Storing fresh yeast

greenbicycle

So I make my own pizza dough every weekend and usually use normal dried yeast but a few times, including today, SuperValu didn't have any in stock and the bakery department gave me some fresh yeast which makes a lovely dough. Just wondering about storing it,it's in the fridge right now, but can i freeze it so it's useable for the next few weeks? If I do freeze it how do you use it from the freezer? they gave me a big lump of it but I wouldn't use it all in a week. Don't think freezing dough ever works out too well for me.

Cheshire Cat

greenbicycle wrote: »

So I make my own pizza dough every weekend and usually use normal dried yeast but a few times, including today, SuperValu didn't have any in stock and the bakery department gave me some fresh yeast which makes a lovely dough. Just wondering about storing it,it's in the fridge right now, but can i freeze it so it's useable for the next few weeks? If I do freeze it how do you use it from the freezer? they gave me a big lump of it but I wouldn't use it all in a week. Don't think freezing dough ever works out too well for me.

You can freeze fresh yeast. I always freeze it in portions, i.e. enough for one recipe. Wrap it really well and defrost in fridge. It will be more liquidy when defrosted, but don't worry it's fine. Have never frozen it for more than 3 months.

BTW I buy fresh yeast (drozdze domowe) in a Polish Shop. The portions there are more manageable.

annamcmahon

I buy the 100g pack in polostores. I chop it into 10 roughly even size cubes and freeze them wrapped in cling film. I add them frozen to the warm water when making pizza or bread

Graces7

When I lived in Ireland in the 70s, we used to have to get a licence from the Gardai to buy fresh yeast... When did that go out!

Captain Red Beard

Graces7 wrote: »

When I lived in Ireland in the 70s, we used to have to get a licence from the Gardai to buy fresh yeast... When did that go out!

When it stopped being used for poitin, probably.

the beer revolu

Graces7 wrote: »

When I lived in Ireland in the 70s, we used to have to get a licence from the Gardai to buy fresh yeast... When did that go out!

My mother used to buy it in Roche's Stores in the 70s. No license required.

Muahahaha

Never used fresh yeast before as I didnt know you could freeze it, always thought it as a 'living' thing that shouldnt be frozen.

So now I know it is fine to freeze Im wondering in a standard pizza dough recipe of 500g flour/300ml water how many grams of fresh yeast should be used? Also for other bread recipies is there a rule of thumb for fresh yeast, a ratio of the amount of yeast you should use to flour?

Cheshire Cat

Muahahaha wrote: »

Never used fresh yeast before as I didnt know you could freeze it, always thought it as a 'living' thing that shouldnt be frozen.

So now I know it is fine to freeze Im wondering in a standard pizza dough recipe of 500g flour/300ml water how many grams of fresh yeast should be used? Also for other bread recipies is there a rule of thumb for fresh yeast, a ratio of the amount of yeast you should use to flour?

I'll give you a more detailed answer later when I'm home, but the general answer is that you need less yeast if you have time for a long proving period in a cool place. The flavours develop better, too. If you are pressed for time you use more yeast and warm the liquid and let the dough prove in a warm place.

greenbicycle

Hope it works now,I have the yeast divided into tiny pots in the freezer,we will find out on the weekend!!

I hadn't a clue about how much to use so just used a thumb sized piece for pizza dough (400g flour). It was weird,did create any froth on the top like I am used to but the rise was great,love the smell/taste of fresh yeast.

Graces7

the beer revolu wrote: »

My mother used to buy it in Roche's Stores in the 70s. No license required.

Interesting; was that dried or fresh?

We were in darkest rural Donegal and there was no way they would sell fresh yeast without the Gardai say so. And local shops did not have dried out there.

carltonleon

I normally buy about 200/300gms of fresh yeast and store it in a plastic container in the fridge for about 3 weeks. After that I chuck any remaining yeast out.

Instead of storing the yeast in the freezer why don't you do up a big batch of pizza bases and store them in the freezer. I do individual portions in a ball just in case I need a quick dinner as easily defrostable (about 250grm of dough) and also freeze family portions for Saturday night (about (900 grms). I would normally do up 25-30 bases and freeze about 20 of them. Take the family portion out on Saturday morning, defrosrted by the afternoon, portion into 4 and let rise covered on some semolina flour and then stretch out by hand so as not to roll all the air out and assemble pizza and into the oven at 350 (highest I have) for about 8/10 mins and then Mmmmm !!!

For about 1.2 kg of pizza dough I use about 50grm approx of yeast.
Just flour, yeast, tepid water, glug of Olive Oil and salt.

Dial Hard

carltonleon wrote:

Instead of storing the yeast in the freezer why don't you do up a big batch of pizza bases and store them in the freezer.

