Instant Dried Yeast vs Fresh Yeast (2024)

FAQs

Instant Dried Yeast vs Fresh Yeast? ›

Instant yeast, as its name implies, is the quickest yeast to use of the three. Fresh yeast will give you a deeper, richer, more 'yeasty' flavour. Not all yeasts can be used in bread makers: fresh and instant can be but active dried yeast cannot. Instant yeast is the most common yeast to use in a bread maker.

These two types of yeast are interchangeable in recipes, but remember that you need to use twice as much fresh yeast (by weight) than dry. Therefore, if a recipe asks for 7g dried yeast you will need to use 14g of fresh or compressed yeast and vice versa.

For dry active yeast you generally need to use half the quantity of fresh yeast stated in the recipe and for instant yeast you need to use 1/4 of the quantity of fresh yeast. So if the recipe has 30g (1 ounce) fresh yeast then you can use 15g (1/2 ounce) active dry yeast or 7g (1/4 ounce) instant yeast instead.

Additionally we want to tell you some disadvantages of using instant dry yeast that make fresh yeast your best choice: Instant dry yeast is not easily distributed in the dough. The instant dry yeast must be placed at the beginning of kneading.

Active dry and instant yeasts can be substituted for one another at a 1:1 ratio. Active dry yeast will take about 15 to 20 minutes longer to rise than instant yeast. To encourage active dry yeast to start its activity without having to proof, just use very warm water in your dough mixture (120-130°F).

Can I use active dry and instant yeasts interchangeably? Yes, they can be substituted for one another 1:1. We've found that active dry yeast is a little bit slower off the mark than instant, as far as dough rising goes; but in a long (2- to 3-hour) rise, the active dry yeast catches up.

One time when you might not want to use instant and active dry yeasts interchangeably is when you're baking bread in a bread machine. Since bread machines use a higher temperature to raise dough, substituting instant for active dry yeast 1:1 may cause bread to over-rise, then collapse.

It's pretty easy to convert, just keep a 1:3 ratio. So if your recipe calls for 10 grams of dry yeast, you should use 30 grams of fresh one. This ratio comes from the humidity content of the yeast, which is 70% for the fresh and 7% for the dry.

This can affect the bread by adding a "yeasty" taste if you put too much into the dough. General amounts of yeast are around 1 - 2 % of the flour, by weight. Too much yeast could cause the dough to go flat by releasing gas before the flour is ready to expand.

1 teaspoon instant yeast (3 grams) = 1/2 block (0.6 ounce size) fresh yeast. 7 grams of active dry yeast = 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast = 17.5 grams fresh yeast = 1 block (0.6-ounce size) or 1/3 block (2-ounce size) of fresh yeast. 1 teaspoon active dry yeast = 1/3 block (0.6-ounce size) of fresh yeast.

Can I use yeast 2 years out of date? ›

Theoretically, unopened active dry yeast will last for up to two years after the date it was packaged. Active dry yeast that's close to or past its expiration date should be proofed, because knowing before your bake is much better than watching your loaf of bread completely flop.

Instant yeast, as its name implies, is the quickest yeast to use of the three. Fresh yeast will give you a deeper, richer, more 'yeasty' flavour. Not all yeasts can be used in bread makers: fresh and instant can be but active dried yeast cannot. Instant yeast is the most common yeast to use in a bread maker.

Mix instant yeast with your flour and other dough ingredients; there's no need to dissolve it in warm water or another liquid first, as you might with active dry or other yeasts that need to be proofed (i.e., dissolved to ensure they're alive). That's one less step to take; 10 minutes proofing time saved.

Measurements for Substituting Instant Yeast for Fresh Yeast

As a rule of thumb, you should use three times the amount of fresh yeast in weight to achieve the same rising ability of instant yeast and 2.5 times the amount of active dry yeast.

Pour in hot water and oil and mix until combined- it will be sticky. Add the remaining flour in increments until dough is no longer sticky. Knead for about 5 minutes until dough is elastic and smooth. Place dough back into bowl and cover with a damp teatowel and let it rise until double its size- about 1/2 hour.

Savvy bakers regard fresh yeast as the best over its dry counterpart. There is, however, a high chance that it will go bad if it is not stored correctly. While freezing the yeast will make it last longer, if it is not stored under the right conditions before that, it may turn bad or dry out.

cake yeast is equal to three packets (¼-oz. or 2 ¼ teaspoons each) of dry yeast. 1) Divide cake yeast into 3 equal pieces. If you have a scale, each piece is 0.67 oz (18.9 g). Each cake yeast piece is equal to one packet (or 2 ¼ teaspoons) of dry yeast.

Fresh yeast has a short shelf life and must therefore be stored in a cool and dry place. Dry yeast, however, is long-lasting and can be mixed directly with flour. Fresh yeast on the other hand needs to be dissolved previously in lukewarm water or milk.