Tips from professional Chef Tallyrand:

Food tip on yeast

Surebake yeast

A brand name for a mixture of active dry yeast and bread improvers (dough conditioner and nutrients), these stimulate the yeast activity. Because of its make up it is able to be blended directly into the dry ingredients during bread making. If the recipe calls for dried yeast, substitute double the amount of Surebake.

Dried/active yeast

This has a limited shelf life and is best used only for products that either require an extensive preparation or very slow proving. If the recipe calls for Surebake, substitute half the amount of dried/active yeast.

Fresh yeast : storage and quality points

• Should be wrapped and stored in a cool place

• Use as quickly as possible after purchasing

• It should be fresh and moist, have a pleasant smell and crumble easily

Points to remember when using

• Bowls and flour used for making doughs should be warmed

• Yeast requires sugar to ferment

• Use at room temperature

• Proving temperature is best between at 21º - 32°C, depending on recipe

• Liquids used in the making of doughs should be 36º - 37ºC

• Yeast doughs require kneading, to form an elastic dough and to ensure the yeast is well distributed

• Prove the doughs covered in a warm place, free from draughts to double the original size, knock back to original size then re-prove, before lightly kneading, moulding to shape and proving a third time

• Salt retards its properties and can destroy it

• Temperatures above 52ºC destroy yeast (but it can start to die above 40ºC)

• Yeast can withstand low temperatures without damage

• Never over prove, double the original size is the maximum or the dough will spoil.

Reasons for possible faults using yeast doughs

Texture too close/ dense	:	too hot oven too little water insufficient yeast insufficient proving insufficient kneading
Texture uneven	:	insufficient kneading over proving too cool an oven
Wrinkled crust	:	over proved
Sour tasting dough	:	over proved stale / dead yeast
Broken crust	:	2nd proving was insufficient

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Published 02 July 2001