Recipes with natural dry yeast – bread, pizza, cozonac

Why is dry yeast Fermented yeast better than yeast?

Dry yeast Fermented yeast is not just a convenient product - it is a Romanian tradition improved for the 21st century. Unlike industrial yeast, our dry yeast:

Easier digestion

Natural fermentation breaks down gluten and makes bread much easier to digest, even for those sensitive to gluten.

Deep and authentic taste

Not just "bread", but an experience: the complex flavor, crispy crust and airy core that yeast cannot reproduce.

Prolonged freshness

Yeast bread stays fresh for 3-4 days, not just a single day like industrial yeast bread.

How dry yeast works Fermented yeast:

  1. Buy dry yeast (stable for 12 months at room temperature)
  2. Activate it in 3 days with water and flour (instructions included)
  3. Get wet yeast ready to use in recipes
Important: All recipes below use activated Maia Fermentată yeast (wet live yeast obtained from our dry product). Dry yeast is not used directly - it must first be activated into live yeast, according to the instructions on the package.

All quantities are designed for an apartment kitchen, with an electric/gas oven that reaches 240–250 °C. If you want to double the production, simply double the weights.

Note about activated yeast Fermented yeast

  • Use mature yeast, fed 1 : 2 : 2 (yeast : water : flour) at 25 °C and used at peak (3–5 h after feeding).
  • If your dough is more liquid or firm, adjust the flour or water in the recipe by ±5%.
  • Fermented dry yeast turns into wet live yeast in just 3 days, after which it is ready for all the recipes below.

1. Simple rustic bread (1 loaf of ±800 g)

ingredients

Ingredient g %
White flour 650 500 100
Water (20–22 °C) 350 70
Activated yeast Fermented yeast (100% hydration) 100 20
Fine salt 10 2

Steps (≈24 h total):

  1. Autolysis – mix flour with 320 g water, 30 min.
  2. Add the activated yeast + the remaining water and knead for 5 min until the dough is smooth.
  3. Incorporate the salt with 20 ml of the reserved water.
  4. Folded (coil fold) 3 times at 30 min intervals (first 90 min).
  5. Bulk: 4 h at 24 °C, until the dough rises ~50%.
  6. Pre-shape and rest 20 min.
  7. Final shape (boulé or bâtard), then crack slightly on top.
  8. Cold proofing: 12–16 h at 4 °C in a banneton.
  9. Baking: oven 240 °C, preheated cast iron pan. 20 min with lid, 22 min without at 220 °C.
  10. Cool for at least 1 hour before cutting.

2. Wholemeal bread with seeds (1 loaf of ±900 g)

ingredients

Ingredient g %
Wholemeal flour 1250 350 70
White flour 650 150 30
Water 420 84
Activated yeast Fermented yeast 120 24
Seed mixture* 90 18
Salt 11 2.2
*Mixed seeds: sunflower, pumpkin, flax. Lightly roast the seeds for 5 min at 160 °C and hydrate them in 60 g of water from the recipe for 1 h.

Method (similar to rustic, differences):

  1. Autolysis 45 min (all water – water from seeds).
  2. Add the activated yeast + salt, knead briefly.
  3. In the first coil-fold, add the hydrated seeds and their water; make two more coil-folds.
  4. Bulk 3.5–4 h (whole foods accelerate fermentation).
  5. Bar shape, long banneton.
  6. Cold proofing 10–14 h.
  7. Bake identically, but 5 minutes more without the lid for a thick crust.

3. Slow-fermented artisan pizza (4 bases Ø30 cm)

ingredients

Ingredient g %
White flour 650 (or 80% 650 + 20% wheat semolina) 1000 100
Cold water (18 °C) 700 70
Activated yeast Fermented yeast (100%) 200 20
Salt 25 2.5
Olive oil 20 2

Program (48 h for maximum aroma):

  1. Day 1, 09:00 – Mix: dissolve activated yeast in water, add flour, knead for 3 min. Rest 30 min.
  2. Add the salt and oil; knead until smooth (10 min).
  3. Bulk 2 h at 24 °C with 2 coil-folds.
  4. Place the dough in the refrigerator (4 °C) for 36 hours.
  5. Day 3, 9:00 AM – Divide into 4 balls of 475 g each; roll them tightly, brush with oil, and refrigerate for another 6–8 hours.
  6. Temper for 2 h at 22–24 °C before stretching.
  7. Baking on stone/plate: preheat oven to maximum (250 °C) 45 min. Bake 6–7 min on stone, possibly broiler for the last 60 s.
Neutral base; toppings are added at the end of fermentation, before baking.

4. Traditional yeast cake (2 pieces x ≈850 g)

ingredients

Ingredient g
White flour 000 (or 650 finely sifted) 1000
yolks 150 (≈8 pieces)
Whole milk 35 °C 420
Sweet May* 200
Sugar 300
82% butter, melted and cooled 250
Salt 12
Rum/vanilla essence, lemon peel to taste
Filling: walnuts + cocoa + sugar + egg whites 350g + 30g + 150g + 120g
*Sweet yeast: feed the activated yeast with white flour+sugar (95% flour, 5% sugar) 1 : 1 : 0.5 (yeast : flour : milk), leave for 4 h at 28 °C.

Process (2 days):

  1. Day 1 evening – Preferment: mix 200 g sweet yeast + 200 g flour + 200 g milk. Rise 3× (≈4 h at 28 °C).
  2. Day 2 morning – Main dough: pour remaining milk over sugar → syrup; add egg yolks + essences + preferment. Incorporate flour.
  3. Knead for 15 minutes until gluten is developed; add the salt. Then, in 4-5 batches, add the softened butter. The dough will become shiny and will come away from the bowl.
  4. Bulk 3 h at 28 °C with stretch-and-fold at 1 h. Increases ~60%.
  5. Cool for 2 h at 4 °C (makes lamination easier).
  6. Divide & fill: 2 pieces. Roll out into a rectangle, add filling, roll. Braid (optional double spiral).
  7. Final proofing: molds in greased trays, 6–8 h at 26 °C or overnight at 8 °C + 2 h warm in the morning. Volume 1 cm below the lip of the tray.
  8. Bake: 180 °C, 15 min; reduce to 170 °C for another 30–35 min. If it browns too much, cover with clean paper.
  9. Brush with vanilla sugar syrup as soon as you take it out, for shine and freshness.

General tips for activated yeast

  • Dough temperature aims for 24–26 °C for breads, 18 °C for pizza, 28 °C for sponge cake.
  • Tap water: if it is highly chlorinated, leave it in an uncovered carafe for 2 hours.
  • Domestic oven: a pan of boiling water on the bottom rack creates steam for the first 10 minutes of baking.
  • Storage: bread is stored in a linen napkin, the sponge cake in paper bags then plastic. Pizza: unbaked tops can be frozen for 4 weeks.

Enjoy your meal and happy baking!

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