• Home
• Getting Started Making Bread by Hand
• Getting Started With a Bread Machine
• Bread Ingredients
• Flour
• Sourdough
• Recipes
• Mixers
• Bread Machines
• Grain Mills
• Helpful Gadgets
• Great Links
• History of Bread Baking
• Bread and the Bible
•  Measurement Conversions
• Reviews – Products, Books, Machines, and Software
• Tortillas

Yeast is a one celled microscopic organism, a fungi. Wild yeast can be used in bread production and this is what was done for centuries. Yeast exists in the air around us and is found on grapes, grains, and other  fruits. Today most bakers, both home and commercial, rely on domesticated yeast produced by several companies. Some home bakers still use the wild yeast which they have tamed and keep in starters. See sourdough page.

Domesticated yeast is available in several forms:

Cake or fresh yeast is available for both home and commercial bakers but is most often used in commercial bakeries today. The shelf life of cake yeast is very short and it must be refrigerated until ready for use. A similar form of yeast is sold in liquid form, called cream yeast it requires special techniques and equipment and is used only by commercial bakeries.  Cake yeast must be proofed before using. 

 

Active dry yeast was the first type of dry, packaged yeast developed and it is used by both the home and commercial baker. This yeast is produced from healthy, strong yeast cultures and dried in a special process. They are packaged in jars or foil type packets under a vacuum or with an inert gas to preserve the yeast's viability. Active dry yeast has a shelf life of about two years when stored under cool dry conditions. This yeast can be proofed and some bakers insist that it is essential. 

Rapid Rise yeast is a special strain of yeast that quickly begins to work and is best used in bread recipes that only use one rise or in recipes designed to use in some machines "rapid cycle".  Since this yeast has a special purpose it is not recommend for other recipes.
 

Simply stated, yeast acts on the starches producing carbon dioxide, which in turn expands the gluten giving the bread structure, and causing it to rise. Excess heat* can kill yeast. Salt can retard or if used in excess can even kill it. Yeast will act very quickly on sugar. The more sugar is used, the need for more yeast. Kneading helps develop the gluten structure. Yeast works best on wheat flour. It is for that reason that breads made with other grains often contain some wheat flour.  Some yeast producers suggest using the same  amount of instant yeast when it being used in place of active dry yeast. Others suggest a  slight reduction. One flour company says that most recipes call for too much yeast. If too much yeast is used the bread my have a slight bitter or yeasty flavor.

It is very hard to knead the bread too much by hand, but high powered mixers can very quickly knead the dough too much. 

Lastly, we would like to remind everyone that there are bakers who still use wild yeast in the form of sourdough starters to make their bread.

*Yeast dies at 130º F.  so most recipes limit liquid temperature to 110º F. or at the very most 120º.

Glenn Hammett is a bishop in the Christian Apostolic Old Catholic Church.