Use fresh yeast to improve your bread recipe
Do you think that fresh yeast is difficult to use? What yeast do you use in your bread? Let’s bust some myths.
Baker’s yeast or Saccharomyces cerevisiae is widely used in bread production. Until 1825, all yeast was supplied in liquid form. Nowadays, fresh yeast is mostly commonly pressed and supplied in cubes or blocks. Dried or quick acting yeast is the same strain of yeast supplied in a different form.
I mostly use fresh yeast as my recipes are based on those I was taught in France. It is so easy to use and readily available to purchase and I think gives a superior flavour. It’s also so easy to use!
Fresh yeast is easy to purchase
Most of the large supermarkets make yeasted products in store and some are ready to sell you yeast! Just head for the bakery counter and ask for yeast at the counter. It does vary as to whether they will sell it to you. Expect to pay 50p per 50 gr or less. You simply store it in the fridge in a sealed container. It will last about two weeks.
Alternatively, you can purchase yeast with your online shopping from Ocado or Amazon. Shipton Mill sell a different type of yeast, Bioreal whichis organic and lasts up to 1 month.
I’m often asked if you can freeze yeast. You can, but it deteriorates quickly and loses its effectiveness. I wouldn’t advise it. It is far better to use fresh.
Fresh yeast is easy to use
In many recipes the instructions say to pre-mix the fresh yeast with sugar and warm water and leave the mixture until bubble form. There is absolutely no need to do this. Fresh yeast can be mixed in with the flour, water and salt with no preparation and no sugar. If you are hand kneading, rub the yeast into the flour first for easy mixing just as if you were rubbing butter into flour to make pastry.
Fresh yeast is approximately 70% water, dried yeast 7% water. Dried yeast can become more sensitive to high sugar or highly acidic doughs – another reason to use fresh.
Tip: Never put salt on top of fresh yeast, it will destroy the yeast.
How much fresh yeast to use
The amount of fresh yeast you require depends on whether you are making bread or an enriched dough (one that includes eggs and butter). You may find your recipe requires large amounts of fresh yeast which is not necessary!
Simple bread recipes require 1% to 1.5% of the weight of flour. If you’re using 1 kilo of flour, that means you need only 10 to 15 grams of yeast. I use 1.5% if I am making an olive oil dough.
Enriched doughs (ones with butter, eggs and or sugar) need 3% to 4% of the weight of flour. If you’re using 1 kilo of flour add 30 to 40 grams of yeast.
Using too much yeast can lead to a bitter flavour due too much amino acid being released.
Converting dried yeast quantities to fresh
If your recipe uses dried yeast and you’d like to start using fresh, Doves Farm have a handy conversion table. However, I’d suggest you take the weight of flour in your recipe and work out how much you need by percentage as mentioned above. eg 500 grams x .01 = 5 grams. It should be half of the fresh yeast noted.
The role of yeast in the breadmaking process – the tech-y bit
The yeast breaks down the starch in the flour to form carbon dioxide and alcohol (ethanol).The carbon dioxide forms small air bubbles, which makes the dough ferment and become airy.The small amount of alcohol formed in the dough disappears during baking.
Find out more
Why not join one of my classes? There are plenty to choose from, or you can tailor one to suit.
Here are few more bread topics you might enjoy reading:
Bake Better Bread: Baker’s Percentages
Bake Better Bread: Pre ferment – Pâte fermentée
Bake Better Bread: Using heat and steam
Bake Better Bread: Baking in the Rofco
Bake Better Bread: Salt
FAQs
According to Jordan, fresh yeast lends a slightly sweeter, richer flavor to baked goods compared to dry yeast. One downside, though, is its short shelf life: Unlike dry yeast, it's highly perishable and must be stored in the refrigerator. Even then, it usually only lasts about a week or two — opened or unopened.
How do you use fresh yeast instead of active dry yeast? ›
Fresh yeast works wonders if you want to make sourdough-like bread without a starter. But if you're using fresh yeast in a recipe that calls for dry yeast, you'll need double the amount, crumble it, and let it soften and dissolve in whatever liquid the recipe calls for before adding it to your dry ingredients.
