The mysteries Of Fresh Yeast

[Isa]

Nick Shu,

Thank you for the information. Next time I make waffles I will do it with dry yeast since freezing fresh yeast is not a option. I'll keep my fingers cross so I don't mess up the conversion.


Thanks everyone for your help


Sisi

Originally posted by Sisi:


I made gaufres liégeoises, what in English you call Belgian waffles, the other day. The recipe calls for 15 grams of levure de boulanger, baker's yeast. Fresh yeast is not easy to obtain. Eventually I found a bakery shop who gave me a little bit and made my waffles. I want to make more but I am wondering if there is any way to replace the fresh yeast by Fleischmann's active dry yeast. Could some one please tell me if this would be possible and how much of it would I need to use. The recipe calls for 500 grams, about one pound, of flour.


Thanks for your help

Sisi

Hi Sisi, I'm new here and from Germany and just thought how funny it was you have problems getting fresh yeast since I always have problems getting dried yeast...I'm interesting in the different food-habits between nations and the "yeasty"thing I figured out is that dry yeast is very common in America while in Germany nearly every recipe uses fresh(fresh is also cheaper than dried).Just thought that might be of interesting.Good luck getting your yeast, Bye Cowgirl

[cape chef]

Welcome to cheftalk cowgirl. Are you living in Germany?
cc

[Isa]

WWelcome Cowgirl,


Is it funny that you never find what you need in your own country? I'd do just about anything to find a source for fresh yeast.

At the bookstore the other day I saw a translation of a French pastry cookbook. I looked for recipes that use fresh yeast in the French version to see what they were recommending in the English version. For 15 grams of fresh yeast they used 1 package of dry active yeast. Pete's formula of 1 package of dried yeast for 0.6 ounce of fresh yeast is accurate. Now both you and I can do yeast conversion.

Sisi

One, perhaps, final note on yeast. Cold water can harm or kill dry yeast but will not damage cake yeast as the cells are already wet, and active. Do not skip the proofing step with cake yeast.

[Nick.Shu]

its probably a good idea to prove/activate the yeast using some of the liquid from the recipe. Just warm the liquid to body temp, add a little flour or sugar (small amounts) and dissolve the yeat with it.

[Isa]

On the radio today there was a big discussion about yeast and the difference between yeast used for cooking and yeast in wine. I wish I could have tape the show so I could listen to it later, more rested.

In any case it got me thinking about making yeast. Obviously yeast must come from something. Starting with dry active yeast would there be any way to make baker's yeast?


I think I am getting yeast obsessed…


Sisi

[Nick.Shu]

i have had a conversation with a brewer many times over r.e. bakers yeast v.s brewers yeast. Im not really sure of the differences, but you cannot use a bakers yeast to activate and brew beer - i will find out for you though.

[Katherine]

I've made beer, and heard this discussion before. Back when standards were low (like during Prohibition, poverty or before refrigeration) they used whatever they could get to make beer: table sugar, baking yeast, raisins, etc. The "beer" was cloudy, with disagreeable "off" flavors. But really cheap! They didn't know any better, or didn't care. Standard brewing yeasts have been bred to give us the flavors we expect, to settle and clear properly, ferment completely to a higher alcohol content, etc. You could probably use beer yeast to make bread, but it would probably be hard to handle and the finished product might be a little different from what you expect.

I love instant yeast!