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If you have not baked in a while, how do you know if the yeast is still good? You have come to the right place. Take this quick 10-minute test to determine if the instant or active dry yeast is good enough to be used.
[psst: I’ll also be sharing the brand that five-star hotels use to make their bread, keep reading to find out]
I love baking bread but I don’t do it that often a.k.a daily, so this test always comes in handy if there has been a significant gap.
What is yeast?
Yeast is a single-celled microorganism that breaks down sugars to create alcohol and carbon dioxide.
History of yeast
Yeast came around in the early 1800s. Before that for the longest time, bread was leavened using wild yeast available naturally. The Egyptians were the first ones to use yeast to leaven bread around 2300 BC, which was years back. Active dry yeast developed in 1940 and instant yeast came into the baking scene 30 years later. That’s when bakers started using instant yeast regularly.
Why is active yeast necessary for bread baking?
Active yeast is required for baking so the yeast uses the sugar to create carbon dioxide and alcohol. Without the production of carbon dioxide, the bread will not be rising, there would be no texture or crumb. If you do not check that, you may end up wasting ingredients and getting a flat dense bread. No one wants that, so go ahead and do the test if you are wondering if instant yeast is still good.
How to make sure the yeast stays active for a long time?
Storing it the right way will prolong it’s shelf life.
Store the yeast in your fridge away from moisture and light. Some people freeze it, I have frozen fresh yeast but haven’t tried it with active dry or instant yeast. If you have done it, feel free to comment down below and let others know!
How do you know if the yeast is still good?
- Take 50 ml water and heat it to a lukewarm temperature.
- Add 1 tbsp sugar and mix till it dissolves.
- Now add 1 tsp yeast and cover with a lid.
- Let it sit for 10 minutes.
- The yeast is active if you see that you have a foamy and bubbly yeast mix.
- If there are no bubbles, the yeast has expired.
Factors affecting yeast activity in a dough:
Dough temperature:
Yeast is activated at temperatures of 10 degrees Centigrade but is the most active at a temperature of 26-30 degrees Centigrade. This is exactly why some doughs use cold water and ice to prevent yeast activation.
Oven temperature:
Yeast slows down at 50 degrees Centigrade and dies at a temperature of 65 degrees Centigrade. This is crucial as without this the bread would continue proofing and would end up deflating.
Addition of Salt:
Salt slows down or prevents the yeast from doing it’s job. This is why some dough will recommend adding salt in the end to allow the yeast to work on the sugars.
Addition of sugar:
A small amount of sugar helps the yeast to work faster, however a high amount of sugar such as brioche doughs actually has a slower fermentation rate.
Type of yeast:
The type of yeast also affects fermentation speed. This one is a fast acting yeast and you can use it, if you are in a rush. I’m recommending this particular brand however, I have found lower prices when I bought it from stores too. So, please choose accordingly.
What yeast does hotels use?
This is what most five star hotels use when using instant yeast and you can use it too! We also used fresh yeast but it’s not suitable for home baking as it has a low shelf life.
Recipes using yeast:
[CLICK ON THE IMAGE FOR THE RECIPE]
How do you know if the yeast is still good?
If you have not baked in a while, how do you know if the yeast is still good? You have come to the right place. Take this quick 10-minute test to determine if the instant or active dry yeast is good enough to be used.
Ingredients
- Water - 50 ml
- Sugar - 1 tbsp
- Active dry Yeast or Instant Yeast - 1 tsp
Directions
- Step 1 Take the water and heat it to a lukewarm temperature.
- Step 2 Add the sugar and mix till it dissolves.
- Step 3 Now add the yeast and cover with a lid.
- Step 4 Let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Step 5 The yeast is active if you see that you have a foamy and bubbly yeast mix.
- Step 6 If there are no bubbles, the yeast has expired.
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Feature image credit: Photo by Jennifer Burk on Unsplash
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