Yeast Conversion
Apr 04, 2011 | From the kitchen of Rose
As this question comes up with great frequency, here's a second posting with a little more information on converting different types of yeast.
To convert fresh cake yeast to instant yeast, for 1 packed tablespoon/0.75 ounce cake yeast use 2 teaspoons instant yeast or 2-1/2 teaspoons active dry
1 teaspoon instant (aka instant active dry)=1-1/4 teaspoons active dry or 1-1/2 packed teaspoons fresh cake yeast
1 teaspoon of instant yeast or active dry yeast=3.2 grams
Instant yeast can be added directly to the flour without proofing. it is available nationally under the following names:
Fleischmann's Bread Machine Yeast or Rapid Rise
Red Star's Quickrise
Red Star's Instant Active Dry
SAF instant
SAF Gourmet Perfect Rise
I store the unused yeast in an airtight container in the freezer where it stays fresh for as long as 2 years. (if it's a large quantity i store about 2 tablespoons of it separately so that the larger amount doesn't get subjected to oxygen and deteriorate more quickly. Instant yeast has more live yeast cells than active dry.
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George Julian
09/27/2011 09:40 AM
What is bread machine yeast, can
regular yeast be used in place it.
REPLY
Rose Levy Beranbaum in reply to comment from George Julian
09/26/2011 11:36 AM
george, yes--its' the same.
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George Julian
09/26/2011 11:35 AM
Recipe from a Gold Metal flour package, calls for bread machine Yeast 1 1/4 Teasp. the bread is titled " Rose's Hearth Bread".
Can I use Instant yeast and how much?
Thanks!
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Rose Levy Beranbaum in reply to comment from Elizabeth
04/07/2011 05:05 PM
ok elizabeth: i added the weight of 1 teaspoon active dry or instant active dry to the posting. it is the weight i determined using a scale accurate to two decimel points. hope it's helpful but this is what i go by and use.
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kyle
04/07/2011 11:26 AM
Thanks for the post, Elizabeth. I will print this out and keep it above my cookbook holder. I am fortunate to have a good source for wet yeast and am hooked on the flavor. Unfortunately, most recipe only give dry yeast measurements in tsp., so I keep a calculator nearby at all times.
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Elizabeth in reply to comment from Elizabeth
04/07/2011 10:44 AM
Excuse me for replying to myself...
Oops!!! I should ALWAYS proofread properly!
Correction:
Using the ridiculous javascript yeast conversion calculator divised by my sister:
21 grams of fresh yeast is equivalent (if you can use "equivalent" for the following approximation) to anywhere between 3.36 and 13.65 grams active dry yeast!
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Elizabeth
04/07/2011 10:40 AM
I'm must say that I'm surprised that the weight equivalents for the teaspoons aren't in the post. I think I've calculated the formula correctly:
YEAST: 21gm (0.738oz) fresh = 6gm (0.211oz) instant = 8gm (0.281oz) active dry
According to the fleischmann.com site, a package of dry yeast is 2.25 tsp = .25 oz = 7 gm. But, here's the kicker, according to breadworldcanada.com, the Canadian branch of the Fleischmann's site, a package of dry yeast (I have to assume the packages are the same size!) = 8 gm !!
There are so many different conversion formulae for yeast... I'm afraid that I've whined a fair amount about this discrepancy before. Using the various formulae found in my bread books (including your wonderful "Bread Bible") and on the internet, 21 grams of fresh yeast is equivalent (if you can use "equivalent" for the following approximation) to anywhere between 3.36 and 13.65 grams!
I love this javascript yeast conversion calculator that my sister devised: http://etherwork.net/recipes/photopages/yeast_conversions.html
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Rose Levy Beranbaum in reply to comment from kyle
04/06/2011 10:24 PM
it's a very simple mathematical equation. if 1 tablespoon=3/4 oz., the 1 teaspoon = 1/3 of an ounce. i ounce = 28 grams. divide that by 3 and you get the result you're looking for.
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kyle
04/06/2011 10:12 PM
Rose or Woody,
What would the gram weight for 1 tsp. cake yeast be?
Thanks,
kyle
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woody
04/06/2011 09:17 PM
Bill & Jeannie,
Please refer to Rose's Bread Bible as she covers sour dough yeasts and starters in detail.
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Bill & Jeannie
04/06/2011 06:56 PM
Is there a conversion factor to use sour dough yeasts instead of commercial yeast without "spiking" it with store bought yeasts? We have collected some good sour dough yeasts and would like to substitute it into other recipes.
We did use it in making pizza dough but spiked it and not sure if the taste would be different with just the sour dough starter.
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