I am working on my first pandoros for X-mas, following Meggie Glezer's recipe. In this she calls for osmotolerant instant yeast. I just can't get my hands on that here, but I did get some wonderful fresh yeast that I want to use instead.

I'm a bit uncertain about the conversion though.... None of the conversions I have managed to google out of my computer mention how to convert osmotolerant instant yeast to fresh yeast. My guess is, when the standard conversion from "normal"  instant yeast  to fresh yeast is roughly times 3, should I put a bit more than that since osmotolerant instant yeast is the strongest of them all? Should I go more towards times 4?

The recipe also carries a sourdough, so the fresh yeast won't be on it's own, and I don't want to overdo it with the yeast...

Is there any one out there who could advice me? The amount called for in the recipe is 0.25 to 0.5 teaspoon of osmotolerant instant dry yeast, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.

hoping to hear from you :-)

I have been reading the historical threads on fresh yeast, trying to get a handle on how best to convert my recipes and how best to measure the proper amount. The old school seems to be to cream the yeast with a small amount of sugar and a bit of the water from the recipe. Then It seems like some crumble it into the flour with the fingers which is my practice using instant.

Then the question of should I try to scoop into a teaspoon? I'm inclined to think it would be better to weigh the grams with the scale. With dry, it is easier for me to use a measure. I understand it is a 3:1 ratio for fresh over IDY and if you want to be picky, you need to hold back a few grams of liquid due to the water in the fresh yeast. My IDY weighs about 3g per tsp so an equivalent in fresh would be 9g.

For all of you who have been using fresh yeast please jump in here and tell me if I have the right idea on using fresh. My plan is to stop as of now with the IDY in the freezer and not look back. Most of my breads have some SD component in them but I am looking forward to this change. I'm also hoping that I too will experience the better crust and crumb that I have read so much about. Wish me luck!

Eric

Does anyone know how to make fresh yeast (cake yeast)?

I've always heard rumours that if you went to a big supermarket in the UK and asked for fresh yeast, they would give you some for free.  I'd always dismissed this as an urban myth - and a fairly unlikely one at that, until I heard it mentionned as fact on BBC Radio 4 (and everything I ever learnt comes from Radio 4).

I was too shy to try it myself, so I sent my husband in and he came out triumphant with about 100g of fresh yeast in a little bag which a member of staff from the in-store bakery had happily given him.  Is this unique to Tesco's or do other places do it to?

What I'd really like to know is - Why?  Why do they give it away free, rather than sell it?  Or just say, "No, get your own yeast?"

I would speculate it might go back to some ancient bakery-related law, but I've got nothing to base that on, except guess work.  Can anyone throw any light on this very pleasant mystery?