greenbicycle wrote: » So I make my own pizza dough every weekend and usually use normal dried yeast but a few times, including today, SuperValu didn't have any in stock and the bakery department gave me some fresh yeast which makes a lovely dough. Just wondering about storing it,it's in the fridge right now, but can i freeze it so it's useable for the next few weeks? If I do freeze it how do you use it from the freezer? they gave me a big lump of it but I wouldn't use it all in a week. Don't think freezing dough ever works out too well for me.
Graces7 wrote: » When I lived in Ireland in the 70s, we used to have to get a licence from the Gardai to buy fresh yeast... When did that go out!
Muahahaha wrote: » Never used fresh yeast before as I didnt know you could freeze it, always thought it as a 'living' thing that shouldnt be frozen. So now I know it is fine to freeze Im wondering in a standard pizza dough recipe of 500g flour/300ml water how many grams of fresh yeast should be used? Also for other bread recipies is there a rule of thumb for fresh yeast, a ratio of the amount of yeast you should use to flour?
the beer revolu wrote: » My mother used to buy it in Roche's Stores in the 70s. No license required.
carltonleon wrote: Instead of storing the yeast in the freezer why don't you do up a big batch of pizza bases and store them in the freezer.
Graces7 wrote: » Interesting; was that dried or fresh? We were in darkest rural Donegal and there was no way they would sell fresh yeast without the Gardai say so. And local shops did not have dried out there.
carltonleon wrote: » I normally buy about 200/300gms of fresh yeast and store it in a plastic container in the fridge for about 3 weeks. After that I chuck any remaining yeast out. Instead of storing the yeast in the freezer why don't you do up a big batch of pizza bases and store them in the freezer. I do individual portions in a ball just in case I need a quick dinner as easily defrostable (about 250grm of dough) and also freeze family portions for Saturday night (about (900 grms). I would normally do up 25-30 bases and freeze about 20 of them. Take the family portion out on Saturday morning, defrosrted by the afternoon, portion into 4 and let rise covered on some semolina flour and then stretch out by hand so as not to roll all the air out and assemble pizza and into the oven at 350 (highest I have) for about 8/10 mins and then Mmmmm !!! For about 1.2 kg of pizza dough I use about 50grm approx of yeast. Just flour, yeast, tepid water, glug of Olive Oil and salt.
Day Lewin wrote: » The dear old Irish Yeast Company on College Street used to sell the fresh yeast, I think 4oz at a time, you'd cut it up into 1oz cubes for use. It was only available on Tuesdays, I think, and maybe Wednesdays, it sold out so fast. They're closed now :-( Or the old "Superquinn" stores that had an instore bakery would always sell me a couple of ounces. I never heard of the "license" theory, suspect that might be an urban myth or rural folklore! To store, wrap in clean greaseproof paper, keep in the fridge in a lunchbox or similar. It doesn't last for ever, it may dry out and darken eventually: though I have used yeast that looks like this and it was still alive after a surprisingly long time. And yes, it does freeze. But easier to handle when fresh - like butter! Lovely to work with :-)
carltonleon wrote: » Do you put the toppings over the cheese or the cheese over the toppings ?
greenbicycle wrote: » Toppings over cheese, don't like the other way around and I also think the cheese can act as a barrier between the base and some wetter toppings like pineapple (controversial I know!) Oh,also it is polenta I use on the pizza stone,not semolina flour
