Fresh Yeast (500 Gram)

I'm a keen bread-maker, particularly of enriched breads. I've compared brioche made with fresh yeast versus dried yeast and, in a blind tasting, my husband could tell the difference and preferred the one with fresh yeast. Getting fresh yeast is difficult: asking the local baker feels a bit a bit of cheek and even specialist delicatessens rarely stock fresh yeast. I had tried looking on the Internet but commercial suppliers only had very large pack-sizes designed for bakeries. I was thus delighted to find this supplier who would send 500g packs at a very reasonable price. The yeast comes well-packed and chilled in plastic box that can be used to store the yeast in the fridge . Note the advice to leave the lid slightly open to allow air into the block of yeast. The yeast was in perfect condition: moist yet very crumbly and had a date-stamp about 2 weeks beyond the delivery day. I've made four loaves already with the yeast and it performed excellently and produced tasty white, milk, brioche and kugelhof loaves.I shan't be keeping the yeast in the fridge up to it's use-by-date and instead will be dividing the block into 20/30g cubes, wrapped in clingfilm and frozen rapidly. Later I'll pack the frozen cubes into a freezer box. I've often frozen fresh yeast in this way and found it still works after 6 months of freezing. I defrost the yeast in the fridge. It often becomes runny but this doesn't seem to affect it working. I find the rising times may be longer after the yeast has been frozen but, if anything, this improves the final loaf. I generally use less yeast than suggested in any recipe and thus have longer rising/proving times for the dough. I'm firmly convinced that longer rising times lead to better flavoured bread.Update October 2010: I'm still using portions of the yeast that I froze in January 2010 and they're still working as good as new, for example, 18g (defrosted in the fridge overnight) was able to raise 3kg of brioche dough, a heavy dough full of eggs and butter: once in the kitchen, again overnight in the fridge and then finally when put in tins and rising for the third time using the bread proving setting in my Neff oven.Update December 2010: I've just used the last 25g of the block of yeast delivered (and frozen by me in portions) in January 2010 and have placed a further order. This last portion of yeast performedperfectly after defrosting and made 2 large loaves and six foccacia rolls. Just to make sure it was OKI made a "sponge" starters for each kind of bread: yeast creamed with blood heat water or water and milk; a pinch of sugar and a tablespoon or so of flour sprinkled over the surface and put in a warm place for about 20 mins (the Neff oven proving setting is ideal). If it froths the yeast is live and ready to work.January 2011: I've just received my batch of 500g fresh yeast to last me through 2011 and it arrived in perfect condition. I notice that the packaging is even better than last year: a thick, foam insulated envelope plus a gel freezer strip. As before I portioned up the block into 20/25g cubes tightly wrapped in cling-film and deep-frozen. Great value for money: enough to make up to 100 loaves if you use a slow-rise method.

Very well packaged, wonderful smell. Currently making Semlor and great rise from pre-ferment dough. Will be splitting into 25g packs and freezing for breads and enriched doughs going forward.

Good performing yeast, kept well in fridge.Portioned into 50g cling wraps, kept 100g in fridge froze the rest. Lasted 2 weeks in fridge with no problems till used up. Will now see how the frozen gets on

Excellent value , freezes well . Very happy with the product.

Purchased the 500g yeast in October to make a celebration pastry & it was very tasty. Since then, we froze the remaining yeast and made lots of things with it - bread, various pastries, pizza dough. It’s a good quality yeast. Recommend.

It arrived cooled and in. good condition. I cut it into 25g batches, packed them in aluminium foil and froze them for future use. Almost gotten through them making cinnamon knots and pizza bases, and buying it again.

Arrived in a cool package to prevent spoilage. This is the freshest yeast I have ever purchased. Wonderful condition and the smell you associate with very fresh yeast. Highly recommended.

Okay, I'm convinced. I'm a trained chef and reasonable-level (but not professional) baker, with over 25 years of experience. Yes, yes, all yeast is brewer's yeast (saccharomyces cerevisiae); yes, yes, IDY is almost no different, in theory, to fresh yeast. But, in reality, it IS different! How? Well, IDY is clean. It's stable. It's predictable, it's easy to determine its effect to the milligram. Fresh yeast, and in particular THIS fresh yeast, is alive. It's unpredictable. You have to watch it and observe how it reacts to the dough. It ranges from the full range of flora in the alcoholic fermentations to the acetic as it becomes older and more stressed, while picking up wild lactic bacteria through storage. It's dynamic and each time it's used, it has a different flavour.I've used this as the basis for my Panettone Lievito Madre, I've thrown it in breads, I've allowed to go semi-wild and fully-wild, and I've been heavy handed of its use in last-minute pizzas. This yeast just adds flavour, each and every time. As it gets older, it shifts from musty to acidic and alcoholic, becoming more wonderfully complex, replacing the need for malt extracts in many cases, giving you a similarly beer-like smell as it bubbles your dough. It easily lasts 3-4 weeks in the fridge and you get more than enough for any baking need less than commercial-level production.I don't think I can ever go back to IDY after using this. This is what baking should be about.