I've Had It With Baker's Yeast!

[Donna M.]

The darn stuff is sooooo unreliable! I started putting ingredients in my bowl while I was waiting for the yeast to proof, and it never got more than 1/4" of foam after half an hour. This is the third time this has happened to me in the past three years. The yeast was dated Dec. 2006 and it went directly from the grocery bag to the fridge when I bought it.

Thank goodness for sourdough--I already had some proofed starter out so I converted the recipe to sourdough. Instead of baking it tonite I had to put it in the fridge to bake in the morning, though, since sourdough takes much longer to rise. I'm making caramel rolls.

[txzuckerbaeckerin]

Adding just a wee pinch of sugar as "food" to the yeast-water or yeast-milk mix can do wonders. Also: I have made many great breads with yeast just a bit foamy, no need to worry, as it only needs to start to proof, You don't want all the gas production gone in the first proof
besides: yeast is a living organism and 3 failures in 3 years is no need to give up TZB edited for typo

[tasb]

How do you proof it?

Some times if it comes right of of the fridge it takes time to get going. I don't store mine in the fridge but then I bake alot of bread. I am up to 12 loaves at one time. I proof every time to make sure. The yeast is at room temp. 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 c Warm water and 3 tsp yeast. I use a thermometer to make sure it is under 115 F.

[Donna M.]

tasb, I proof it exactly as you do. I'm sure the package of yeast was just a bad one, which really ticks me off when is is dated to be good for many more months. I guess I have just gotten spoiled with my sourdough. It always works!

[mianbao]

Donna, have you used fresh yeast? Now, I've never used sourdough (though am a bit interested, I will admit), but I find fresh yeast much more "forgiving" than the dry stuff.

This is even though I'm generally happy with dry yeast. I just like the feel of the dough more when I use fresh yeast. The gas bubbles seem to be finer somehow.

I'm sure some people will be surprised at how I keep my fresh yeast, but it works very well for me: I buy 500 g (about 17 oz) blocks of fresh yeast, remove the paper wrapping (because it sticks when the yeast is frozen) and double wrap it tightly in plastic bags. I then freeze it. When I want to use the yeast I remove it from the freezer and hack off the amount I need (I weigh it), put the block back into the freezer, add the warm water to the still frozen yeast and proceed as normal.

Rose L. Beranbaum says to defrost the frozen fresh yeast, but I have never done that, and find I don't need to.

Anyway, just one more idea. (Maybe one of these days I'll try a sourdough culture, but I think that if I did in my kitchen, I'd just get commercial yeast strain. )

[JillAZ]

Donna, I used to have the same problem with yeast until I switched to SAF brand instant yeast. I purchase it at a bread baking supply store. I comes in a large bag but keeps beatifully in the fridge. I usually put it in a canning jar to store in the fridge. I never have a problem with it. You don't have to proof it - you just mix it in with the flour and then make sure your water is about 120 degrees when you add it to the flour.

[Donna M.]

SAF is the brand I buy also! I really believe that the yeast was bad when it came from the grocery store. I did everything right and there was no reason for the yeast to not work. It was only one of those little 3-pack strips so I wasn't out much. It was just annoying.

[Donna M.]

Mianbo, I have never used fresh yeast. I did buy some once about a year ago and then I forgot about it and didn't get it used before it got old. Never thought about freezing it!

[Theresa P]

Your liquid is too hot !! You should proof yeast at about 95 degrees ! It is a living organisim and does not like liquid that is too hot . I have been baking bread for many years and took some classes to learn about bread baking . Your liquid should be no hotter than what you would put in a baby bottle (luke warm or what is called "tepid") , so as not to kill off the yeast .

[JillAZ]

I don't proof the yeast at that temperature. I use the water that hot when the yeast is added with the flour and other dry ingredients without proofing first. I use bakers yeast and you don't need to proof it first. I've been baking bread regularly for a long time and have never had a problem. If I am proofing first - say I'm using a different brand of yeast then I agree - the temp should just be lukewarm.

[Donna M.]

Theresa P wrote:
Your liquid is too hot !! You should proof yeast at about 95 degrees ! It is a living organisim and does not like liquid that is too hot . I have been baking bread for many years and took some classes to learn about bread baking . Your liquid should be no hotter than what you would put in a baby bottle (luke warm or what is called "tepid") , so as not to kill off the yeast .

Nope, the liquid wasn't too hot. It was just crappy yeast. Thanks for trying to help, though. I know I did everything right. I've been baking bread for 45 years. I think somewhere along the line the yeast was mishandled before I bought it.

[Theresa P]

Donna M. wrote:

Theresa P wrote:
Your liquid is too hot !! You should proof yeast at about 95 degrees ! It is a living organisim and does not like liquid that is too hot . I have been baking bread for many years and took some classes to learn about bread baking . Your liquid should be no hotter than what you would put in a baby bottle (luke warm or what is called "tepid") , so as not to kill off the yeast .

Nope, the liquid wasn't too hot. It was just crappy yeast. Thanks for trying to help, though. I know I did everything right. I've been baking bread for 45 years. I think somewhere along the line the yeast was mishandled before I bought it.

Sometimes it IS just crappy yeast . I have had that problem too , and , now I always proof my yeast first to make sure it is good . That way I don't waste so many ingredients .

[NoraMarie]

Have you tried buying it from a bulk food store. I get mine from there all the time and so far had good luck with it.