My bread recipe requires 2.5 grams of active dry yeast and 350 ml of water. Is the specific amount of water and sugar needed to activate the yeast crucial, or can I simply add some sugar to the 350 ml of water and activate the yeast in that mixture?
No worries. The small amount of sugar in your recipe is just to help activate the yeast. You can definitely add some sugar to the 350ml of water and activate the yeast in that mixture…
You will need to activate the yeast in around 50ml of warm water, do not put all the 350ml. It will be a lot of water. Once you have done that swirl and let it rest for about 10 minutes. You can choose to add sugar before mixing, but its not mandatory.
If you’re using a standard 1/4-ounce package of yeast, simply follow the instructions on the back: dissolve the contents of the packet in 1/4 cup warm water and 1 teaspoon sugar. After 10 minutes, the mixture should become bubbly. Once you’ve proven the yeast is alive, add it to your mix, lowering the water by 1/4 cup.