Choosing the best active dry yeast for baking requires looking for specific labeling, appearance, packaging, and freshness. Yeast labeled “active dry yeast” with a sugar-like consistency, packaged to fit your cooking style, and with a fresh beer or bread smell is best. Avoid yeast labeled “instant” or “rapid” and always check the expiration date.
Yeast — a beneficial fungus — is a key ingredient in many leavened breads, such as pita breads, dinner roles, and the sandwich. Making them at home can save you money, but you’ll need to purchase yeast to make them. Many recipes call for active dry yeast, and knowing how to choose the best can help you produce delicious baked goods. The best active dry yeast is labeled “active,” has a specific appearance, is packaged in a way that fits your cooking style, and hasn’t been sitting on the shelf for too long.
The best active dry yeast is labeled in a specific way. The packaging should simply say “active dry yeast”. Yeasts sold as “instant yeast” or “rapid yeast” contain more active yeast cells than active dry yeast. That might sound like a plus, but if you use instant yeast or quick-rising yeast in a recipe that calls for active dry yeast, your baked product will rise too quickly. This means it can taste alcoholic from over-fermentation or even collapse in the oven.
This type of yeast should also have a specific appearance. The yeast should have the consistency of table sugar and pour out as easily as sugar does, without lumps. It should show no signs of moisture, foreign bodies or any other form of contamination. Good quality yeast should also have a slight smell of fresh beer or bread, with no sour, sulfuric, or “off” odors. Bad smells indicate rot.
Third, the best active dry yeast for you will be packaged in a way that fits your cooking style. It usually comes in individually sealed jars and packets. If you bake often or need to adjust the amount of yeast you use to compensate for altitude, potted yeast may be best for you. Conversely, if you bake infrequently or use the recipes exactly as written, yeast sold in packets will keep longer and is probably your best bet.
Finally, the best active dry yeast will also be young yeast. Like all living things, yeast has a shelf life. Old yeast will not perform as well as young yeast, as many of its cells will have died. When buying yeast, always check the expiration date and don’t buy yeast that is about to expire. It also helps to buy from a busy, well-attended market, as yeast sold there is less likely to have been sitting on the shelf a long time.
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