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Yeast
Yeast is the engine in the dough: it makes gas, builds pressure, and drives fermentation flavor. Different yeast types behave differently, but each one can produce excellent bread when handled correctly.
Types of Yeast
Instant Yeast
- Can be mixed directly into flour
- Strong, reliable
- Smaller granules
Active Dry Yeast
- Larger granules
- Must be hydrated before use
- Hydrate in water for 10 minutes before mixing
Fresh Yeast (Cake Yeast)
- 70% water content (soft and crumbly)
- More perishable
- Calculator automatically adjusts hydration when using it
Calculator Yeast Hydration Helper
When you use a yeast type that benefits from pre-hydration, the calculator gives you two practical targets:
- Recommended water temperature for activation
- Recommended water weight to hydrate the yeast
And yes, this is the important part: that hydration water is automatically subtracted from your total recipe water, so your final hydration stays on target.
How Yeast Affects Dough
More Yeast
- Faster fermentation
- Shorter proofing window
- More risk of over-proofing
Less Yeast
- Slower fermentation
- Better flavor development
- Better for cold-fermented doughs
Tips
- Store instant yeast in the fridge or freezer for long life.
- When using active dry: hydrate in warm (not hot) water.
- Use the calculator's yeast-water temp and weight targets so activation is consistent and hydration math stays clean.
- Fresh yeast is great for delicate enriched doughs but must stay cold.