A: The main difference between fresh vs. dried is moisture content. Fresh yeast has a moisture content of about 70% vs. 8% for dried yeast.

Also, fresh yeast will only stay fresh for a few days, even if refrigerated while dried yeast comes with an expiration date (check before buying). After the moisture has been removed, dried yeast is sealed in a packet to prevent absorption of moisture after being flushed with nitrogen to prolong the shelf life.

To rehydrate dried yeast, the water temp should be between 105 - 115 degrees. Yeast becomes dormant under 50 degrees and dies over 120 degrees. Usually, just using lukewarm water will be fine.

Personally, at home I use dried yeast due to the fact that I don't bake at home very often and it's more convenient. If I were baking at home often, I would consider using fresh yeast because I'm a firm believer in the use of fresh ingredients. The fresher and less processed, the better.

Also, there are different strains of yeast. Once a company has a strain of yeast they like, that's the one they stick with.

So, I think the short answer really comes down to one word. Preference. Try a few different brands and make notes as to how your bread turned out. Once you find a brand that you like, I would stick with it to improve consistency.

Baker's tip: Only change one thing at a time. If unsatisfied with results of a loaf, change one thing and see how the next batch comes out. Otherwise, you won't know which change did what!

A: This is a difficult question to answer without more info, but I'll give you a few thoughts and you can e-mail me back for further clarification if you like.

First off, it depends on what kind of bread you're baking. Artisan breads are my specialty and most are denser than the standard loaf. I mostly use natural leavening (sourdough starters) for my breads, however many commercial bakeries use yeast in all their breads - even their version of "sourdough". So don't be discouraged if your bread seems to come out denser than theirs.

So, like I was saying, it depends on what kind of bread you're baking. If your baking a wheat bread or a mixture, it will be denser. If it's rye, it will be denser. So look at the bread your making and decide if that's a factor.

The next possibility is moisture content. I cannot stress the importance of moisture content enough!! It can make the difference between a loaf that would only be good for a brick wall and a loaf that you'll dream about. I make two breads that are essentially the same. One is a two pound rustic white and the other is a ciabatta. The big difference? Moisture content. The rustic has a nice crumb with many irregularities and good gluten structure. The ciabatta has many BIG airy holes and can look like a cave when cut in half. The ciabatta has a much higher moisture content than the rustic. So, you might want to up the water a little bit. It's always better to air on the side of too wet rather than too dry. All the doughs I make are wetter than most people would expect.

If you up the water, that will change a few things. Knead the dough longer (or mix the dough longer if using a mixer) and put in the oven a little earlier after final shape. A good, wet loaf will get tremendous oven spring compared to a dry dough.

Another trick is to mix just the flour and water and sour starter at first. Once these ingredients are mixed well and gluten has just barely begun to form (approx. 3-4 minutes on a mixer), let it rest for about 5-10 minutes. Then, start kneading and add the salt in at this point. You will definitely see a difference. This allows the flour to soak up all the moisture it is going to before the salt starts taking a drink. The dough prior to adding salt will seem extremely wet, but wait until you add the salt to go crazy with adding flour.

Let the dough rest before you put it to work. I typically will mix a dough and then let it rest for 1 1/2 hours. Then I will cut the dough and form rounds and let the rounds rest for about another hour. Then I will form My final loaf and they are usually ready about two hours after that. Don't let the dough over proof, but give it plenty of time between working it.

Baker's tip: Use water temperature to help fine tune your baking skills. As bakers, we don't have control over much. Air temp., protein content, yeast quality, etc. But, we do have control over water temp. Play with it and see what happens and be sure to keep a journal of your discoveries.