January 5, 2010 - 4:07pm
Yeast types
I'm thoroughly confused about yeast.
The King Arthur Flour baking books, which I use a lot, say to use instant yeast.
I just checked out their book on whole grain baking, and in that book, the text says that instant yeast and rapid rise yeast are not the same thing and are not interchangeable.
However, in my supermarkets, there really is no "instant yeast." Just active-dry, and depending on the brand, either fast- or rapid-rise.
There is one store that carries something called "instant yeast;" it's Oetker brand (?), but it's a specialty store.
What's the deal with this?
(I have used rapid- and fast-rise with good results. I have used active dry a lot less).
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There are several "varieties" of yeast, but the two most commonly used in bread making are Active Dry Yeast (ADY) and Instant Yeast. Instant yeast and rapid rise yeast are essentially the same. Yes, they are processed somewhat differently, but you can use them interchangeably, and in the same amounts, without fear of disaster. ADY is dried at a relatively high temperature so some of its outer cells are killed off in the process. That's one reason you should proof it in warm water before adding to your dough. That's the best way to rid the surface of the granuals of the dead cells and access the living cells at the granual's core. As previously noted, using ADY in place of instant or rapid rise yeast will work but you should increase the amount used (by weight) by about 30 - 35 percent. If you use rapid/instant in place of ADY, reduce the amount called for in the formula by 25 percent.
or used to be, maybe they were bought out by a US company.