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Yeast is a unicellular fungus that releases carbon dioxide during reproduction. Due to this property, they can significantly increase in size. If you add yeast to the dough, it will be looser and swell.
Yeast lives everywhere: in the air, in water, on plants. However, they differ in their origin and properties. You can’t add any yeast to your food, you need to choose a specific kind.
Types of yeast
Experts distinguish several types of yeast: baking, beer, and wine. Each species has its characteristic properties:
- Baker’s yeast. They can reproduce only in an environment saturated with oxygen. To do this, scientists create special conditions: containers with sugar beet, minerals, and nitrogen. Next, the baker’s yeast undergoes several processing processes. You can safely use this type for cooking.
- Brewer’s yeast. This type is very different from the previous one: this is a darker mass with a pungent smell of hops. Brewer’s yeast does not perceive high temperature well, but their fermentation process is more active. Brewers add this yeast to alcohol to get beer drinks.
- Wine yeast. Specialists get them from grapes. Manufacturers of alcoholic beverages use wine yeast for the preparation of fruit distillates and wine drinks. You can get yeast at home – leaven yeast from the surface of berries or fruits. For really delicious wine, other types won’t do. Baker’s and brewer’s yeast will give the fruit drink bitterness.
What is yeast made of?
The chemical composition of yeast is rich in vitamins and minerals. It is a source of protein, natural iron, and nutrients. Amino acids make up 10% of the yeast composition.
Experts also note that most of the product is water. The ratio of proteins and carbohydrates in yeast is balanced, which allows you to consider yeast a healthy product. The main reason for active growth is glycogen and a set of enzymes. Upon contact with oxygen or high temperature, yeast begins to multiply and grow.
What does yeast do
Yeast can perform some different functions both in the human body and in products. Each type of yeast has its characteristics. For example, baking yeast acts as a baking powder and makes the dough airy, increasing it in size.
Beer yeast, obtained on an alcohol basis, gives the bitterness of the drink and is responsible for the shelf life. Wine yeast is responsible for the sour taste and makes the drink ferment.
Beneficial properties for health
Baker’s yeast is not just able to activate the process of increasing and loosening the product, but can also benefit health:
- Probiotic. These are living bacteria that restore the microflora of the stomach and improve the digestive process. Baker’s yeast perfectly copes with this role, thanks to the high level of fiber and amino acids.
- For the intestines. Yeast contains a lot of zinc, iron, and magnesium. These components improve the digestion of food in the body.
- For the skin. Nutritional yeast can help make your skin radiant, less dry, and get rid of blackheads and acne.
- For hair and nails. The rich vitamin and mineral composition can improve the condition of the hair and strengthen the nail plate.
- For preventing anemia. Yeast consists of almost 10% iron. This component helps people with anemia feel better by increasing the level of hemoglobin in the blood.
Possible contraindications
Yeast is microorganisms that can have both positive and negative properties on the human body. Among the most dangerous consequences, experts distinguish:
- Yeast can cause the growth of both beneficial and harmful microorganisms in the microflora of the stomach and intestines.
- The most common consequences of microflora disorders are candidiasis, asthma, and gout.
- Because yeast is one of the forms of fungi, it can cause acute allergic reactions.
- Yeast can disrupt the process of removing toxins from the body.
- Yeast waste products can cause intoxication of the body.
- The fermentation process of yeast can be accompanied by rotting, which is why harmful microorganisms will multiply in the organism.
Experts say that yeast can cause consequences only in case of excessive consumption. In other cases, their number is not enough for a negative impact.
Bakers yeast VS brewers yeast
The two most common types of yeast are beer and bakery. Are there any weight differences between them? Experts distinguish the following:
- Baker’s yeast can give products a pleasant and rich taste. It is especially significant when making dough. Beer yeast also has a bitter taste, which beer drinks differ in.
- The method of receipt. Manufacturers make baker’s and brewer’s yeast from the same types of unicellular fungi. However, after that, you need to add an alcohol base to the beer.
- Effect. Due to the high carbon dioxide content, baking yeast can function as a baking powder and lift the dough. Brewer’s yeast cannot cope with this task due to the presence of an alcohol base.
The difference between baking yeast and sourdough
Many people confuse yeast and starter culture. However, these are two additives that are different in their action and composition. Experts identify some main differences:
- Yeast is a kind of fungi, but the starter culture consists of several chemical elements.
- Yeast undergoes a fermentation process, but manufacturers make a starter culture without adding yeast.
- Yeast is a faster means to raise the dough. However, the starter culture, due to its complex composition, copes with its task more effectively.
- The body better absorbs the food cooked with yeast. The explanation for this lies in the organic nature of the product.
Is there a substitute for yeast?
Experienced housewives will easily find a replacement for any product. But what if we are talking about organic yeast? Each type of yeast fulfills its task. If you need a substitute for baking yeast, then the main task is to perform the function of loosening and increasing the volume.
