Topic: Naan bread

[livo]

In theory, the answer is no. Liquid, cake or dried yeast are each presentations of the same organism in a form that is convenient to different applications or scale of production.  In practice, fresh yeast may provide the smell and taste you are missing.  The smell of fresh cooked bread (and colouration) is the Maillard reaction of the cooking crust.

They should be the same, however, there are different types of dried yeast.  Active dry yeast, Instant and  "rapid" or "quick".  For the most part they are interchangeable but really should be used as intended.

With dry yeast the words proving or proofing are often used in error when what is actually occurring is hydration, unless a little sugar (or flour) is added.  Then you have both.  Basic Active dry yeast needs to be (can benefit from being) hydrated before use, whereas Instant and Rapid don't.  The latter was developed for bread machine simplicity containing enzymes allowing for single rise. In fact proofing Rapid rise may prevent it from doing the job properly.  Fresh liquid and cake yeast, if old, should be proved / proofed to check viability.  The scale of ingredients used in bakeries is too big to chance using dead yeast.

Out here fresh yeast is really only available commercially now.

Proving / Proofing:  While it is probably correct to believe that the word proving was originally used to describe "testing" the viability of yeast, it has evolved into proofing which has different meanings now in baking.  While it can still be in reference to testing viability it also has a different use.  The use of proof boxes and the process of proofing is also in reference to the rest periods in bread production where rising is taking place prior to baking.  Yes, there is confusion and disagreement. 

[Donald Brasco]

Fresh yeast is normally available anywhere bread is baked from scratch and sold to the public, even if it

[Peripatetic Phil]

Also the Asda in-store bakery, in my experience Donald.  And if you are lucky enough to get to speak to the master baker in person, he may even offer you tips on how to achieve their "Tiger bread" crust !

** Phil.

[Naga]

But for those in the Uk - Sainsbury

[romain]

The recipe was a quick rise with a lot of yeast so the flavour was under-developed IMO but I expected that.

Talking of under-developed flavour I made some no-knead  bread yesterday and it was a pretty nice loaf but didn't have the right smell (in spite of the requisite 6-plus hour rise in lieu of kneading, around ten in this particular case). Now the yeast was the instant type and had been in the fridge for well over a year. Worked fine though. I was wondering, do you have to use fresh yeast to get the right loaf smell? Last time I baked with fresh yeast was at school and by God I could have eaten a hundered of those loaves it was that good. Never tasted one better since.

Livo covered this off well so I will just add that I meant that I was dealing with a short ferment based on a lot of commercial yeast and so there was no time to allow complexity of flavour to develop.

[Donald Brasco]

But for those in the Uk - Sainsbury

[Peripatetic Phil]

One for all naan lovers :  https://mrsbalbirsingh.com/blogs/recipes/mrs-balbir-singhs-traditional-naan-recipe
** Phil.

[livo]

This is very similar to a UK Deluxe Dairy naan I've referred to previously.  It contains 3 out of the 4 most common leavening methods so it should produce a very puffy bread.

Make it 4 from 4 with SR Flour and it should lift like a helium balloon.