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The mysteries Of Fresh Yeast

post #1 of 21
11/2/00 at 7:18pm
Thread Starter 
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
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post #2 of 21
11/3/00 at 6:35am
Sisi, according to one of my sources, for every .6 ounce of fresh yeast use 1 package of dried yeast brought back in some of the liquid called for in the recipe plus 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Many recipes that I have call for an individual "compressed cake of fresh yeast" (which weighs about .6 ounce). I have never been able to find these, but I do get fresh yeast through my dairy people. It comes in frozen 1 pound blocks.
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post #3 of 21
11/3/00 at 6:42am
The yeasts are interchangeable,(as long as you know the differences in measurment and liquid content.) [Pete has a good rule o'thumb above] you can use the style you prefer. Dry is
easier to store than fresh. Freezing compressed yeast does kill off some of
the yeast.
I like dry instant yeast because it takes me a month to go through a pound
of yeast.
Besides, it is fast and for my purposes perfect.

------------------
bake first, ask questions later

[This message has been edited by m brown (edited 11-03-2000).]
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post #4 of 21
11/3/00 at 9:27pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for your help Pete and M. Brown. I will try to make a batch with Fleischmann's active dry yeast.


I called them to ask about the fresh yeast and all they could tell me was that they don't sell fresh yeast in Canada because of it's short shelf life. It's really a shame because so many cookbooks from France have recipes that require fresh yeast.


Thanks again


Sisi
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post #5 of 21
11/3/00 at 9:55pm
They sound great, can I have some?
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post #6 of 21
11/6/00 at 8:56pm
You can find fresh yeast at many brew supply stores. I wonder how beer yeast would work in baking recipes. Any thoughts?
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post #7 of 21
11/7/00 at 12:41pm
Yeast is yeast, NOT.............
I would love to know the different handling of wild yeasts and all of the yeasty uses.
I am not a bread baker by trade so any info would be great! New Post?

------------------
bake first, ask questions later
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post #8 of 21
11/10/00 at 8:03am
I picked up a pound of fresh yeast at an ethnic grocery store and did not know it was so parishable.....
Sponges....check out Bon Appetit in the early 80's they had some incredible "classes" on breads...whatever happened to that mag it was wonderful in it's day, now it's loaded with ads and little technical info.
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post #9 of 21
11/10/00 at 7:03pm
Daniel Leader. Great resource, with an excellent intro!
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post #10 of 21
11/11/00 at 5:56pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks MaryeO & Momoreg for the info. And the book is still available!
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post #11 of 21
11/12/00 at 1:02pm
Freezing yeast does impact it's rise, this is true. Also, when the colour has gone dark on the edges or it gets fuzzy, cut off like cheese and use the stuff in the center. Time, temperature and humidity impact the life of the compressed yeast loaf, it has a finite life. When you get some, try to use it up, share with fellow bakers.

happy baking, happy trails.
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post #12 of 21
11/12/00 at 4:14pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you M Brown. I should have known this idea was too good to be true. Guess I'll have to rely on the small bakery to sell me just a little bit wheever I need it.


Sisi
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post #13 of 21
11/12/00 at 4:29pm
compressed yeast will last a week or two in the fridge, and yes you can freeze it but you run the risk of it not working as well as fresh. dry yeast or instant will last a longer time in the refrigerator and remain potent.
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post #14 of 21
11/21/00 at 2:37am
i do believe that dried yeast to fresh yeast works out to about 1:2 i.e. powder yeast 7g is equivalent to about 14g fresh/compressed yeast.
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post #15 of 21
11/21/00 at 3:31pm
Thread Starter 
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
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post #16 of 21
11/24/00 at 7:09am
Welcome to cheftalk cowgirl. Are you living in Germany?
cc
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post #17 of 21
11/24/00 at 8:42am
Thread Starter 
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
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post #18 of 21
11/26/00 at 2:37pm
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.
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post #19 of 21
11/26/00 at 5:24pm
Thread Starter 
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
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post #20 of 21
12/3/00 at 3:12am
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.
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post #21 of 21
12/3/00 at 6:51am
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!
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