I like baking with fresh yeast.
Most of all the smell of yeast always remind me of my grans house. Warm summery days or very cold winter with heating on full blast. She always was baking or cooking something and almost every time the first question when anyone visited involved food. She often said “are you hungry? Would you like something to eat? I have just made this and this for dinner… maybe would you like some?”
She was a master at fresh yeast dough and baked with it very often. She was making pretty much everything from doughnuts, steam rolls, anything sweet to rolls and all sort of breads.
I prefer baking with fresh yeast especially, much more than dry but in most recipes can be used either. You can find a simple dry yeast converter here. Dry yeast are very handy especially when you are struggling getting some fresh. I had great difficulty getting fresh yeast for a some time and had no choice and only dry yeast in the cupboard. Now luckily yeast is more accessible and you can get it in big stores and even online.
Fresh yeast is easy to use as long as you know how to handle it. Almost all fresh yeast recipes will require making a starter.
Method for fresh yeast starter.
In a bowl prepare as follow. For the below mix use some of your ingredients from the recipe you are making.
- the whole amount of fresh yeast stated in the recipe
- 2 tbsp. sugar
Using back of a spoon crush and blend it together. Add
- 1 tsp plain flour
- 2 tbsp. warm milk
Mix well and leave it aside in a warm place covered until you will see some bubbles of air at the top. Around 10 – 15 minutes. I don’t usually do strict time keeping when I bake with yeast. Makes it easier when I can fit some other jobs around it.
Now carry on with your recipe.
Some of my recipes using yeast starter Babcias strawberry crumble cake or Chimney cakes.
