Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

[DrakeRemoray]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

I use the SAF instant yeast...specifically says to add directly to flour, I love it and it is cheap if you get it here:
SAF Red Instant Yeast - 16 oz.

16 oz! that is a lot of yeast!

Drake

[james]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

Agreed.

I don't think proofing ADY in warm water adds anything useful -- it just takes more time and effort, and makes more dishes to clean. :-)

James

[BrianShaw]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

This dry yeast, I would normally expect to dissolve it in water...

This is a bit of a confusing situation at times. Many recipes and some rather knowledgable cookbooks/websites still say that ADY should be proofed in water before adding to the flour. I even think some of the directions on the package still state this method. Proofing in water is really archaic advise. I haven't done that for decades, nor do I know anyone who still does... except when using really old yeast that I have lost confidence in.

Interesting (hopefully) addtional note.

Red Star recognizes the option: "For traditional baking, Red Star? Active Dry Yeast may be hydrated in 110?-115?F liquids or mixed with other dry ingredients if liquids are warmed to 120? to 130?F."

Fleischmann’s Active Dry Yeast
"The original dry yeast product was introduced in 1943. This product works best when dissolved in water prior to mixing. "

[Puy de Dome]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

That was my next question, James. This dry yeast, I would normally expect to dissolve it in water (as indeed I would with the 'wet' yeast.

I have added the dry yeast and salt to the dough and rubbed it in. Does this sound about right? I'm now using 00 flour, btw.

[james]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

Which does not need to be proofed in water outside the flour. That sounds right.
James

[BrianShaw]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

In the uk we have dry yeast - this has the appearance of being very small balls - millions of them, all dry as a bone.

Unless things have changed in the UK since I last lived there... that is what we call ADY in the US.

[Puy de Dome]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

James

In the uk we have dry yeast - this has the appearance of being very small balls - millions of them, all dry as a bone.

I think the option with them is to put a specific amount into some (specific) amount of water, mix and then use as per a recipe.

Secondly, you can get 'proper' yeast, which comes in a block, is homogenous, and when you rub it between your fingers it kind of smudges - it's like putty.

This also can be dissolved in water.

I tried your recipe last night using 9 grammes of dry yeast, but not using the Caputo flour (I have got any yet). The dough had risen considerably in the bowl over 9 hours.

[james]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

Agreed.
James

[BrianShaw]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

Yeast (by weight). Substitute fresh compressed yeast with 50% ADY or 33% IDY

Another source indicates 40% for ADY... which is closer to what James reported from the Red Star label.

In the end how much (or how little) yeast we use basically boils down to how long we want the dough to ferment!

[james]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

Puy de Dome, what are your yeast choices in the UK? Can you get cake/fresh yeast (that's all you can get in Italy), and are there both Active Dry Yeast and Fast/Instant Yeast?
James

[james]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

Way to go Brian. I feel channeled. :-) Brian has it right, in that IDY (or Fast Acting Yeast) is designed for those 1 hour bread machine cycles, so it is very active/fast. I think Active Dry Yeast is best because you can still add it directly to the flour and do not need to proof it in water on the side -- and it is a controllable yeast and gives better flavor and more complete and slower fermentation. I buy Red Star in bulk from Costco and keep it in a sealed jar on the refrigerator, and it last a long time. The Perfect Dough by Weight recipe calls for ADY.

Here is the text from the Red Star Active Dry Yeast web site

************************


Red Star? Active Dry Yeast is cake yeast in a semi-dormant state. The drying process in its manufacture reduces moisture content, giving it a longer shelf life than cake yeast while retaining optimum activity. When rehydrated, it provides ultimate baking activity in all yeast dough- low sugar to highly sweetened breads. Red Star? Active Dry Yeast is designed for yeast-leavened bread and dough. The finished product will have the particular flavor, texture and consistency associated with a yeast-leavened product.

Red Star? Active Dry Yeast is available in strips of three 1/4 -ounce (7g) packets and also in 4-ounce (113.4g) jars. Three 1/4 -ounce (7g) packets are equal in activity to one 2-ounce cake of yeast. One 1/4 -ounce (7g) packet of active dry yeast contains approximately 2-1/4 teaspoons; the measurement will not be exact as yeast is packaged according to weight rather than volume. One 1/4-ounce (7g) packet of yeast is sufficient to raise 4 cups, approximately 1-pound, of flour.

[james]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

Way to go Brian. I feel channeled. :-) Brian has it right, in that IDY (or Fast Acting Yeast) is designed for those 1 hour bread machine cycles, so it is very active/fast. I think Active Dry Yeast is best because you can still add it directly to the flour and do not need to proof it in water on the side -- and it is a controllable yeast and gives better flavor and more complete and slower fermentation. I buy Red Star in bulk from Costco and keep it in a sealed jar on the refrigerator, and it last a long time. The Perfect Dough by Weight recipe calls for ADY.

Here is the text from the Red Star Active Dry Yeast web site

************************


Red Star? Active Dry Yeast is cake yeast in a semi-dormant state. The drying process in its manufacture reduces moisture content, giving it a longer shelf life than cake yeast while retaining optimum activity. When rehydrated, it provides ultimate baking activity in all yeast dough- low sugar to highly sweetened breads. Red Star? Active Dry Yeast is designed for yeast-leavened bread and dough. The finished product will have the particular flavor, texture and consistency associated with a yeast-leavened product.

Red Star? Active Dry Yeast is available in strips of three 1/4 -ounce (7g) packets and also in 4-ounce (113.4g) jars. Three 1/4 -ounce (7g) packets are equal in activity to one 2-ounce cake of yeast. One 1/4 -ounce (7g) packet of active dry yeast contains approximately 2-1/4 teaspoons; the measurement will not be exact as yeast is packaged according to weight rather than volume. One 1/4-ounce (7g) packet of yeast is sufficient to raise 4 cups, approximately 1-pound, of flour.

[BrianShaw]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

I'm channeling James...

Yeast (by weight). Substitute fresh compressed yeast with 50% ADY or 33% IDY

[Puy de Dome]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

James, do you have an equivalent of dry yeast as opposed to the fresh yeast in this recipe?

Thanks

Tim

[matthew]

Re: Perfect Pizza Dough by Weight

Hi James,
Is it okay to mix yeast & salt at the same time?
Do you add in the ADY dry or do you proof it?
Do you measure the temperature of the water?

When you make a large dough ball, and let the dough rest at room temperature for 90 minutes to allow it to double, is it covered or uncovered? Also if placing in a bowl, what do you use to stop the dough from sticking besides oil? Am I better off leaving it on my marble countertop?

Thanks,
Matt