I just ran out to my local Italian market for a couple things and noticed they have fresh yeast so I picked up a cube. I’ll make some bread on Friday if I have a chance. Did you ever find any? Right around the holidays I see it at specialty stores. It isn’t cheap. $2.99 for a 2 oz package. Red Star Brand. Here is some info on it: https://redstaryeast.com/products/red-star/red-star-cake-fresh-yeast/
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@naf, thanks for reminding me of this thread. I just had to buy some more instant yeast (I said I don’t use it very often), and based on the discussion with @bmorecupcake, I got the organic version that claims 1) that it is just yeast, no additions, and 2) that it dissolves instantly. We’ll see what it’s like when I get around to using it (Al Natura Bio Hefe).
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I “grew up” on fresh yeast as that was all my mother had access to. Then, dry yeast, and she converted in a heartbeat. I use instant, bought at Costco by the pound and kept in the freezer. Never had a “dead yeast” experience. I have tried to maintain sourdough culture after developing it as bemorecupcake describes. I finally realized I am just a “regular parson”, having no patience for maintaining sourdough, am offended by the jettisoned culture involved and, moreover, am delighted with Instant yeast results.
I don’t jettison anything. All discards are saved and used in other breads.
How do you save it and how do you equate it at future use?
There are two kinds of sourdough starter, wet and dry. The wet has to be fed daily, to the best of my knowledge, and there are large amounts to discard each day. The dry starter, which I use, only has to be renewed for a few days before it will be used. There is much less to discard, and so the discards can easily be stored in a jar in the refrigerator and then used in other breads.
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Many thanks.
I keep a sourdough starter at about 60-65% hydration in the refrigerator and find that it can go months between feedings. In fact, I just took mine out after ignoring it for 6 months, and it was lively and ready to go after two feedings. I keep only a small quantity on hand so that I can feed without discarding (or discard only a few spoonfuls every few months).
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I’ve done exactly this–a starter that I just seal in the fridge for sometimes months. If unused for 6 months, it takes about two/three days to wake it up on a countertop with successive feedings.
I do think it is perhaps important to do what I do, which is to use practically sterile stirring tools.
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Thanks - this was new to me. Have previously been wary of attempting sourdough because of the high maintenance and discard issue.
I learned about sourdough from Maggie Glezer’s books. But years ago she allowed her starter instructions to be posted online: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/2390/firm-starter-glezer-recipe
If you have any questions, just ask.
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How well did the organic yeast work?
I used it in a rye bread that was leavened first with sourdough, then with the addition of the rye flour with some instant yeast. It worked the same as the instant yeast I had previously bought. In other words, it worked very well.
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I noticed in watching this video that the master bread baker advised against instant yeast because although it works fast, it quickly peters out. As we know, longer proofing times result in m poo re flavor development.
In my experience, if you “time” it correctly, then you will be fine. I use only Active Dry in my baking because I can’t find a preservative-free, additive-free instant yeast. But when I teach friends/family, I always use instant yeast because that’s what the original Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day recipe recommends.
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Yeast really doesn’t “peter out”, it reproduces… And like any other living thing, it’ll basically just keep reproducing until it runs out of available “food”. If you use the same amount of instant as active-dried, it will “do its thing” more quickly, which may be what he was getting at, if not wording very well…
But for long, slow rises, using the “normal” amount of active-dried (or even fresh) is “too much” to begin with. But if you use proportionally less yeast of whatever type - as little as a 1/4 tsp of “instant”, instead of 1/2-1 tsp of active dried (versus typical “recipe” amount of a tablespoon) the results are basically the same as using any other type of yeast, in my own experience…
