Baking Yeast: A Guide To The Different Types

Have you ever stopped to think what makes bread so delicious, airy and light? Yeast -- it's the little guys that help breads rise and give flavor. Unlike chemical leaveners like baking soda or baking powder, yeast is a living organism in the same family as mushrooms. When provided with water, food (in the form of sugar), warmth and some time, yeast makes our bread doughs rise by releasing carbon dioxide gas, which creates those tiny holes that make bread so light and airy.

But if you've ever wanted to try your hand at baking bread at home, you've probably been confronted in the supermarket by the many different yeasts you could choose -- active dry, instant or fresh. For the first-time baker it can be pretty confusing trying to figure out the difference. Read our guide below to learn about the main types of baking yeasts and find the one that works best for your baking needs.

Source: Cooking for Engineers.

Main photo from quinn.anya, Flickr.