Yeast

Three types of yeast are available – fresh or compressed yeast, granular dried yeast, and easy-blend dried yeast. Fresh is very perishable and should be used quickly, or frozen; the dried yeasts should be stored in a cool place, and a close eye kept on sell-by dates.

Fresh and granular dried yeasts need to be activated in lukewarm liquid before being added to a flour; easy-blend yeast doesn’t need to be activated with water and can be mixed straight into the flour. Dried yeast is twice as potent as fresh yeast, so use 15 g (½ oz) dried, say, when a recipe specifies 25 g (1 oz) fresh yeast. Two level teaspoons is approximately 15 g (½ oz) dried yeast.