Thought instant yeast was a gimmick until a bread class in Denver proved me wrong

Ngl, I spent years using active dry yeast because that's what my grandma used. A baker at a class I took last spring told me to try instant for my sandwich loaves, said it would cut rise time by 45 minutes. First batch came out with way better oven spring and a softer crumb than I ever got with active dry. Has anyone else had a baking hack they were skeptical about that actually delivered?

3 comments

3 Comments

abbyg6026d ago

My friend Joan from my knitting group tried that exact same thing. She had been making her grandma's Sunday dinner rolls for 40 years with active dry yeast and refused to switch. Last Christmas her daughter bought her a jar of instant yeast and she finally tried it on a whim. She called me that evening to say her rolls doubled in size in record time and even her picky husband noticed they were fluffier.

jake_torres6826d ago

That thing about her picky husband noticing they were fluffier really got me. I've been there with my own cooking, where you stick with what you know because it's what your family always did. It's tough to change something you've been doing for decades, but when someone finally convinces you to try something new and it actually works, it's a real eye opener. Good on Joan for giving it a shot, because a lot of people would just dig in and refuse to budge. Sounds like her daughter did her a solid with that gift, too.

the_jordan26d ago

Man, I used to think old recipes were the only way to go but that definitely changed my mind.