyone who loves cinnamon buns but doesn't have the time or the inclination to make a whole batch of yeasted rolls. The recipe is from Fin Arthur Flour and does use yeast in the recipe, but it is no more difficult than a quickbread. The batter is mixed up, stands at room temperature for about an hour while the yeast works and gives the bread some lightness, opening up the crumb of the bread to prevent it from becoming too dense, and is then poured into a loaf pan for baking. A bit of baking powder helps the bread rise even more, making this a pretty foolproof option, even for the yeast-phobic bakers out there.

This loaf has a cinnamon sugar topping and cinnamon chips swirled throughout. Cinnamon chips are available at many grocery stores, but alternative options for this loaf include adding in chocolate chips or doubling (or tripling) the topping recipe, dividing the batter in half, and adding a layer of cinnamon sugar mixture to the center of the loaf.

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Say it fast... Fizzy Gin, fizzy gin, fizzy gin! Why? Because it's fun to say, and soon it may be fun to drink. Diageo has come up with a way to make gin, vodka, whiskey, rum, or any other spirit carbonated naturally, using yeast and a "fermentable carbohydrate." In the patent registered with the European Patent Office they say they have a "method for preparing alcoholic beverages having natural effervescence, wherein a blend comprising a distilled spirit is fermented with a microorganism". It sounds like the way real champagne and some beers are carbonated, but I always thought that yeast died off at around 17-18% alcohol by volume (abv.) Vodka, gin, and most spirits are usually bottle at 40%-50% abv. I read the patent, which left me completely confused and with a headache, and it seems they can carbonate spirits up to 30% abv., though preferably in the 8%-12% abv. range. Anyway it seems they have figured out a way for the yeast to live at high alcohol levels. Boy those must be some robust and happy yeasts.

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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!

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.

The love-it-or-hate-it spreadable yeast extract, Marmite, has been unchanged for over a century. The thick brown spread is made from a byproduct of the beer brewing process and is a pantry staple for the Brits who love it. But Marmite is getting a makeover. The product has always been packaged in glass jars but the makers of Marmite have been developing a new, squeezable version over the past five years. Packaged in a plastic squeeze bottle, the reformulated Marmite will be slightly thinner in consistency than the jarred version is, but company representatives insist that the flavor will be the same. The new bottle is scheduled to hit Sainsbury shelves tomorrow. The smallest glass jar size will be phased out.

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