Yeast Pizza Discuss Yeast in the Pizza Quest with Peter Reinhart forums; Most of the pizza recipes I have seen talks of using instant yeast when making dough. I have been using ...

[heliman]

Most of the pizza recipes I have seen talks of using instant yeast when making dough.

I have been using some "Instant Dry Yeast" - Lowans Brand. Is this OK?

I'll be getting some fresh yeast today to see what the difference is in the texture. Maybe this will have an affect on the "thin patches" I am experiencing.

Rossco

[texassourdough]

I don't know Lowan's but I am pretty confident that "Instant Dry" is pretty much the same stuff everywhere. It is the best "easy" stuff to use. I have never used fresh yeast but it should have no effect on the texture. Remember - you will need more - about 2X in weight as I recall (so 6 grams instead of 3 or 8 instead of 4 depending on your recipe). (And some say 3 times as much!)
Jay

[dmun]

Fresh "cake" yeast has almost disappeared from US supermarkets. It has a limited shelf life and stores just don't stock it. I really don't think it's that much better: I used it when I was a kid, but in those days the idea of bread was white flour, milk, butter, sugar and enough yeast so that that was the principal flavor.

Yeah, I was a weird kid...

[heliman]

I have used fresh yeast before with good success. I grabbed some from the Italian store this morning and will give that a shot tonight.

Whilst I was at the store I though that I should get some buffalo mozarella. WOAAAAAAA .... $13 for 1 ball (like a small boconcini). No way will I pay that! ... sounds like the Caputo flour story all over again...

Rossco

[Stan]

Rossco,

With the large Aussie WFO community, it seems like somebody stands to make a LOT of money by wholesaling things like Caputo, buffalo mozarella, and San Marzanos.

Stan


ps...get that starter going! It will beat the heck out of cake yeast.

[heliman]

Yes agreed Stan - the problem is the Australian Quarantine Services is very strict on letting food stuffs into the country as we are largely free of many diseases that are prevalent in other parts of the world. I have lodged and enquiry with Quarantine to see if it is even possible to import a bag or two of flour. Awaiting their response...

Rossco