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Fun facts
about yeast
you may
not know!
You are probably familiar with baker’s yeast and brewer’s yeast for baking and beer-making, but maybe you still have some doubts about what yeast really is. To help you understand everything you need to know about yeast we collected five of the top searched questions about yeast and will answer them here for you now!
Is yeast a plant or an animal?
Yeast is not an animal. In fact, it is part of the fungi kingdom. This means that yeast is in the same family as mushrooms!
Yeast is a living, single-cell organism. Yeast is very common in nature and can be isolated from many sugar-rich materials. Although they are single-celled organisms, they have a cellular organization similar to that of many higher organisms like humans!
Despite being fungi, yeasts are like animals in that they are heterotrophs, meaning they cannot produce their own food but need to get nutrition from other sources such as plant and animal matter. As the yeast grows, it transforms its food, in the form of sugar or starch, into alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2). This process is called fermentation. Yeasts use organic compounds, like sugar, as a source of energy and do not need sunlight to grow.
Different types of yeast can survive in a wide range of temperatures. This makes yeast resilient and able to live in a wide array of environments.
There are more than 1,500 types of wild yeast that have been identified so far. Yet, many more probably exist in the wild and are just waiting to be found!
What is the difference between active and inactive yeast?
To put it simply, “active” or “active dry” yeast is alive, and inactive yeast is dead.
To make your bread, pizza, buns, or fermented drinks, such as beer, you can use active dry yeast or so-called “instant” yeast. These two forms of yeast are both active in terms of fermentation.
Active dry yeast in the form of spherules (small balls): this type of active yeast needs to be reactivated in warm water and well dispersed before being mixed with the other ingredients in your recipe.
Instant yeast in the form of tiny vermicelli (small cylinders): this type of active yeast does not require prior rehydration and can be used directly with the other ingredients. It will reactivate during the mixing process once in contact with the moist medium. To maintain its effectiveness, instant dry yeasts are packaged in vacuum-sealed or protective packaging. They must be kept dry and at room temperature.
When you look at them, you may think that these yeasts in dry form are dead, but in fact, they are just dormant with inactivated metabolism, which allows them, once packaged, to have a longer shelf life. Yeast makers can dehydrate the yeast without impacting its vitality.
The so-called inactive yeasts, on the other hand, have been deactivated through heat treatment to break the yeast cells and release critical components of nutritional interest. So-called “nutritional yeasts” or yeast extracts are thus fermentatively inactive.
Inactivated yeasts are typically used to improve the flavour and nutritional quality of dishes, as they are rich in complete proteins and have a variety of vitamins and minerals.
How can yeast benefit my health and diet?
As you have probably already gathered, yeast can be particularly beneficial for one’s health and diet.
Yeast and specifically nutritional yeast contain essential nutrients like proteins, vitamins, and minerals and have an interesting nutritional contribution. Yeast can be used in dietary supplements, seasonings, and functional foods. Furthermore, yeast as an active living microorganism can provide health benefits to animals and humans by acting as a probiotic.
So, while yeast can help one produce bread, beer, and wine it can also help us be healthier and add more nutritional qualities to our foods!
Louis Pasteur:
The Father
of
Fermentation
Louis Pasteur was a French chemist and microbiologist celebrated for his research in vaccinations, pasteurization, and fermentation. His explorations led to extraordinary discoveries in the awareness of the causes and prevention of disease, fermentation, and germ theory.
Pasteur is known as one of the founders of modern bacteriology and is considered by many to be the “father of bacteriology and microbiology.” So, who was Louis Pasteur? And what were his extraordinary discoveries?
Chance Favored the Prepared Pasteur’s Mind
Louis Pasteur was born on 27 December 1822 in Dole, France, the son of a tanner, Jean-Joseph Pasteur and of Jeanne-Etienne Roqui. In 1839, he enrolled at the Collège Royal at Besançon and earned his bachelor’s degree before his admission to the École Normale Supérieure. At the École Normale Supérieure, he studied chemistry, physics, and crystallography (the study of crystalline substances on the atomic scale). He completed his studies in 1847, presenting his two theses, one in chemistry and the other in physics.
