Article

Organic Yeast – First Fresh and Dry Yeast Produced in North America!


When your bakery is ready to go organic the search for a certified organic yeast could be cause for concern. Will organic yeast function in your formula as well as your current yeast? How much bench work will be needed to adjust formulas when you make the switch? We have done the testing and have an organic yeast that has proven to be an effective replacement to your current conventional yeast.

“For a long time we have been hearing from our customers that they want organic and clean label options – but without tradeoffs to the performance or their end product. Lesaffre is proud to offer an organic yeast, in fresh and dry forms. We are even more proud to do so without compromised performance. This product works; and it is made right here in Dothan, Alabama,” Tom Benner, President & CEO, Lesaffre Yeast Corporation.

Terry Thomsen, Owner of Feel Good Dough™, was the first commercial bakery to use our organic yeast. The company produces freshly frozen multipurpose dough balls that are clean label and organic. Since partnering with Lesaffre, Feel Good Dough™ is 100% certified organic down to the yeast!

Thomsen said, “I insisted on 100% organic including the yeast. This is not common practice for many bread and bakery manufacturers. They are ‘made with organic ingredients’ or 95% organic. We chose not to be like the rest. Because of our commitment to organic, we are one of the first companies to use organic yeast made in the U.S.A.”

Developing our organic yeast from R&D to full scale production took our team over 4 years. During this time we faced many challenges such as sourcing organic raw materials, dedicating equipment for organic production, and creating organic compliant cleaning and pasteurization processes. Lesaffre adheres to rigorous manufacturing best practices criteria to produce its organic yeast. The certification process to meet the organic standards for both the U.S. and Canada took about nine months.

Our team did extensive testing of Red Star® Organic Yeast versus conventional compressed and dry yeast to ensure that customers using our organic yeast will get the consistent quality and performance they have come to expect from Lesaffre. Based on our tests, results, and customer feedback we can conclude that breads made with Red Star® Organic Yeast show no difference in quality versus breads made with conventional yeast whether in dry or compressed form. Making the switch to Red Star® Organic Yeast will deliver the same quality and performance as conventional yeast.

“All and all it’s a winner! Faster maturity on the final fermentation, 10% more oven spring. 25% more moisture retention in the crumb and a firmer body in the finished bread,” Patrick Jeannette, artisan bread baker.

For more information and to request samples, visit Red Star Organic Block Yeast.

 
Arnaud Deniaud • Director of Technical Services & New Product Development

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