When yeast (a microscopic organism) is mixed with flour and warm water or milk, kneaded and left for a while, carbon dioxide bubbles are released. This causes products that are baked with yeast – like bread - to rise, thus acting like a raising agent. The yeast, along with any alcohol that is generated in the process, is burnt off when bread is baked.


Yeast – for baking - comes in many forms with many differing names: Like active, deactivated, compressed, cream, instant and rapid-rise yeast. Active (which is moist and shaped in blocks, must be refrigerated), compressed (which is dry and grainy and can be stored on a shelf) and instant (which is also dry, but more refined than compressed yeast) are the most commonly used types in cooking today.

• Ensure that ingredients are mixed in the right proportions (too much or too little of something will affect the yeast’s ability to ferment or spoil it’s flavour)
• Dough should be kneaded sufficiently or it will not bind properly and could result in a thick and fibrous texture
• The fermentation process should be given enough time to take place to avoid ruining the bread’s texture and colour
• Bake it for the right amount of time (at the appropriate temperature) in order to achieve a crack-free and golden crust and a lighter inner texture 

• It has a crispier outer crust than inside
• It is spongy/springy to the touch
• The interior has big bubbles
• It should be golden brown in colour
• It should provide a hollow sound when tapped
• It has a slightly sweet, nutty or sometimes even sour flavour (depending on the flour that was used)
• It has a crispier outer crust than inside
• It is spongy/springy to the touch
• The interior has big bubbles
• It should be golden brown in colour
• It should provide a hollow sound when tapped
• It has a slightly sweet, nutty or sometimes even sour flavour (depending on the flour that was used)