Bread making - dried yeast

[Glynne]

I normally use fresh yeast from a local baker but thought I'd try some dried yeast (Allinson Easy Bake Yeast) in case I ever run out of the fresh.
First attempt was using my own recipe mixed flour bread (white, malted, wholemeal and some sourdough as flavouring) and I added the yeast to warm water before adding to the flour. Absolutely no rise at all.
Thinking that maybe the mixture was too heavy, I thought I would try the recipe on the tin which is just white flour and you mix the yeast in with the flour before adding the water. Again no rise but I managed to rescue the dough with some fresh yeast and do have a decent loaf.
The best before date is 11/2016 so my questions are: -
Does dried yeast go off once the tin has been opened once (although resealed) - a bit like cascamite?
Has anyone had similar problems with dried yeast, especially Allinson's?
Any recommendations for other dried yeast I could use as a contingency?
Thanks.

 

[sitefive]

dried yeast is just a parody! Always getting yeast for free from tesco

 

[woodpig]

I think it can go off if it's old enough. We use Dove's Farm quick yeast in the Orange packet available from supermarkets and not had any problems.

 

[sunnybob]

dried yeast needs a "cooling / warming" period.
I make bread using a breadmaker, and have done for more than 20 years, using many makes of dried yeast including Allinsons. The breadmaker takes about a half hour before it starts to beat.

But even the sachet yeast is temperature reliant in storage. It needs to be not too hot or too cold.
I cant make bread in the high summer here because the yeast goes off even in the sachets (when the room temp is high 30's and the cupboards into the low 40's, theres nowhere I can keep it right).

Doubt if too much heat is your problem there (g), but if yours didnt work at all possibly it was kept in a fridge at some time during transit?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I use dried most of the time - Allinson's, Tesco, Lidl, Morrison's own brands. No problem at all. I like fresh yeast but by the time I get to a bakery counter it's usually done and dusted for the day. Always mix your yeast with flour and water first, so you can see whether it's OK or not, yes - it does go downhill once the tin is opened. If you are just keeping it as a standby, use sachets - they have good dates on them and you only open one or two at a time, or keep some frozen - it freezes fine for a month or so.

 

[graduate_owner]

We recently bought a bread maker after borrowing one to try out (about a year ago). First attempt was rubbish but then we noticed the (dried) yeast was out of date Bought some new dried yeast and we have had no problems since. So make sure your dried yeast is fresh (is that an oxymoron?)

I have to say that freshy baked bread has a texture and flavour which cannot be matched by sliced, pre-packed bread. Another bonus is you can add your own extras such as nuts, seeds and raisins etc.

K

 

[Kalimna]

There are two broad types of dried yeast - the small balls that need re activating with some warm liquid, and the fine rods that are simply mixed with the dry ingredients before the liquid is added. I have never had a problem with the 'fast-action', green tinned, 2nd type. But I have, on occasion, had the other sort (little ball granules) not work at all. The date on your tin sounds alright, but if it has been open for a while or exposed to humidity then possibly past it.
What are the weights you use for your own recipe? Flour, salt, liquid etc?

Other things that might affect how well the yeast works would be rising/proving temp, amount of salt, hydration ratio.

I've got a batch of sourdough on the go right now, trying to see if I can condense into a single day with an active starter....

Cheers,
Adam

P.s, apart from the free nature of supermarket-bakery fresh yeast, I see no practical advantage as the strain of yeast will be identical, and flavour is essentially the same. Aesthetically it's nicer perhaps.

 

[Logger]

I have been making bread in bread machine for yonks. To be fair, i use my mothers tried and tested recipe.

I use allinsons, but have found better results using sachets rather than tin as it is always fresh. May be a bit more expensive but works for me every time.

Other thing both my mothers and my machines say is to add yeast last on top of flour, not in tepid water.

We use in this order:

320ml tepid water
Splosh of oil, olive or veg
Sugar - 1 of big end of spoon provided with machine
1.25 small end of spoon
Flour 1 pound, 1 ounce
Yeast- 1.5 small spoon.

I can get measurements of spoon if needed, but this works for all types of flour for me. Also make dough for homemade pizzas.
Goodluck

Nick

 

[Phil Pascoe]

One of the good things about not using a machine - you know before you start whether your yeast is OK.

 

[flying haggis]

we use the doves farm yeast as well but keep it in the fridge with a clippit to properly seal it and keep the moisture out

 

[Logger]

One of the good things about not using a machine - you know before you start whether your yeast is OK.