Can you bake with fresh yeast? ›
Using Fresh Yeast
After that, you can add it to the dry ingredients or soften it in warm water and proceed with the recipe. Fresh yeast is great in breads that require a long, slow rising time, as it activates more quickly than dried yeast and also stays active for a longer period of time.
Do I need to activate fresh yeast? ›
When using fresh yeast it will first need to be activated by before adding to the dry ingredients. To activate fresh yeast: 1. Crumble the yeast and dissolve it in a small portion of the lukewarm water or milk specified in the recipe's ingredients list (for 14g fresh yeast add about 2 tablespoons of the water).
How much fresh yeast is equal to active dry yeast? ›
To convert from fresh yeast to active dry yeast, multiply the fresh quantity by 0.4. Active dry yeast must be hydrated in warm water before being incorporated into a dough. To convert from fresh yeast to instant dry yeast, multiply the fresh quantity by 0.33.
Should I use fresh yeast or instant? ›
Instant yeast, as its name implies, is the quickest yeast to use of the three. Fresh yeast will give you a deeper, richer, more 'yeasty' flavour. Not all yeasts can be used in bread makers: fresh and instant can be but active dried yeast cannot. Instant yeast is the most common yeast to use in a bread maker.
What is the ratio of fresh yeast to flour? ›
As a rule of thumb, use: 1.4% of the weight of flour you are using (for example, 14g yeast per 1kg of flour) fast-acting yeast. 1% for dried yeast. 2% for fresh yeast.
Should fresh yeast be used at room temperature? ›
The yeast should be brought to room temperature and crumbled before adding anything. All other ingredients should be at room temperature as well.
What happens if you use too much fresh yeast? ›
The more yeast in a recipe initially, the quicker it produces CO2, alcohol, and organic acids. Alcohol, being acidic, weakens the gluten in the dough, and eventually the dough becomes “porous,” and won't rise; or won't rise very well.
What temperature kills fresh yeast? ›
Once water temps reach 140°F or higher, that is the point where the yeast will be completely killed off.
If you're looking for the conversion of 2 oz of fresh yeast to dry yeast, you need to halve the quantity! So, we can substitute 2 oz of fresh yeast with 1 oz of dry yeast to obtain the same dough consistency!
How to tell if fresh yeast is bad? ›
The best way to determine whether your yeast is still kicking is to proof it. For proofing, you'll need to combine your yeast with 1/4 cup lukewarm water and 1 teaspoon of sugar and let it sit for 10 minutes. Yeast that's still good will bubble up. If there's no action whatsoever, throw the yeast out.
Why is my fresh yeast not working? ›
Yeast is too hot Yeast may have been dissolved in water that was too hot, or the liquid ingredients in the recipe may be too hot, causing the yeast to die. Yeast needs to be warm - not too hot, not too cold. Yeast is too cold If the other ingredients are too cold, it could cause some of the yeast to die.
Do you need sugar with fresh yeast? ›
Fresh yeast is a living micro-organism that starts to ferment when flour or sugar are added to it. This releases carbon dioxide, which makes bread rise. Adding sugar to fresh yeast makes it easier to mix into the water and encourages it to ferment.
What is the best yeast for homemade bread? ›
Active Dry Yeast is an ideal yeast to use for artisan breads or no knead breads that require a slower rise time. It's also the preferred type of yeast for those doughs that proof in the refrigerator for extended periods of time.
Why does fresh bread taste so much better? ›
Why fresh bread tastes the best. The secret to the wonderful taste and aroma of freshly baked bread is the Maillard reaction. It's a chemical reaction between proteins, certain carbohydrates and some of the fatty acids that occur when bread is baked in the oven, which gives it a delicious flavour and fine colour.
How much fresh yeast do I need for bread? ›
As a rule of thumb, use: 1.4% of the weight of flour you are using (for example, 14g yeast per 1kg of flour) fast-acting yeast. 1% for dried yeast. 2% for fresh yeast.
Does more yeast mean fluffier bread? ›
Perfect Your Yeast Levels
Carbon dioxide is responsible for all the bubbles that make holes in bread, making it lighter and fluffier. Because gas is created as a result of yeast growth, the more the yeast grows, the more gas in the dough and the more light and airy your bread loaf will be.
