Yeast

Yeasts are microscopic, single-celled fungi. Yeast cells occur naturally and are all around us in the air and on other living things, like cereal grains.

Like people, yeast cells use carbohydrates for energy to live. In bread making, yeasts produce enzymes that break the starch in the flour into simpler sugars upon which they can feed – you don’t need to add any extra! Two key by-products of this process are carbon dioxide and alcohol, both of which are involved to a greater or lesser extent in bread making, brewing and winemaking.