Pasteur served briefly as a professor of physics at the Dijon Lycée in 1848 before he became a professor of chemistry at the University of Strasbourg. In 1854, he was named dean of the new faculty of sciences at the University of Lille, where he began his studies on fermentation.
Pasteur’s discoveries
Pasteur began his work on fermentation while working in the city of Lille in the north of France. He first set out to disprove the prevailing theory that fermentation was caused by decomposition, which he successfully refuted. He then demonstrated that it was yeast responsible for fermentation through the production of alcohol from sugar. Furthermore, Pasteur discovered that certain organisms, including yeasts, were able to live in the absence of air. He called them anaerobic organisms and famously stated, “fermentation is life without oxygen.” (1) By doing this he established the theory of the role of living microorganisms in fermentation. Around 1860, he demonstrated that microorganisms appear and grow not by spontaneous generation but because of the spores both in the air and on food. This also justified the theory that certain microbes are responsible for contagious diseases.
This discovery helped Pasteur show that microorganisms were responsible for spoiling beverages such as milk, beer, and wine. In 1866, Pasteur created the process of what would later become known as “pasteurization” to counteract these spoiling effects. This process involved heating the liquids to a temperature between 60 and 100 °C for a certain amount of time. This heating process would, in turn, kill most of the bacteria and molds already present in the liquids, without altering their main qualities. Products which were pasteurized would in turn be less likely to spoil and have a longer shelf life. Thanks to pasteurization, fresh milk, which normally goes bad after a few hours, could be stored for 1-2 weeks. This process was later applied to beer, wine, and other products.
Pasteur further proved that when micro–organisms contaminated wine, lactic acid was produced, which would make the wine sour. (2) In 1861, Pasteur then identified that fewer sugars fermented per part of yeast when the yeast was exposed to air. (3) This lower rate of fermentation became known as the “Pasteur effect.”
Pasteur’s Work on Alcoholic Fermentation
In 1856, one of Pasteur’s students, whose father was a local wine manufacturer, approached him for advice on the problem of preventing beetroot alcohol from souring. This led Pasteur to begin his work on the optimization of the fermentation process.
In the aftermath of France’s 1870 defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, Pasteur decided to use his research to help the French beer makers to become a true competitor to the German beer industry, which was booming. His research revealed that the process used at the time could lead to the yeast becoming contaminated by the environment in the brewery. If this happened beers could quickly turn sour and would not be able to be stored. Pasteur advocated making beer in a controlled environment with the least possible contact with air during fermentation and pasteurization in the bottle to stabilize the drink and prevent fermentation from continuing. Through this new process, French beer could be produced, stored, and shipped in large quantities without the risk of spoiling. This new process made French beer-brewing into a powerful industry.
Furthermore, the understanding of the fermentation phenomenon meant that the most suitable ferments could be cultivated and selected to seed fermented products. Beer yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was identified, and the cultivation of the pure strain began. Yeast became its own product and one that was industrially produced for the first time.
The addition of specific yeast strains makes for faster, more stable, and more predictable fermentation. It also enables producers of beer, wine, bread, and other products to have more control over their product’s taste profiles.
All of this was made possible by Pasteur’s work in understanding and revolutionizing the fermentation process.
The
Magic
of
Breadmaking!
When you think of the word “magic” your mind might be filled with pictures of sorcerers or magicians, fairies, or even unicorns. We often think of magic as only existing in movies and fiction books. But for early humans, before science could explain and show many of the chemical processes of baking it was often considered to be an act of magical or divine intervention, unexplainable by most people.
