Glossary

Fresh yeast

Fresh yeast is a moist, crumbly block of live baker's yeast, also called compressed or cake yeast, that has to be kept cold. It matters because many traditional European recipes are written for it, and it contains far more water than dried yeast, so a larger weight is needed. Red Star states that one 2 oz (about 57 g) cake equals three 7 g packets of dry yeast, and that the cake keeps for roughly five weeks refrigerated below 45°F (7°C). See also: Active dry yeast, Instant yeast and the guide "Substituting Between Yeast Types in General Terms".