Yeast

Many European bakers and American baking professionals prefer compressed (also called fresh or cake) yeast. It dissolves easily in cool water, and it has a bit more rising power than dry yeast, as well as a milder, less “yeasty” flavor. My market carries the 2-ounce cubes, and I use that as my standard, but fresh yeast is also available in smaller 0.6-ounce cubes. When the measurement is one-third cube, it means one third of a 2-ounce, not a 0.6-ounce, cube. It should be smooth and evenly pale; discard any hard, discolored fresh yeast. However, it is only reliably avaliable during holiday seasons so I give substitute measurements for active dry yeast.