How to make a little yeast go a long way when baking bread (2024)

FAQs

How to make a little yeast go a long way when baking bread? ›

Think about temperature.

While simply reducing the amount of yeast you spoon into your bowl is certainly straightforward, there's another way to make yeast go further: by mixing a tiny bit with some flour and liquid and giving it time to grow on its own.

You can also try adding more yeast. Open a new packet of yeast and mix 1 teaspoon (3 g) of it with 1 cup (240 mL) of warm water and 1 tablespoon (13 g) of sugar. Let the yeast mixture proof for 10 minutes. Then, add the mixture to your dough along with some more flour so there's a ratio of 60% flour to 40% liquid.

The less you use, the longer the fermentation time, but the better the flavour development of your final loaf.

Proper storage is paramount if you want to save yourself a last-minute dash to the grocery store. "Storing yeast in an airtight container, away from moisture, is best," Philp says. "If it gets wet it may mold or spoil.

A warm, humid environment makes dough rise faster by speeding up the fermentation process in the dough. Take a small bowl or a glass. Add yeast and some sugar and pour some warm water (not hot) and mix it well until the sugar dissolves completely. Then let it rise for at least 15 minutes.

Increase salt: Increase the amount of salt in the dough to 2.2% of the flour used in the recipe. Salt helps to control the yeast and can help mitigate the effects of too much yeast. [3] Use whole-grain flour: If possible, substitute some of the white flour in the recipe with whole-grain flour.

If a large amount of salt (or sugar, which is also hygroscopic) were to be combined with a small amount of yeast and left for a long time it could, in theory, eventually rob the yeast of water to the degree that the yeast cells would begin to die off.

That being said, many home recipes, particularly older ones, use more yeast than this; so when you double or triple the yeast, you may find that your dough is rising too fast—faster than you can comfortably deal with it.

If you use more (up to 2%), the dough rises more quickly and flavor suffers, but takes on a yeasty flavor that some like. For each cup of flour (125 g), that is 1.5 g of instant yeast, or 1/2 teaspoon. For salt, I add 2% of the flour weight or 2.5 g per cup or about 0.4 teaspoons of table salt if all else is unsalted.

How much yeast should I use for bread? ›

With different yeast options available at supermarkets or bakeries, this may get a little confusing. As a rule of thumb, use: 1.4% of the weight of flour you are using (for example, 14g yeast per 1kg of flour) fast-acting yeast. 1% for dried yeast.

Within the first few minutes, you should see lots of bubbles, and the mixture should look creamy and foamy. If it doesn't, this means the yeast is past its prime and should be discarded. Additionally, don't let proofed yeast hang around for too long. It will eventually lose its vitality.

Baking Soda

It helps breads rise and gives them their light and airy texture. Unlike yeast, baking soda needs an acid to activate it. By adding an acid to baking soda (such as lemon juice or cream of tartar) a chemical reaction occurs that produces carbon dioxide and fills your bread with air — much like yeast does.

Instead of using yeast to make the bread rise, quick breads rely on other leavening agents like baking soda and baking powder to get height. "Quick breads, like banana bread, zucchini bread, and cornbread are delicious and easy alternatives to yeast-based bread and can satisfy cravings in a pinch," says Tyler Lee.

If the area is too warm, bread will rise too fast and begin cooking before the yeast has finished acting. This will impart a "yeasty" taste to the dough that will be transferred to the finished baked loaf. Using old ingredients (rancid nuts, "old" shortening) will cause yeast breads to taste old or have an "off" taste.

Dough containing yeast will rise faster as temperatures increase and the amount of yeast used is increased. Bakers use both of those variables to control the speed at which dough will rise.

On a nutritional level, yeasts are not particularly demanding compared to other microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria. However, their growth is supported by the existence of basic compounds such as fermentable sugars, amino acids, vitamins, minerals and also oxygen.

For good growth, yeast cells require good oxygen transfer rate and essential nutrients like nitrogen, amino acids, vitamins, and/or minerals.