If you are choosing a substitute for brewer’s yeast, then focus on the ability to ferment. Experts distinguish the following substitutes for different types of yeast, based on their characteristics:
- Substitutes for baking yeast. The baking powder occupies the first place there. It consists of alkaline compounds that will make the dough more loose and airy. You can also use soda.
- Substitutes for brewer’s yeast. The main option is to make a beer starter. To do this, mix wheat flour, sugar, and beer. Infuse the mixture for 6-7 hours in a warm place. By its action, beer sourdough is no different from brewer’s yeast.
- Wine yeast substitute. In this case, you can also make an analog – a wine starter. To do this, prepare raspberries, water, and sugar. Put the berries in a jar, fill with water and add sugar. Cover the jar with gauze and put it in a warm place for a few days. It is significant to mix the berries several times a day.
Can you make your yeast for bread?
You can make baking yeast at home. The main advantage of this preparation is the opportunity to get a completely natural product, without preservatives and dyes. To begin with, decide on the type of baking yeast that you want to cook. Experts distinguish the main:
- yeast milk (poorly stored)
- pressed yeast
- dry yeast in granules
- fast-acting
- hop yeast
The easiest type of yeast in home cooking is hop. It is a relatively new type of yeast that was accidentally discovered 80 years ago. To make such yeast, follow the step-by-step instructions:
- Cook the hop flowers.
- Wait until the mass cools down and add flour there.
- Make the dough.
- Divide the dough into pieces of 60 grams, dry them and sprinkle with flour.
- Store the resulting yeast in a dry place.
Homemade yeast on bran
You can also make baking yeast using bran. To do this, prepare the necessary ingredients:
- 800 g of wheat bran
- 1 kg of whole-grain flour
- 200 g of dry hop cones
- 4 liters of hot water
Step-by-step cooking instructions:
- Pour over 1 part of hops with 2 parts of water.
- Put the pan on the fire and wait until half of the water boils away.
- Cool the water to make it easier to strain the broth.
- Put half of the cooled broth back on the gas.
- Add 500 grams of flour to the other half of the water. Stir it so that there are no lumps.
- While stirring, pour the flour mixture into the boiling broth.
- When the first bubbles appear, remove the mixture with the consistency of sour cream from the fire. Leave for half an hour to cool down.
- Add another cup of flour and mix. Leave it on for 2 hours. Add another cup of flour, mix well and leave in a warm place.
- A day later, add a glass of flour to the mixture, mix, and leave for 4 hours. Cover the pan with a napkin.
- Â Add the rest of the bran and make the dough. Divide the dough into four parts and dry.
- Take a baking sheet. Place the dough on it and divide it into small crumbs.
- Dry the dough in a warm place for three days.
- Yeast will be ready if there is no moisture inside them.
You can store such yeast for a year, in a bag or a glass jar.
Can vegetarians eat yeast?
There are vegetarians and vegans. Vegan diets do not provide for the use of any animal products. As for yeast? After all, these are unicellular fungi. The answer here lies on the surface – yeast does not have a nervous system.
They do not experience pain, although they are living microorganisms. It is precisely because the use of yeast is not cruel to animals that vegans actively include them in their diet.
Where does baking yeast come from
Yeast of any type is a living organism. That is why the main method of obtaining is growing in an acidic environment. For baking yeast, it is significant to maintain a high temperature. It allows you to activate the process of reproduction of microorganisms. There are many ways to obtain the necessary acidic medium. For example – sour milk and bread.
How is yeast made in a factory?
Yeast production is improving every day. Mass yeast production is associated with the constant need to supply bakery yeast to the shelves. Private producers produce wine and beer types independently, subjecting berries and hops to the fermentation process.
Producers grow baker’s yeast in 12 hours. Next, they process the product, as a result of which the yeast takes on a marketable appearance. You can find dry and liquid yeast in stores, as well as goods in small cubic briquettes.
Each commercial type requires certain procedures performed with grown yeast.
How is dry yeast made?
The technology of dry yeast production does not immediately begin to differ from the usual method. To begin with, manufacturers receive a liquid version. To do this, they add nutritional components to the active unicellular fungi. Pressed yeast or dry yeast is made from such yeast. To obtain a dry version, manufacturers use spray drying.
The dry product is laid out in sealed packages, where there will be no moisture and oxygen. After all, in the presence of oxygen, the process of reproduction and growth of yeast begins.
Final thoughts
Yeast is a universal product of animal origin. These are unicellular fungi that multiply from exposure to high temperatures and the presence of oxygen. An acidic environment (milk, berries) is also a good breeding ground.
Yeast comes in different types, each of which has its own characteristics and performs a number of functions.
Experts advise using baking yeast for cooking because they do not contain an alcohol base, which prevents active reproduction. Manufacturers produce baker’s yeast in 3 types: liquid, dry, and pressed.
Do not worry about the functionality of each type of baking yeast, because it only affects the way the dough is made. You can use yeast dough to make pies, cakes, buns, and even pizza.
This dough will be airier and will cook faster. If the purchased yeast seems unsafe to you, make it at home from bran or hops!