Can You Freeze Fresh Yeast? Tips to Freeze Yeast
So, if you are reminiscing about your 5th-grade science chapter on yeast, then this blog will assist you in the same. Wondering whether you can freeze fresh yeast? Well, yes you can certainly do that and we have two easy methods to help you.
However, let’s get some more details on fresh yeast first! Now, many of you might have heard people calling yeast a leavening agent. What is a leavening agent anyway? If you go by the literal meaning, then, it means any agent that causes a food item to rise.
Now you know why yeast is regarded as a leavening agent. Besides, there are different varieties of yeast available in the market- active, instant, nutritious, and fresh yeast or baker’s yeast. But, in this blog, we will focus on the fresh yeast freeze process only.
Keep scrolling to know more about freezing yeast at home effectively with the least number of steps to follow.
Can You Freeze Fresh Yeast in the freezer?
Let me answer your queries on how to freeze fresh yeast in the freezer. First of all, know that you don’t need any special procedures for freezing fresh yeast in the freezer. Also, you can easily freeze fresh yeast in the freezer for at least three months without much change in quality. Below, we discuss two easy ways of doing so.
Steps to Freeze Fresh Yeast
If you ever hear the word, compressed yeast, don’t get confused as it is a synonym for fresh yeast. So, there are two strategies that you can pick for freezing fresh yeast. The first method is for freezing a block of yeast and the other one has a slightly different approach.
Freeze Fresh Yeast in Cubes
As the name suggests, yes we will be preparing cubes of yeast and freezing them in the freezer. This method is best for freezing opened yeast blocks that you might get from your baker.
1. Take a clean chopping board and knife for chopping the yeast. Make sure your knife and board are dry before you begin chopping. Place the chunk of yeast on the board and make sufficiently thick cubes of it.
2. Now take small parchment paper sheets or cling films and wrap the yeast cubes in them. Make sure you wrap the fresh yeast cubes tightly.
3. Lastly, take a clean airtight bag or container and shift the wrapped cubes of fresh yeast into it. Add labels and pop the bags into the freezer. For thawing the frozen yeast, follow the tips in the further section.
Freeze Fresh Yeast Crumbled
If you don’t have a large chunk of yeast then you can follow this method. Take your fresh yeast and crumble it manually or using any spatula. Then, you will have to prepare separate batches of 12 grams of fresh yeast and mix them with 30 grams of crumbled bread flour.
Put this mixture in clean airtight bags and freeze them for future use. When you need your fresh yeast, you can mix it with 100 ml water and allow the yeast to activate before pouring it into your batter.
Can Fresh Yeast Freeze for a Long Time?
If you leave fresh yeast in the fridge without proper wrapping or sealing, it will last for two weeks only. However, if you obey the two methods given above then you can freeze yeast for three months easily.
There are chances that yeast will lose its texture and turn into a dry solid on excess freezing. Once yeast turns dry it is as good as a waste product. Therefore, avoid freezing yeast for more than three months and try to use it in the meantime.
Since there is a possibility that yeast will dry out, it is better to refrain from refreezing it at all costs. If you wish to refreeze yeast then you can do so by freezing bread prepared from the thawed fresh yeast. But, do not refreeze the thawed yeast in the same manner, you used for freezing them once.
Also, when you defrost your yeast, you must use it within two days to get the best results. If you use it after 2-3 days, it will give no effect.
What can you make with fresh yeast?
Fresh yeast is most widely used in preparing moist and fluffy bread. Thus, you will find the majority of bakers baking different kinds of bread using fresh yeast. But, that’s not the only thing that you can make from fresh yeast. You can try other recipes as well.
How to Defrost Fresh Yeast?
Yeast can stay fresh even outside the freezer. Sometimes freezing will leave you with a dry crumbled mixture that won’t serve you anything. Thus, you can freeze yeast but be patient when you defrost fresh yeast.
Before you put yeast in the freezer, get a hold of the measurement of the yeast cubes. You must know the number of cubes you will need for a specific recipe. Thus, when you thaw fresh yeast you can remove the required number of cubes accordingly.
Place the frozen yeast cubes in the fridge for 6 hours at least and allow them to thaw. After 6 hours, you can use them in your recipe. However, do not try to abruptly thaw fresh yeast as it will lead to the destruction of the microbe.
How to Use Defrosted Fresh Yeast in Recipes?
Defrosted fresh yeast can be used in a variety of ways in different recipes. You can prepare fluffy pieces of bread, pastries, croissants, cakes, labneh, pizzas, and many other recipes. Thus, grab your favorite recipe link and follow the instructions as per the recipe. You can freeze yeast and use them within three months.
Tips for Freezing Yeast
Frozen fresh yeast finds its use in multiple recipes like the ones mentioned above. However, here are our final tips to aid you in freezing.
1. Dry your chopping board and knife before you cut the pieces of yeast. Any traces of water in the yeast will leave a bad impact on the yeast. Also, do not forget to remove excess air from the bag or container to avoid drying out the yeast in moisture.
2. Do not open sealed yeast from the baker as it will perform better in the freezer. Bakers know the correct way to wrap fresh yeast. Thus, if you have an unopened pack of fresh yeast then pop it directly into the freezer.
3. Do not refreeze fresh yeast or else it will dry out and won’t give any results. Also, after thawing frozen yeast check if it is moist or dry. Discard any yeast chunks that are dry and save the moist ones for the recipe.
Fresh yeast will last over three months in your freezer by following the above two methods. Thus, take your time when you freeze and defrost yeast at home. Do not hurry and always have a clear idea of the recipe you are willing to make. This will help you to freeze and thaw the required amount every time.