She said this tends not to work for her.

the beer revolu

Graces7 wrote: »

Interesting; was that dried or fresh?

We were in darkest rural Donegal and there was no way they would sell fresh yeast without the Gardai say so. And local shops did not have dried out there.

Fresh

Are you sure you're not thinking of glycerin or saltpetre? I can't think of any reason why yeast would be controlled.

Day Lewin

The dear old Irish Yeast Company on College Street used to sell the fresh yeast, I think 4oz at a time, you'd cut it up into 1oz cubes for use. It was only available on Tuesdays, I think, and maybe Wednesdays, it sold out so fast. They're closed now :-(

Or the old "Superquinn" stores that had an instore bakery would always sell me a couple of ounces.

I never heard of the "license" theory, suspect that might be an urban myth or rural folklore!

To store, wrap in clean greaseproof paper, keep in the fridge in a lunchbox or similar. It doesn't last for ever, it may dry out and darken eventually: though I have used yeast that looks like this and it was still alive after a surprisingly long time.

And yes, it does freeze. But easier to handle when fresh - like butter! Lovely to work with :-)

greenbicycle

carltonleon wrote: »

I normally buy about 200/300gms of fresh yeast and store it in a plastic container in the fridge for about 3 weeks. After that I chuck any remaining yeast out.

Instead of storing the yeast in the freezer why don't you do up a big batch of pizza bases and store them in the freezer. I do individual portions in a ball just in case I need a quick dinner as easily defrostable (about 250grm of dough) and also freeze family portions for Saturday night (about (900 grms). I would normally do up 25-30 bases and freeze about 20 of them. Take the family portion out on Saturday morning, defrosrted by the afternoon, portion into 4 and let rise covered on some semolina flour and then stretch out by hand so as not to roll all the air out and assemble pizza and into the oven at 350 (highest I have) for about 8/10 mins and then Mmmmm !!!

For about 1.2 kg of pizza dough I use about 50grm approx of yeast.
Just flour, yeast, tepid water, glug of Olive Oil and salt.

Yep, as die hard said, freezing dough never turns out as nice for me but other than the freezing part I make and prepare my dough just as you describe. Well,I first prebake my dough to make sure it is cooked through as I find the toppings can cook quicker in such a hot oven and also I use pizza stones which are preheated. I have refined my method over a few years and have it down to a tee now, would never buy take away pizza and definitely never a frozen pizza, we just love my pizza now! :-)

greenbicycle

Day Lewin wrote: »

The dear old Irish Yeast Company on College Street used to sell the fresh yeast, I think 4oz at a time, you'd cut it up into 1oz cubes for use. It was only available on Tuesdays, I think, and maybe Wednesdays, it sold out so fast. They're closed now :-(

Or the old "Superquinn" stores that had an instore bakery would always sell me a couple of ounces.

I never heard of the "license" theory, suspect that might be an urban myth or rural folklore!

To store, wrap in clean greaseproof paper, keep in the fridge in a lunchbox or similar. It doesn't last for ever, it may dry out and darken eventually: though I have used yeast that looks like this and it was still alive after a surprisingly long time.

And yes, it does freeze. But easier to handle when fresh - like butter! Lovely to work with :-)

I got my fresh yeast in a SuperValu that was a superquinn with bakery,has happened a few times that I couldn't get the dried stuff and they gave me fresh,not sure why I don't always buy it cause the flavour is so good with fresh

carltonleon

Do you put the toppings over the cheese or the cheese over the toppings ?

greenbicycle

Anyway, just to follow up on this thread, thanks for the advice on freezing, I used the frozen stuff yesterday and.....
..it worked,it was perfect. Again, I didn't get a frothy top as I would have expected after mixing the yeast in water but the rise was excellent, actually,I think it was better today after freezing than it was last weekend, or I could be imagining that.

I took the tip of taking it out of the freezer and straight into the warm water and it defrosted and dissolved within seconds which was great.

Will be interesting to see how long it lasts from frozen now.

greenbicycle

carltonleon wrote: »

Do you put the toppings over the cheese or the cheese over the toppings ?

Toppings over cheese, don't like the other way around and I also think the cheese can act as a barrier between the base and some wetter toppings like pineapple (controversial I know!)

Oh,also it is polenta I use on the pizza stone,not semolina flour

carltonleon

greenbicycle wrote: »

Toppings over cheese, don't like the other way around and I also think the cheese can act as a barrier between the base and some wetter toppings like pineapple (controversial I know!)

Oh,also it is polenta I use on the pizza stone,not semolina flour

Ah, I like the cheese over mine but I only use a sprinkling of cheese as I don’t like too much of it. Never tried using polenta, always have used semolina.

If you ever go to Playa Blanca in Lanzarote, try the pizza in Casale Franco’s, best pizza I have ever tasted, absolutely delicious