The Fresh Loaf

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How much fresh yeast is this?

Olive Ashworth's picture
Olive Ashworth

How much fresh yeast is this?

I found this recipe that I'd like to bake. I'm not sure of the weight of the yeast listed in this recipe. I believe fresh yeast comes in two sizes in the United States. I'm assuming this would be the 2-ounce size, but I think fresh yeast also comes in a 0.6 ounce cube. Thanks.

NO KNEAD CHALLAH BREAD

Ingredients

  • 1 cube crumbled yeast
  • 1 t sugar
  • 1 t flour
  • ½ c warm tap water
  • At least 8 c regular flour
  • 3 eggs
  • ¾ c sugar
  • ½ c oil
  • 1 T salt
  • 2 c warm tap water

Directions

  1. Mix together in small bowl and let stand in warm place:

  2. 1 cube crumbled yeast

  3. 1 t sugar

  4. 1 t flour

  5. ½ c warm tap water

  6. Measure the following into a large bowl (wood, glass or plastic)

  7. At least 8 c regular flour

  8. 3 eggs

  9. ¾ c sugar

  10. ½ c oil

  11. 1 T salt

  12. 2 c warm tap water

  13. And yeast mixture from Step 1

  14. With large wooden spoon, smash all of the above together as well as possible. The mixture will be sticky.

  15. Leave the mixture in the same bowl for 3 hours, returning every ½ hour to stir it and punch it down with a wooden spoon.

  16. At end of 3 hours, turn the dough out onto a floured board or counter top. Add more flour if the dough is too soft to handle.

  17. Divide the dough with a sharp knife into 3-4 large loaves. Shape into challot.

  18. Set into well greased challah pans. Let rise for one hour. Before baking, brush all exposed surfaces with beaten egg/sugar mixture.

  19. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

grind's picture
grind
Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

:)

The recipe instructions read like a half the amount of yeast  (when compared to the kilo of flour) so I would suggest using one 0.6 cube instead of two for a faster rising loaf, yet the dough is loaded with extras that require more yeast.  

Hmmm.   I haven't done this recipe but the "no knead" cautions a conservative amount.  What if... Use one cube but have another on standby.  If you find the dough reacting too slow for the recipe, add the second 0.6 cube, squash it with a teaspoon of sugar and a fork.  It turns almost instantly into liquid and you can smear it into the dough for more action.

DesigningWoman's picture
DesigningWoman

MiniO, I've been wandering through these forums for a few weeks now, and seriously, you seem to have a logical, sensible answer for everything. I'm in awe.

Happy Friday.

- Carole

Olive Ashworth's picture
Olive Ashworth

I think I will use Red Star active dry yeast since I already have that. The recipe says to let it rise for three hours the first time, doing more or less stretch and folds every half an hour. Then shape the loaves and let rise an hour before baking. I can use lukewarm water for the recipe and cool room temperature. I plan to use about 38 ounces (1081 g) of Bob's Red Mill Artisan Bread flour for this recipe. 

So how many grams of ADY would you recommend for it to rise that amount of time, taking into consideration all the enrichments and that temperature?

Thanks.

Olive Ashworth's picture
Olive Ashworth

So this bread turned out excellent. I used 9 g of active dry yeast and it was not enough to rise in that particular time frame. I ended up using 39 ounces of flour. Once I shaped the dough it took more than an hour and a half to rise, and remember the first rise time was already three hours with "stirring" every half an hour. It was a very soft and lovely dough! The crumb is very fine like a kneaded dough and not a "no knead" dough. The stretch and fold was the kneading and it was wonderful and not messy at all. I'm not fond of hand kneading. I will increase the yeast to 12 g next time and see how long everything takes. My husband loved the bread and claimed it was the most delicious yet! Haha.