Which yeast to use?
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.
When I first came back from France, I used fresh yeast all the time. I loved how easy it was to use and like the flavour. Now it is much harder to find fresh yeast . Before it was possible to source fresh yeast in supermarkets but most have stopped baking from scratch.
You might find fresh yeast it in independent stores or ask your local baker. If you do find some, simply store it in the fridge in a sealed container. It will last about two weeks..
Alternatively, you can purchase yeast online. It will arrive fresh and ready to use. Ebay is a great source as is Bonne Bouffe and Ratton Pantry. Shipton Mill sell Bioreal which is organic and lasts up to 1 month. It is really only economical if you do a lot of baking.
I’m often asked if you can freeze yeast. It is possible, but I don’t recommend it. I’ve discovered that cutting the yeast into useful amounts (eg 10 gr) and open freezing individually works the best. Freeze then pack in a box and you can take out just the amount you need.
Activating Yeast
The majority of dried yeast sold in supermarkets is instant dried yeast. The beauty of this yeast is that you can simply add it to the flour and continue.
Ignore recipes that say you need to activate the yeast. It often suggests adding water and leaving it to bubble. You don’t need to do this as it is instant! This is the same for fresh yeast. Fresh yeast can be mixed in with the flour, water and salt with no preparation and no sugar.
Tip: Never put salt on top of fresh yeast, it will destroy the yeast.
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.
Tip: Never put salt on top of yeast, it will destroy the yeast.
How much yeast to use
The amount of 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 yeast which is not necessary! Using too much yeast can lead to a bitter flavour due too much amino acid being released.
As an easy rule, use half the amount of instant dried yeast to fresh yeast or twice the amount of fresh yeast to dried but follow the suggested amount in the recipes.
As a guide, 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 fresh yeast or 7 grams dried instant yeast
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 up to 20 grams instant dried yeast.The amount of fresh yeast you require depends on whether you are making bread or an enriched dough (one that includes eggs and butter).
Using too much yeast can lead to a bitter flavour due too much amino acid being released.
Tip: If you bake regularly, it is more economical to buy a larger packet – usually around 125 grams – rather than individually 7 grams sachets of instant dried yeast
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.
Good to hear your bread works well
I have started using fresh yeast to bake bread. I bought a block off Amazon and cut it up into 15 ish gms pieces put it in little heat sealed plastic bags with most of the air squeezed out. It stays just like fresh when defrosted and doesn’t go liquid at all. I make a ferment up the night before with the yeast and ounce of flour and a couple of ounces of water and keep in the fridge till next day when I take it out and leave in room temperature. I usually do my bread around tea time. I prefer a half and half whole meal and white with a pinch of sugar salt and just a flash of extra virgin olive oil. I like quit a soft sticky dough as it rises much better for a lighter bread. I use a kitchen aid and then just let it prove in the bowl. I then remove it, knock back and shape onto a baking tray lined with great proof paper. Once proved I transfer the dough to a pre heated Dutch oven and bake with the lid on for about 20 minutes. I then remove the lid and bake for a further 15 minutes. It really is superb bread and doesn’t last very long in our house.
I agree I wouldn’t freeze mine. However, I do keep fresh yeast in a sealed plastic box very successfully.
I tried freezing fresh yeast and it turned out liquid when defrosted – so useless really. I find my fresh yeast keeps longest not in plastic (makes it sweat). I keep mine wrapped in paper towel inside a special paper bag well closed off to the air in fridge and it keeps longer tan 2 weeks. Definitely not in plastic unless you intend to use it within a couple of days. It starts to grow a white mold. I’ve been making bread and associated product for more than 50 years.
Lucky you! It is possible to freeze yeast although it isn’t as ‘powerful’ when you defrost it, and it will be liquid. I’d try freezing even a little to see if it works for you!
Einkorn is a lovely flour. What recipe do you currently use? I’d suggest using 1.5% of flour weight in fresh yeast.
This article will help.
I would definitely autolyse your bread first then knead gently, and fold it a few times whilst proving.
Do let me know how it goes and if I can help further.
I just scored a pound of fresh yeast and hope to use it up over the next 2 weeks, although that seems crazy impossible! My question is I only use Einkorn flour. Any suggestions, recipes using fresh yeast and Einkorn flour? Many thanks!
Thank you Sue. Your kind comment means such a lot to me! I am so pleased it worked for you. Do post a picture of your bread. I am on Twitter and Instagram.
Thank you Danielle. Your site popped up on an internet search as I nervously set about using fresh yeast for the first time. I’ve been baking my own bread since the 1970s but have always used dried. As the current lockdown surge of home baking seems to have depleted all supplies of dried yeast I had no choice about the switch. I was puzzling overconversion weights (none of the tables seemed to match the amount I needed) , how easy it would be to dissolve in water, how much water as I use spelt flour which always absorbs far more water than wheat. And then I find your wonderfully straightforward blog post with weight ratios of yeast to flour and you tell me I can just rub it into the flour and therefore add water by ‘feel’ as usual. Wonderful! As I write this, my dough is rising beautifully and I’m so confident in the results that I’m going to post this even before the tins go in the oven!
Hi Jessica, Using fresh yeast is easy, just rub it into the bread flour, you don’t need to add water/sugar first. As a general rule, use 1% of the total flour you are using. eg You’d use 5 grams for 500 gr flour. You could use this recipe.
My grocery store ran out of packaged, dry yeast and the grocer suggested that I purchase fresh yeast! I now have it in my possession, but I am having a hard time finding a bread recipe that uses fresh yeast. Every recipe I find uses dry yeast. Do you have a favorite bread recipe that uses fresh yeast? Or can you give advice on how much fresh yeast to replace in a recipe that uses dry yeast? Thank you!
Would love to hear how you get on.
Great, thanks Danielle,
I had to hunt for it but managed to get some. I’ll try the fridge method, I think we’ll easily go through it in two weeks! Thanks again and stay safe.
Glynn
Hello Glynn, So pleased you’ve found some yeast! It will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge if kept well sealed. I put mine in a small plastic container. I was listening to a podcast yesterday from Honey and Co and they actually freeze theirs. It’s not ideal to do that but if you have a lot, worth trying. It will be rather liquid when defrosted.
Hi Danielle,
Thanks for the tips. As a first time user of fresh yeast, it arrived today! What is the best method of storage for longevity?
Kind regards, Glynn
Hello Madeline, That’s a really great question! There’s no difference in the time to prove with either yeast. It’s more to do with the flavour and ease of use.
Hi Danielle,
Thank you for this useful info! Does using fresh yeast as opposed to dry change the time it takes the dough to rise?
All the best,
Madeline
Hi Tessa, Dried yeast has the naturally occurring water mostly extracted. Here’s an article that explains more – it actually suggests that fresh yeast is 82% water.
The article says the following: Fresh yeast is approximately 70% water, dried yeast 7% water.
I think it is a typo… can you give me the percentages? I am very curious 🙂
Kind regards, Tessa