How many times have you wondered if the yeast you are using for the pizza is really the right one. As we have seen in other articles you can find here on VerdeGusto, pizza needs few but the right ingredients. The choice of the best flour for pizza, thebest baking stone to cook pizza in a home oven, thepizza tools, are fundamental for the success of the recipe. And the yeast?
Sourdough and brewer’s yeast: differences
The first dilemma arises about which is the best yeast between sourdough (natural yeast), also known as sour yeast, sourdough starter, natural starter, or “crescente,” or brewer’s yeast.
The sourdough yeast is nothing but the result of the fermentation of the dough (flour and water) that grows thanks to living organisms of microscopic size.
The brewer’s yeast, on the other hand, is the product of fungi, also microscopic. In this case, we talk about just one microorganism.
Let’s bust a myth. Natural yeast is not better than brewer’s yeast. Everything depends on the processing method, and pizza, you will be surprised, prefers brewer’s yeast, especially when made at home. The reason also relates to the fact that sourdough needs to be refreshed occasionally and the day before making pizza. If you don’t regularly make pizza, it is not ideal.
The brewer’s yeast, instead, is really very easy to use. The only precaution is the expiration date. The yeast cakes must be stored in the refrigerator and have a short shelf life, unlike the dry yeast in sachets. Therefore, if you make pizza occasionally, dry yeast is preferable since it revives immediately in water.
Brewer’s yeast for pizza: the doses
Usually, 3 grams of brewer’s yeast are needed for every kilo of flour. But this is not a universal rule. For example, for long fermentation doughs (preferable if you have time), the yeast must be strictly reduced. Also, fermentation should be done in the fridge if you want it not to be too fast and the dough to not deflate immediately.
Natural yeast for pizza: the doses
If you have chosen to use natural yeast or sourdough starter, about 200/250 grams are needed for every kilo of flour. Here too, there are different variables depending on the conditions where the dough ferments and the long or short time.
How to make pizza digestible: which yeast to use
It is a very common belief that sourdough makes pizza more digestible. This is not true at all. The digestibility of pizza is given by the dough’s fermentation time: the longer it is, the more digestible the pizza becomes; it matters little which yeast is used, which is certainly reduced in quantity.
10 Best yeasts for pizza
Professional brewer’s yeast
1 Instant Professional Brewer’s Yeast 500g
BREWER’S YEAST DRY 5 STAGIONI AGUGIARO GR. 500
Product: professional
Sourdough Starter
2 ChenaBura Sourdough Starter – 500 grams
- 🥖 ENHANCES FLAVOR AND AROMA: With ChenaBura your Bread, Pastries, and Pizza will have the scent and taste of dough with sourdough starter, but without the typical acidity
- 🥐 YOU CAN USE IT FOR EVERYTHING: Suitable for all types of bread, focaccia, breadsticks, crackers, pizzas, leavened pastries and large leavened goods like Panettone and Pandoro
- ✅ SOFT AND DIGESTIBLE DOUGH: It will make your dough soft and easier to digest
- ❤️️ Easy to use: You just need to mix it with flour, it guarantees leavening in 2 hours, but if you want you can also use it for long leavening times
- ✅ DOSAGE: 100 g per 1 kg of flour to make Bread and Pastries, while for Pizza 30 g per 1 kg of flour is sufficient
3 Caputo home Criscito, Ancient sourdough starter 1 kg
Criscito also known as sourdough starter, which is obtained by mixing only water and flour. Criscito is therefore a natural product that still preserves the traditional and genuine method of old times, while being followed by an innovative drying process of Criscito. Drying that preserves its original properties to create leavened doughs that are alveolated, tasty and better preservable.
4 Sourdough Starter | Criscito Caputo – Kg. 1 – Box of 10 Pieces
5 LIOFIL PLUS, active sourdough starter for baking and pastry. 100% handcrafted product
Dried Sourdough Starter
6 MADREPAN 1 kg bag Dried Sourdough Starter 100% natural powder
% Natural sourdough starter made in Italy. Naturally active starter, highly digestible! Completely replaces the use of brewer’s yeast making doughs much more digestible
🍪Dehydrated natural soft wheat sourdough, gives the typical flavor and aroma of long fermentations. Avoids the use of biga and preferments
🍞Gives the dough unique and authentic aromas and flavors. Allows long leavenings of 12-16 hours
✅Ideal for all baked goods, bread, focaccias, pizzas, breadsticks, crackers, pastries and confectionery products
7 Active Dry Yeast Criscente 200gr Dehydrated 100% Italian Molini Riggi
- Produces even softer doughs with high alveolation
- During baking the dough releases unique aromas and flavors
- Ensures stability in leavening
- Improves taste and aroma of the finished product
- 5 sachets of 100g
8 Ruggeri – Dried Sourdough Starter (200g) – Active | Ideal for short and long leavenings
- VALUE 🍞 200g jar – Dried Sourdough Starter with Yeast – Italian Excellence. Instant Active Yeast. Supplied in an elegant jar. 100% Natural. Non-GMO.
- USAGE 🍞 Obtained from high-quality wheat germ, the dried sourdough starter gives the dough a pleasant hazelnut fragrance, an intense aroma, and improves dough workability. Allows dough to rise in a few hours, suitable for all types of bread, focaccias, pizzas, and leavened pastries.
- QUALITY 🍞 Made from first-quality wheat germ, the dried Sourdough starter can be used for both short and long fermentation and completely replaces brewer’s yeast.
- FRESHNESS 🍞 Thanks to the freshness-saving jar packaging, it lasts up to 8 months in the home pantry.
- RECIPES 🍞 For BREAD, use it at 10% of the flour weight and let the dough rise for 2 hours at room temperature (for example, simply add 50g of dried sourdough starter to 500g of flour and follow the recipe). For PIZZA recipes, use it at 5% of the flour weight. For LONG FERMENTATION processes, reduce the dosage to 5% of the flour weight and store the dough in the refrigerator.
9 Criscito Kg. 1 + Dry Yeast Gr. 100 – Mulino Caputo – 3 Kit Offer
10 Lallemand dry yeast – 500 grams of instant powdered yeast – professional quality dry yeast powder
👨🍳 Instant yeast – Instaferm Premium dry yeast is the practical and durable alternative to fresh yeast.
👨🍳 Simply baked – add the powdered yeast to the dough without dissolving it first and enjoy convincing results.
👨🍳 Securely packaged – Vacuum-sealed packaging so the yeast is protected from moisture penetration and the start of the aging process.
👨🍳 Well preserved – After first opening the package, store in a dry and cool place, for example frozen.
👨🍳 Professional quality – bakery-quality! Our yeast is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, halal, and kosher.
