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 performed perfectly after defrosting and made 2 large loaves and six foccacia rolls. Just to make sure it was OK I 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.

I make a lot of bread and I prefer using live yeast over dried whenever I can. My local shop no longer sells it and I was elated to see I could get it on Amazon. The packaging was fantastic, it's clearly labelled must be delivered, live contents. It also comes with a little cool pouch enclosed to keep it in tip top condition. I've saved some and put some in wrapped blocks in the freezer where it will last a bit longer. Smells fresh and is lovely and crumbly, amazing quality. I will definitely be purchasing again.

Very good product, satisfied with it.

I am not a professional, or even very experienced baker, but still I like to bake bread on occasion using the fresh yeast, which , these days is almost impossible to find in shops. I searched on Amazon and opted for this one based on the feedback and the price, and it was a good choice. After I bought it I had to wait a couple of days for the delivery as the product arrived fresh from France. It was delivered well well packed and chilled, all I had to do is cut it up to smaller pieces and freeze it. I used it several times since, the yeast performed brilliantly and I ended up with beautiful and tasty bread. The yeast mixes well with flour and other ingredients, The texture of the dough and the taste of bread will always depend on the amount and the quality of other ingredients used, as well as on the time you leave the dough to rise. I leave it to rise for at least an hour, though the rising speed is affected by the temperature of the environment. I normally mix and prepare the dough and leave it to rise, I knead the dough again, leave it to rise for the second time and than bake. The results are fantastic. Overall, this is a great performing yeast at a really great price

Very well packaged. Use by date was a day or two lower than expected though, but I've frozen and used since and the yeast is still active.

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.

Thanks. The baking yeast was packed with high quality. I had to divide the fresh product into portions that are easy to use and placed them in the freezer to ensure that they will be preserved for a long time.

Always have great results with this yeast, smells great too. I divide the 500 grams into 28 gram pieces which gives me aprox 28 x 500gram loafs of bread, I always cook fresh bread as there is nothing like the smell and taste of home cooked bread, also I know what is in the bread and rolls i make, no hidden ingredients! I have purchased this many times now and every time great results. I always wrap the cut pieces in cling film and freeze them, i put one piece in the fridge to thaw the night before I need it and it’s always perfect not all liqiud and gluey like others I’ve tried.