The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Commercial Yeast and fermented

Tommy gram's picture
Tommy gram

Commercial Yeast and fermented

When I started making bread in 2008 I was a commercial yeast guy. Then I flipped, became a naturally fermented guy, no yeast! Yeast is BS! Commercial yeast? The worst thing to happen to civilization, don’t use an If you do I don’t want to know you. Now I have to say “I’m yeast fluid”, I do the fermentation thing because it truly is the best bread there is no doubt in my mind and the mind of anyone who’s telling the truth. I make 25 pounds of dough a month/that’s what goes into the oven as for what weight comes out, I need to weigh that and determine how much is lost in the baking process I think it’s about 10% but ima do my math and find out. Still lots of curiosity about the bread. But I add a small amount of yeast to my dough now and I tell ya the toasting results are so much better! Nothing wrong with a little yeast, I only use a 1/2 teaspoon in a dough ball of 2500 or so grams, so that’s not much but It helps. 

rgreenberg2000's picture
rgreenberg2000

I'm involved in a few hobbies where I run into "purists" for whom there is only one "right" way to do <HOBBY NAME HERE> (ie: bbq, homebrew, etc.)  Like you, I've spent some time in the purist camp, but finally figured out that (a) there's always more than one way do do something "right", and (b) doing it how YOU like to do it, and producing a product that YOU like is WAY more important that what any purists think about the method you use (ie: crockpot ribs.....not for me, but I've eaten AND enjoyed plenty that were prepared for me by others.)

Your bread looks great, so keep making it however works for you, and produces results that you like! :)

Just don't put ice in your beer! (kidding.....put ice in your beer if you feel like it!) :)

Rich

Tommy gram's picture
Tommy gram

thats funny  I never liked ice in my beer till about two years ago now I love it!

Tommy gram's picture
Tommy gram

oops 

Tommy gram's picture
Tommy gram

Oops

David R's picture
David R

I get that there are purists who won't use commercial yeast, but I don't understand what they are seeing as the problems with it. Do they believe bread from commercial yeast is poisonous (in some hidden way)? Do they believe that "Big Yeast" is a criminal conspiracy?

albacore's picture
albacore

Also let's not forget that German bakers, who are known to make some pretty good bread, often kick things off with a levain and then add some fresh yeast as a matter of course.

Lance

Slybee1's picture
Slybee1

When it comes to artisanal bread, I prefer sourdough starter.  When it come to my honey wheat sandwich loaf, I like ADY  (Active dry yeast).  And when it comes to pizza dough, I like to use both SD starter and instant yeast.  I think there are benefits to all different types of yeast, it just depends on what you are making. 

Tommy gram's picture
Tommy gram

I use my same dough for pizza and or bread. It can be seven days old, which is the age I think it starts being eligible to be called sourdough, dang fine pizza from dat dere old stuff.