Guild Office Hours: Yeast and Fermentation

Tuesday, September 8, 2026 | 4:00pm–5:00pm ET 

Want to improve your bread through better fermentation? Looking to better understand how yeast impacts your process?

Understanding how yeast works, and how to manage fermentation effectively, can help you produce more consistent and flavorful breads.

Join baking experts from Lesaffre for an interactive session exploring the role of yeast in fermentation and how it impacts every stage of the baking process. Peter Abrams and Sherrill Cropper will discuss different types of baker's yeast, how yeast is produced, and how factors such as time and temperature influence fermentation outcomes.

You’ll learn:

• How baker's yeast is produced 

• Differences between fresh and dry yeast varieties, including specialty yeasts such as osmotolerant yeast 

• Practical tips for improving dough performance 

• Fermentation's role in flavor, dough performance, and production efficiency

Bring your questions and fermentation challenges for an extended Q&A with the speakers.

Presented in partnership with Lesaffre.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS

Peter Abrams is a Bakery Training and Business Development Specialist at Lesaffre, based in Piscataway NJ.  Peter has been working in the baking and pastry field for over 25 years, including over a decade in artisan bread manufacturing.  At Lesaffre Peter spends most of his time helping customers on their product development projects and making new and innovative products with Lesaffre ingredients. 

Sherrill Cropper is the New Product Development Lab Manager for Lesaffre Corporation and Red Star Yeast Co. based in Milwaukee, WI. Sherrill has been working in the Research and Technical Services group for 11years where she develops ingredients and provides technical support to her team and customers. Sherrill received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Food Science from The Ohio State University and her Ph.D. in Grain Science from Kansas State University.