But what if we told you that magic still does exist, but simply in the form of natural processes? Much of what was deemed magic in the past can now be explained by science. Nevertheless, it does not change the fact that bread is to many people and the art of baking is still what many would consider a magical experience! Let’s learn more about the magic of breadmaking!
The magic of breadmaking has a long history
Archaeologists suggest that there is a strong parallel between the advancement of human civilization with the evolution of what is now regarded as the modern-day species of bread wheat. Some archaeologists even joke that it is not humans who have domesticated wheat, but wheat, which has domesticated humans. Some say this is evident in the history of humans moving from hunter-gathers to farmers and planting wheat across the globe. Bread and bread-making have been a central part of this as bread became the staple food for most humans in much of ancient history and continues to be so today.
Humans’ discovery of the magic of breadmaking must have been one of the most magical experiences and probably one of human’s first acts of science and chemistry. Imagine finding out that ground grains, mixed with some water and some unseeable microorganism called yeast could be changed into something fluffy, flavorful, and full of nutrients. To most, this was surely magic!
Today, breadmaking has changed significantly since ancient times, however, it continues to inspire innovations.
Nine families of bread to discover
In the earliest days of breadmaking, humans used to make flatbreads, usually cooked over an open fire and not baked. These types of bread continue to be popular today in places like Greece with the pita, in the Americas with tortillas, or the Middle East with lavash. What is truly remarkable and quite magical is the variety and different types of bread that can be found across the globe today. Each with its own breadmaking process. While it is impossible to identify every kind of bread, we can identify nine major groups.
Crusty bread: This type of bread appeared in countries where wheat was grown. The art of baking developed in these places, helping to make crusty bread a traditional food, especially as the crust keeps the bread fresher longer. These breads include the French baguette, Italian ciabatta, and Austrian Kaiser roll.
Sandwich bread: Common in the USA and the UK, as well as Mexico and Canada and all the former British colonies in Asia and Australasia. American burger buns and Middle Eastern kirpich are also part of this family. Even in Japan, which is known for its rice, the soft milk bread “shokupan” is widely consumed and enjoyed.
Flatbreads: Flatbreads are among the most widely consumed type of bread in the world. Flatbreads’ popularity expands all continents with numerous varieties, including Lebanese bread, Sardinian spianata, Chinese shaobing, blini, pita, injera, and, many people’s new favorite, the wrap.
Rye breads: These breads are customarily eaten in northern Europe, Russia, and the US and include Borodinsky, marbled rye, and pumpernickel. Rye bread is made with rye flour, which may be mixed with wheat flour. The rye flour is what gives it a dark color. As these flours are very sticky, acidifiers such as sourdough starter, vinegar, or buttermilk are added to the dough. This is the reason why these breads often have a sour taste. And who doesn’t love pastrami on rye?!
Steamed breads: First invented in China, these soft breads include Chinese baozi, Tibetan momo, and Polish kluski. In China, 20 percent of the wheat grown used for bread-making is utilized to make this type of bread. Usually, these breads are made from dough prepared the day before that undergoes fermentation before it is cooked.
Fried breads: This type of bread is exactly like it sounds. Bread that is unleavened and fried instead of baked. Examples of these types of breads include the American donut, Hungarian Langos, and Indian Chapati. They can be savory or sweet.
Brioche-style breads: French brioche, Italian panettone, Latin American concha, and Asian roti mani are all brioche-style breads. These breads tend to have a high egg, fat, and sugar content and a soft crumb, and a sweet taste that varies according to local palates. You can find this type of bread in one form or another on every continent.
Puff pastries: This is an easy one! Think French croissants (…which originally came from Austria) and Balkan böreks. They are distinguished by the multiple layers of thin, crispy crusts and can be filled with savory meats or vegetables or a variety of sweet fillings like jams or chocolate.
Pizza: If you thought we forgot pizza we didn’t! Pizza is known and enjoyed around the globe and can be found practically anywhere. Pizza is unmistakable by its round shape and thickness. Invented in Naples in the sixteenth century it was only in the 18th century when tomatoes came over to Europe from the Americas that pizza, as we know it, was truly born!
