Yeast is an essential ingredient for making many delicious carbs like breads, crusts, and cinnamon rolls. It’s the ingredient responsible for making these foods have the texture it does- squishy and not dense.

How? Would you believe it if I told you yeast is ALIVE. Its a living organism that eats and breathes.

Once, my apartmate met someone that said that they grew their own yeast and that “its like a pet.”

I wouldn’t go as far to call it a pet…but yeah, it’s alive.

When we put yeast in breads and stuff, it eats sugar (and eventually the flour because it can convert flour into sugar, wow) and in return, releases carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is what makes the dough expand because all the gas gets trapped in it.

Active-Dry Yeast

Also known as regular yeast. It requires proofing before using.

Typically, to proof, you need warm water, sugar, and the active-dry yeast. Make sure that the water is not lukewarm but not hot either. If you stick your finger in the water, it should be a comfortable temperature for you. If it’s comfortable for you, it’s comfortable for the yeast.

Generally, I add about 1 Tablespoon of sugar (per 1 sachet of yeast) to my warm water, stir, and add the yeast in. I let it sit for at least 5 minutes so that the yeast has time to foam up. When it is nice and foamy, it is ready to use in your recipes.

Rapid-Rise Yeast

Like many bakers, I favor using rapid-rise yeast over active-dry because it yields faster results and doesn’t require proofing. While baking, you would directly mix in the rapid-rise yeast with the other dry ingredients. If you use a recipe that calls for active-dry yeast, you can substitute it with the same amount of rapid-rise.

Tips for Baking with Yeast

Effect of Sugar and Salt

• Sweet doughs (doughs with a lot of sugar) slow down yeast and have a longer rise-period. There are special yeasts made for sweet doughs to help with this problem.
• Salt kills yeast, so be careful not to add salt to the proofing water.

Effect of Rising Speed

• If the dough rises too quickly, it means the yeast has released a lot of carbon dioxide in a short amount of time. The dough may have a sour taste and is more likely to be “weak.” Weak doughs are more susceptible to being “unshaped” or collapsed. Therefore, avoid rising your dough in deliberately warm places. A semi-warm area would work fine (like an unheated microwave or countertop near a window).
• Conversely to the previous point, a slower rise will yield a stronger and dough more likely to keep its shape throughout the whole process. Personally, I like refrigerating my doughs overnight for this reason, but also so that I don’t have to be on “stand-by” for hours while I could be studying.

How Much Yeast Should I Use?

• If you often use yeast in the kitchen, there’s likely to be wild yeast floating around. As such, your doughs are likely to rise faster. So, it is typically okay to use less yeast than normal. On the other hand, if you’ve never used yeast before, your kitchen is “sterile.” The rising process might be a tad slower than the frequent baker. Be patient.

How Do I Store Yeast?

• After opening a packet of yeast, it is best to seal it tightly and store it in the fridge. Yeast that can be exposed to air and moisture will active and eventually die.

Is My Yeast Still Usable?

• Dry yeast is usable as long as it will foam during proofing. As such, it is easy to tell early-on if active-dry yeast is usable because it must be proofed before using anyways.
• Rapid-rise yeast can also go through a “proof” test to ensure that the yeast is still good to use. The method is the same for active-dry proofing: comfortably warm water + 1 Tbsp sugar + 1 sachet of yeast. Then, proceed as normal with the recipe.