

In the mid-1800s, Austrian chemists developed a way to mass-produce dried yeast. But reliable yeast for baking wasn’t available for another 200 years. Bakers used starters that relied on wild yeast (sometimes captured by mixing in wine grapes) or foam skimmed from beer vats.Ī Dutch scientist, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, identified the yeast organism in 1680, paving the way to better beer brewing. And so began a beautiful friendship.īefore baker’s yeast was developed in Europe, baking bread was a tricky task. Yeast made bread puffy, light, and delicious. Like the wild yeasts of today, that ancient fungi was carried by air currents and landed on everything, including dough being prepared by the people of the Mediterranean basin. cerevisiae is a single-celled fungus that is likely related to a wild yeast that existed 5,000 years ago.

There are over 1,500 species of yeast, but just one, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is used in baking. However, you can extend the life of the yeast by keeping it in the freezer.īestReviews Cooking and Baking Expert How yeast made history Instant and rapid-rise yeasts last a couple months less than that. Active dry yeast lasts a year at room temperature. (The air bubbles will have expanded too far, and the dough will no longer bounce back when pressed.) If overproofing occurs, you’ll have to compress and re-knead the dough, then let it rise one more time to recover.Īging: Baker’s yeast has a finite shelf life. Overproofing: Let bread dough rise too long, and it’ll overproof. Follow directions closely in this regard, if your recipe provides them. Heat: Always measure the temperature of the water added to bread recipes. Hot water can kill the yeast, so keep it just warm to the touch to protect the yeast. They can speed up the rise by keeping the dough in a warm spot. Some bakers say they taste a difference in their finished breads depending on which type they used, but not everyone agrees.īakers can slow the speed of yeast production by keeping the dough cool for several hours. Rapid-rise yeast is the perfect baker’s yeast for bread machines.Īctive dry yeast and instant yeast can be used interchangeably in recipes because they rise at similar rates.

You just want to throw the ingredients in a machine and walk away. Instant yeast provides the most consistent rise because you use the same amount each time - without sacrificing some to rehydration and proofing. You want the same results each time you bake. Keep active dry or instant yeast nearby as a backup. Compressed (cake) yeast is fun to work with and more reliable than sourdough starter. Instant yeast will knock 10 minutes (or more) off your prep time because you don’t have to rehydrate it. You have limited time but love to bake regularly. Choose a baker’s yeast that has a long shelf life active dry yeast stays in top shape for over a year at room temperature. Many bakers are only able to make time for baking on holidays like Easter and Christmas. Here are a few common situations that may determine which baker’s yeast you choose: In that case, bakers opt for a faster rise. This is desirable for rustic-type breads but not so much for breads like sweet rolls, where you want the added flavors to shine through. The longer a rise lasts, the more flavors develop in the dough. One crucial factor when using yeast is time: determining when to start the rise and how long dough should rise. BestReviews Cooking and Baking Expert Which is the best baker’s yeast for your needs?
