topic Re: REGULAR YEAST or FAST RISING YEAST ? in Kitchen

REGULAR YEAST or FAST RISING YEAST ?

Flatbush — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 07:24:58 GMT

For those posters who make dough for bread, pizza or rolls, which yeast do you prefer, or does it matter at all to you. I am wondering if one of the other if more effective.

Re: REGULAR YEAST or FAST RISING YEAST ?

AuntMame — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 08:59:17 GMT

I like SAF Instant Yeast. Instant yeast works for anything, bread, pizza dough, overnight rising as well as multiple risings through the day. It works in doughs rising on the counter, in the refrigerator, and also in bread machines. It also freezes well.

Active yeast requires activation in water and sometimes sugar. And it's potency can be highly variable.

Re: REGULAR YEAST or FAST RISING YEAST ?

Yahooey — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 10:01:50 GMT

I have active dry yeast on hand bc the recipe I follow calls for active dry

I really dont know if 1 is better over the other and yes

it has to be mixed in warm water and sugar is added and you wait

I have a jar of it since all i make is focaccia

and if by chance i needed instant - i use any liquid it calls for and warm it up for the waiting period + sugar

Re: REGULAR YEAST or FAST RISING YEAST ?

ciao_bella — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 12:17:43 GMT

Like @AuntMame, I use and prefer SAF Instant yeast. No need to add water and/or sugar and wait as you have to with active yeast. Never had an Instant Yeast failure either.

Re: REGULAR YEAST or FAST RISING YEAST ?

gardenman — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 12:24:53 GMT

I only use active dry yeast and I tend to buy it in bulk and keep it in my freezer to keep it fresh.

In short, yeast is yeast. Fast-rising yeast is ground finer and typically has additives to help feed the yeast quicker which is why it's "fast-rising." Normal yeast feeds on the sugar in the recipe and stuff in the flour instead and that takes some time to get started.

The flavor snobs will tell you that you don't get the same flavor from fast-rising yeast. It takes time for the yeast to feed off the flour and convert the flour stuff into the alcohol and flavor elements that develop over time. If you make two batches of dough and refrigerate one overnight but cook the other one without an overnight rise, there will be something of a difference in flavor.

If you don't mind subtle (and in some cases very subtle) differences in flavor, then there's no problem with a fast-rising yeast. You should get the same rise and a similar finished product in less time. It just won't have the same flavor as a dough made with a slower-acting yeast that feeds more off of the flour.

Re: REGULAR YEAST or FAST RISING YEAST ?

Sooner — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 15:16:53 GMT

Been making bread for 45 years--machines, by hand, all kinds of bread. Just use SAF Instant in the red package and it will be fine. It works great. We buy in bulk and freeze, and use it straight from the freezer.

Re: REGULAR YEAST or FAST RISING YEAST ?

SaveTheTurtles — Mon, 25 Dec 2023 02:09:31 GMT

@Flatbush I always use fast rising yeast exclusively.

Re: REGULAR YEAST or FAST RISING YEAST ?

Shihtzursqmom — Mon, 25 Dec 2023 04:57:31 GMT

I make homemade bread all the time my favorite yeast is Red star premium yeast
I’ve never had a failure so far using this brand

Re: REGULAR YEAST or FAST RISING YEAST ?

Nightowlz — Mon, 25 Dec 2023 05:53:55 GMT

Been using SAF yeast for years.

Re: REGULAR YEAST or FAST RISING YEAST ?

AuntMame — Mon, 25 Dec 2023 07:48:56 GMT

@gardenman wrote:
I only use active dry yeast and I tend to buy it in bulk and keep it in my freezer to keep it fresh.

In short, yeast is yeast. Fast-rising yeast is ground finer and typically has additives to help feed the yeast quicker which is why it's "fast-rising." Normal yeast feeds on the sugar in the recipe and stuff in the flour instead and that takes some time to get started.

The flavor snobs will tell you that you don't get the same flavor from fast-rising yeast. It takes time for the yeast to feed off the flour and convert the flour stuff into the alcohol and flavor elements that develop over time. If you make two batches of dough and refrigerate one overnight but cook the other one without an overnight rise, there will be something of a difference in flavor.

If you don't mind subtle (and in some cases very subtle) differences in flavor, then there's no problem with a fast-rising yeast. You should get the same rise and a similar finished product in less time. It just won't have the same flavor as a dough made with a slower-acting yeast that feeds more off of the flour.

Thank you, Gardenman, for pointing that out. I hadn't realized that there is a difference in taste, but you're right. When I started baking bread, as a teenager with Betty Crocker books, I used active yeast. It did taste better! I always thought yeast is yeast, instant yeast is just yeast ground finer, but there is a slight difference in taste due to the yeast, the method, etc. I'm going to be more mindful from now on. Thank you for pointing out the taste difference!

Re: REGULAR YEAST or FAST RISING YEAST ?

Rockycoast — Mon, 25 Dec 2023 15:24:04 GMT

We use instant yeast for our baking. Faster, no proofing needed, more consistent, more live cells in it.

Re: REGULAR YEAST or FAST RISING YEAST ?

Flatbush — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 08:04:07 GMT

Reading all the replies, it seems to me that either would do. If I am short of time, I can use rapid tho.

Thanks for all the info, everyone.

Re: REGULAR YEAST or FAST RISING YEAST ?

AuntMame — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 08:55:22 GMT

@Flatbush wrote:
Reading all the replies, it seems to me that either would do. If I am short of time, I can use rapid tho.
Thanks for all the info, everyone.

This thread inspired me to look over my bread recipes. I bake a lot of bread, pizza crust, coffee cakes, etc. Every week. (DH claims I go through flour like some sort of gluten and yeast addict. ) I always use whatever yeast I have on hand. Whatever I can find in the grocery store, because often the pickings are limited.

I found that half my recipes call for instant, half for active. Some call for bread machine yeast. I've used...whatever I have on hand.

The only time I've encountered problems was when I had a large amount of active yeast stored in the freezer for several years. At a certain point it wasn't rising very well so I tossed it out and switched to SAF instant and things got better.

If a recipe calls for bread machine yeast and I don't have that on hand I'll use instant or active with a little extra yeast tossed in. Since bread machine yeast is finer than the others.

After reading Gardenman's comments I think I'm going to start keeping active yeast on hand too.

Re: REGULAR YEAST or FAST RISING YEAST ?

faeriemoon — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 16:47:12 GMT

Lately I only buy Rapid Rise.