Bread Yeast 101

I have a healthy fear of bread yeast.  Yeast, as in that tricky ingredient that magically turns flour and water into a carbo-licious loaf.

I’ve only tried to use yeast four times in my adult life.  First a whole wheat loaf, then a baguette, next pizza dough, and most recently a rustic Italian loaf.  All were edible (the Italian loaf even made it to a Christmas Eve dinner), but they were flat and not right or, in the case of the pizza dough, sticky and weird.

It seems that yeast has something against me.  Kind of like that girl at work who says “hi” to everyone in the hallway but me (I swear, it is the weirdest thing).  In both cases, I have no idea why.  I’m nice, really, and I want to be friends, or at least acquaintances!  (That goes for the yeast and the girl.)

I’m not sure exactly why I am bread and yeast challenged.  I’ve been able to master other tricky items like gravy and pastry dough.  My mom and sisters can whip out loaves of bread like it’s their job.  Did I somehow miss the yeast-handling gene?

The truth is, I get confused by all the different names for yeast: dry, active, rapid rise and instant.  And what the heck is this about “proofing” the yeast?  The only proofing that I do is with a red pen. And what can I do to make sure the yeast actually helps my bread rise?

Clearly it is time for a tutorial.

First, let me get a few things straight and simplified.  All of those different names for bread yeast are just out to get me.  Really, most of the names are code for something else.  For example:

• Active dry yeast = dry yeast
• Instant yeast = quick yeast = rapid rise active dry yeast = fast rising yeast

The key difference between active dry and instant yeast is that the instant version does not need to be proofed.  And proofed just means that the yeast needs to be livened up a bit in some warm water before mixing with the other ingredients.  In fact, the two can be used interchangeably, so long as you know whether or not proofing is necessary.  Amazing!

And what is so special about yeast anyway?  Yeast converts sugar and starch into tiny air bubbles that help make the bread light and fluffy when you bake it.  And who doesn’t like light and fluffy?

If you’re like me and still need more information about using yeast to bake bread, head on over to  My Kitchen Cafe. Melanie has kindly outlined her tips and tricks about working with yeast and bread dough, including how she stores it and makes it work in her kitchen.  As an added bonus, she makes it seem simple enough that even I get it.

So, stay tuned to see the results of my bread making adventures this year.  In the meantime, won’t you share any of your stories about failed or successful bread baking?  If you have any special tips and tricks, please share them here.  Clearly I need all of the help that I can get!

Want to see how my bread yeast battle progressed from here?  Check out my pizza dough and oatmeal molasses bread!

Information sources: Bon Apetit, Cook’s Thesaurus and My Kitchen Cafe.  Photo source, and source.