What yeast
should you use
for
pizza dough?
Are you an experienced pizza maker looking to take your dough to the next level? Or are you a beginner looking to make your first pizza.
I think we can all agree that pizza is one of the most fun dishes to make and can be a great activity for the whole family!
While pizza toppings are always debatable and really up to personal preference the dough is essential in all pizzas, and it is the dough in fact that can make or break a good pizza. Bad dough and it does not matter how good your toppings are no one is going to want to eat your pizza.
So, what makes the perfect dough? And more importantly what yeast should you use, because as we have discovered it is the choice of yeast that can make or break your perfect pizza dough!
Let’s explore!
What makes perfect pizza dough?
To determine the right kind of yeast that should be used it is important to reflect on what makes a pizza dough perfect. What are we looking for in perfect pizza dough?
To this end, we can think about pizza dough in two stages. The first is before it is put in the oven and the other is after it is baked.
Pizza dough fundamentals before going into the oven
First, before putting the pizza into the oven the strength of the dough must be adequate. This will prevent the dough from tearing and allow the dough to be easily stretched and shaped. This is especially important for commercial bakeries or pizza shops as they need to be able to work quickly and if they cannot roll the dough out and have it sufficiently strong, so it does not tear, they will waste a lot of time.
Secondly, the yeast must create the optimal fermentation so that all the ingredients can combine, and you can have the best possible taste.
Thirdly you want your dough to have excellent smoothness, no one likes chunky pizza dough.
Lastly, you want the yeast to have high stability in case you do not use the dough immediately and need to save it for later. You do not want the yeast to over-ferment the dough and possibly cause a bad taste.
Pizza dough fundamentals after being baked
Once the pizza comes out of the oven of course you want it to taste good. But for the perfect dough, you want the crust to have a nice color and flavor and the right yeast can help with this. Furthermore, you want the crust to be crunchy and light and not spongy and too dense. Additionally, choosing the right kind of yeast can help avoid any shrinkage of the dough or what the pizzaiolos call “ovalling”. That way your pizza comes out in the perfect round shape you intended it to be and not like a picture by Salvador Dalí! Even though we love Dalí.
The perfect pizza dough yeast!
So, what is the perfect yeast?
We believe, and we think many pizzaiolos would agree with us that ready-to-use instant dry yeast is the ideal option. Using fresh yeast is also possible. We cannot say it will make it better with fresh yeast but fresh yeast is also feasible. The advantage of ready-to-use instant dry yeast is the fact that it will provide you more possibilities and more flexibility. So if you want to achieve all of what we described above, this is the only yeast that can meet all of those requirements. Ready-to-use instant dry yeast:
- can be incorporated directly into the flour, quickly and evenly, for optimal fermentation and excellent smoothness of pizza dough.
- allows storage of dough in the refrigerator at 4°C from several hours to several days (of course you will to adapt the dosage), making working conditions that much more flexible and stable.
- strengthens the dough to prevent tearing and improves the overall performance of pizza dough.
- is easier to stretch and pizza bases can be prepared more quickly.
- eliminates dough shrinkage (“ovalling”) and promises high-quality end products.
With ready-to-use instant dry yeast, the final pizza will be light, thin, and crunchy, and melt in your mouth.
What about whole wheat and gluten-free pizza dough?
Some of you may be asking, what if I want whole wheat pizza dough or gluten-free pizza, what kind of yeast should I use then?
Well, the good news is that ready-to-use instant dry yeast can be used for traditional, whole wheat, and gluten-free pizza doughs! Ready-to-use instant dry yeast is suitable for all types of pizza-making and can be used in any type of dough.
Now that you know the secret to the right kind of yeast to use in your pizza dough, which will give you all the benefits mentioned above you are 99% on your way to making the perfect pizza, all you need now is some fresh ingredients to top it with!