I know using a machine is cheating to some degree, i am told some people find kneading theraputic, others just boring. Unfortunately, i am in the later catagory

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I don't knead - I've a mixer with a one horse motor and a dough hook.

 

[RobinBHM]

dried yeast is just a parody! Always getting yeast for free from tesco

I didnt understand this comment until I googled it.......yes apparently some supermarkets will give you some if you ask.

Who else knew that? Is it just me thats in the dark about the free yeast.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The three Tescos near me all have different policies - one gives it (quite freely if they recognise you and you ask and smile nicely), one charges a penny but will only give you one portion, and the other charges 30p but will give you more than one.

 

[Glynne]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

Phil - 2 very simple but really good ideas. I'll only ever use dried yeast as a contingency so sachets make more sense than the tubs and by going with a starter, I'll know whether it is active or not! I've only lost one small batch but I'm of an age where spoiling food is criminal irrespective of the cost.

Adam - I've had no problems at all with fresh yeast and do use a variety of recipes so propotions of ingredients isn't an issue. I use both the traditional "mix everything in at once" and "sponge method" although if I'm honest, I'm not sure I can taste much difference between them. Happy to post my recipes if you're interested.

Whilst I have made "pure sourdough" bread, I tend to cheat as the timing is somewhat unpredictable as you suggest with attempting the 24 hrs. I use the starter more as a flavouring and add fresh yeast as well so as I can time the whole process better. Whilst I say cheat, I know several commercial bakers do the same so I don't feel too bad. I suppose it's a bit like do you use hand tools for everything or make life easier with a little help from power ones.

I'm not sure I completely agree with you regarding the different types of yeast. Yes they are both Sacchromyces Cerevisiea but the way they are produced can impart a flavour. This is the strain of yeast used for top fermenting beers (bitters etc) and most breweries will cultivate / propogate their own to maintain their "brand flavour". Guess who used to work in the brewing industry?

Sitefive - I've not asked at a supermarket but a 1/4 block of fresh yeast (~250gms) costs me about 70p from the bakers and lasts about a month if I keep it in a Tupperware container in the fridge.


Thanks again for the replies.

 

[Kalimna]

Regarding the yeast, I can quite understand the different strains used in the brewing industry imparting ever so slight variations in flavour (as a result of slightly different metabolic pathways used by the strains) for different brews, and S. carlsbergensis being quite different. However, commercial bakers yeast is a more homogenous product whether dried or fresh. The flour used will impart much more of a flavour difference.

Sourdough - another topic And today's experiment seems to be a rather flat effort, probably a combo of too wet (330mls water with 500g flour on top of a hefty scoop of starter) and too cool. I think a project for this year will be a proving cabinet with temp regulation.

Cheers,
Adam

 

[Phil Pascoe]

You can use a small electric garden propagator - about £30. Use it for seeds if it doesn't work.

 

[Lons]

Same as Logger.

We're on our second Panasonic breadmaker which we've used for years and had very few failures. Always use Allinsons and always sachets which is fine just resealed as long as the rest is used within a few days, I throw it away otherwise as it definitely goes off.

Type is the tiny granules which are just added to the ingredients in the maching as they come out of the sachet.

Bob

 

[Kalimna]

Phil - that's not a bad idea at all. I'll have to check that my trays would fit in one though. As it happens, I have a heat mat from our pet snakes first vivarium that would do the job nicely I think.

Cheers,
Adam

 

[dejaa]

Hi

If i can add some extra comments as I make my own bread pretty much all the time, manually not with a bread maker.

There's no real difference between fresh, instant and dried active in terms of the finished loaf, but there are some differences in procedure. However, I do acknowledge others will disagree with this

If you use "Dried active" it requires re-activation in warm water (typically 2/3 cold 1/3 boiling) with some sugar dissolved in it, as yeast needs something to feed off. About half quantity of yeast required compared with fresh yeast. If you don't get a good frothy head in about 15 minutes the yeast is too old. I tried using some elderly dried active yesterday morning and nothing - dead as a dodo, but after opening a new tin of the same, after only 10 minutes the froth was way out of the top and half over the worktop, so aging definitely is a factor.

If you use instant "doves or Allisons" it is just added to the flour, salt (sugar and butter if enriched dough) but ENSURE that the yeast does NOT come into contact with the salt as this will kill the yeast.

Hope this helps
cheers David