Active Dry Yeast

About

A leavening agent used in the making of bread, Active Dry yeast is a form of yeast that tends to be less finely ground and must therefore be dissolved in four times its weight of warm water before use. The water should be about 110 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit and the yeast must be dissolved for around 10 minutes. Water temperature above 115 to 120 degrees will damage the yeast and 140 or above will kill it.
If a recipe calls for fresh yeast and you have dry, use half the amount of dry yeast.
In addition to its leavening action, yeast also imparts flavor to the bread.

Information

Other names: Granulated Yeast, Dry Yeast, Package Yeast, Yeast

Translations: Aktīvā sausā rauga, Aktyvus sausų mielių, Drojdie uscată activă, Suhog aktivnog kvasca, Active men bia khô, Aktywnych suchych drożdży, Actieve gedroogde gist, सक्रिय सूखी खमीर, Active Fermento seco, Активные сухие дрожжи, Ενεργή ξηρή μαγιά, أحدث الخميرة الجافة, 활성 건조 효모, Aktivních suchých kvasnic, Ragi Kering Aktif, Aktibong Dry lebadura, 活性干酵母, Llevat sec actiu, Aktivnega suhega kvasa, Aktívnych suchých kvasníc, Lievito secco, פעילים שמרים יבשים, Aktiv torrjäst, Активно сувог квасца, ドライイースト, Levure sèche active, Aktiven Trockenhefe, Tørgær, Aktiv Tørr Gjær, Levadura seca activa, Активні сухі дріжджі, Aktiivinen kuivahiiva, Активна суха мая

Physical Description

Most active dry yeast comes in pre measured packets. The yeast itself consists of a dry powder with a slightly grainy texture. Once combined with water and sugar though, the yeast becomes frothy liquid.

Colors: Light tan.

Tasting Notes

Substitutes: Cake yeast.

Selecting and Buying

Seasonality: january, february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september, opctober, november, december

Peak: january, february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september, opctober, november, december

Choosing: Always choose a package of active dry yeast that is within it's experation date, otherwise there is a chance the yeast in the package is dead and therefore won't be able to leven your recipe.

Buying: Active dry yeast is readily availble in the baking/flour sections of groccery stores, almost always next to other leveners such as baking soda and powder.

Procuring: Yeast needs both a warm environment and food to grow. The process is often called "proofing the yeast." Yeast should be dissolved in warm water (100-110 degrees F), but not hot water or it will die. Sugar is usually added to "feed" and grow the yeast. You should see activity within 5 minutes, bubbling and expansion during yeast activation. If you see no activity, your yeast is too old, the water was too warm or too cold.

Preparation and Use

Baker's yeast is what we use most often for leavening when cooking.Used for Baking Bread and Dough.

Conserving and Storing

Always store in a cool, dry place, preferably the refrigerator (a must for fresh yeast), but bring to room temperature before using. Fresh yeast is extremely perishable and should be used within 1-2 weeks or date on package.

Social/Political

History: It is not known when yeast was first used to bake bread. The first records that show this use came from Ancient Egypt.[8] Researchers speculate that a mixture of flour meal and water was left longer than usual on a warm day and the yeasts that occur in natural contaminants of the flour caused it to ferment before baking. The resulting bread would have been lighter and tastier than the previous hard flatbreads.