<< Back to Ask Martin index

What about yeast performance?

One of the favoured aspects of bread made from a Laucke Premix using a bread machine is that the yeast levels are far lower than commercial breads, and the natural flavour of the baked bread itself is more evident. This flavour and aroma is enhanced by the fact that we add no preservatives to our products.

We are confident that the yeast we supply is of reliable quality, and is capable of reliably producing our intended high quality baked products. If the yeast is found to be at fault, Laucke will happily supply replacement sachets direct to the customer.

Storage
After a sachet of yeast is opened, it will begin to 'age' and lose potential performance due to exposure to the moisture and oxygen in the atmosphere.

Yeast is best stored in small resealable screw top glass jars which are filled to the top to exclude air, stored at room temperature and out of direct sunlight. Refrigeration is unnecessary, and may be counterproductive due to high moisture levels in certain areas of refrigerators.

Performance
We test bake every batch of yeast and Premix before they are dispatched from our premises, and again over time (after packaging and dispatch) until well after the Best Before date. Whilst we have detected variable yeast performance, it has never affected loaf volume by more than 2 cm in height. This variation is insignificant.

Some consumers are of the opinion that 500 g packets of yeast offer superior performance to our smaller sachets. It is correct that freshly opened 500 g packet may well offer slightly better performance than our smaller sachets, but the consumer must be reminded that our yeast will offer a more reliable level of performance. This is because the larger quantity will take considerably longer to use, and the yeast remaining from the large packet will certainly degrade in performance to a far greater degree than the yeast as supplied and used from a smaller sachet.

Yeast activity in a dough is dependent on the temperature of that dough. Because a rising dough should be about 28 degrees, the bread maker internally should be within several degrees of that target during operation. Bread machines will be affected by extremes of temperature. Machines without preheating are affected by colder conditions, resulting in smaller loaves due to reduced yeast activity. Increase dough temperature to restore yeast activity. (see problem solving.)

Recipe adjustment
After the yeast is opened, the relative activity of the yeast will slowly degrade, causing progressive loss of volume over several weeks. This may be overcome by using additional yeast, typically ¼ of a teaspoon. The addition of this quantity of yeast will usually increase the height of a loaf by about 1½ cm.

Many consumers may find that, with a freshly opened sachet of yeast, the resultant loaf will hit the lid of a bread machine. In these cases, we suggest that the yeast quantity be reduced by ¼ teaspoon.

When yeast does degrade markedly due to excessive age, it develops a strong aroma quite different from normal. Unless it has been completely ruined, a reasonable loaf of bread can be made.

Quantity
All Laucke 5 kg and 10 kg Bread Machine Premix packs contain more than enough yeast for their intended purpose.

Laucke 600g individual packs, and 5 loaf Variety packs contain a sachet of yeast for each loaf.

Laucke have a limited range of Bread Machine Premixes in 25 kg Calico packs for the large-scale home baker. These 25 kg packs do not include yeast.