Fresh yeast vs dry yeast comparison, fresh blew it out of the water

I've been using dry active yeast for like 10 years and never thought twice. Last week my usual brand was out at the store in Austin so I grabbed a block of fresh yeast from the fridge case. The rise on my dinner rolls was honestly ridiculous, almost double the height in 40 minutes less proofing time. The flavor had this subtle sweetness that dry yeast never gave me. Cost difference is real though, the fresh was about $3.50 for a block versus $6 for a big jar of dry that lasts ages. Anybody else made the switch and dealt with the shorter fridge life of fresh? I'm worried about wasting half a block next time.

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smith.anna22d ago

Whoa, that flavor difference is exactly what hooked me too. Once you taste that fresh yeast bread, it is really hard to go back to the dry stuff. About the waste problem, I just freeze the extra block in portions, it keeps for a couple of months that way and thaws out fine in the fridge overnight. Takes a bit of planning ahead, but beats paying for fresh every single week. Have you tried using a bit less fresh yeast than the recipe calls for, since it is so much stronger?