Interesting Facts About Making Bánh Mì Bread

Active Dry Yeast (ADY) , in general, has a significantly longer shelf life compared to Instant Yeast. For example, my 2-pound bag of Red Star Active Dry Yeast from Costco remained fully viable after being stored in an airtight glass jar in the freezer for over six years.

To activate ADY, dissolve it in warm water with a small amount of sugar and flour. If the mixture bubbles within 5 to 10 minutes, it’s a clear sign that the yeast is still active and healthy.

Most bread recipes call for Instant Yeast. When substituting with Active Dry Yeast, multiply the Instant Yeast amount by 1.4 to find the equivalent quantity of ADY.

Since an egg is approximately 75% water, it’s important to account for this in your dough hydration calculations. For instance, a typical 50-gram egg contains about 38 grams of water.

In many cases, dough improver can be effectively replaced with a combination of Vitamin C and butter.