Rena Do you get overwhelmed with the right type of yeast? Active Dry Yeast, Instant Yeast, Rapid Rise Yeast, Bread Machine Yeast, Pizza Yeast, Fresh Yeast.. yikes, right? How do you choose the right yeast type?
Learn more about yeast types and see my recommendation on buying just ONE yeast type that you can keep in your freezer to use immediately.
First: What is yeast and what is it used for?
Simply put, and for the purpose of baking,
yeast is an organism that converts its food (sugar and starch) into carbon dioxide gas.
(It also produces alcohol, which is why a long-fermented dough can smell like it’s popped a few beers while resting. Also – (brewer’s) yeast is essential for brewing beer. Cheers!)
Yeast takes the sugars (starches) in the dough of your delicious baked good, and releases carbon dioxide gas as it feasts. Your dough is typically nice and stretchy, and the gas gets trapped in your dough, making it rise, creating air pockets, and all that mouthwatering jazz.
Got it. Now that I know what yeast is, how do I choose the right yeast, darn it?!
Well, let’s go over the three most common types. And then, I’ll tell you which one I recommend keeping in your freezer.
Active Dry Yeast
I commonly see active dry yeast on store shelves. Active dry yeast is technically alive (hence the name “active”), but kind of, well, dormant. Some people (including the instruction writers on the packaging) recommend waking up and “proofing” the yeast in some warm liquid. Read more about proofing here.
This type of yeast is often sold in little packets or glass jars. If you are proofing (not actually required), you simply take a portion of the liquid in your recipe and warm it to around 110F/43C. (Anything more than 120F/49C may kill your yeast, so yeah.. don’t do that.)
Freezer Tip: You can freeze the packets or move larger amounts to a freezer-friendly container or bag, if it isn’t in one. Add directly to your recipe out of the freezer, no need to do anything else (unless you decide to proof).
Fresh Yeast (or Cake Yeast)
Fresh yeast is, well, fresh, and it’s sold in “cake” forms. This type of yeast goes bad very easily, so it has to stay in the fridge and is only good for a couple weeks maximum. It is typically dissolved in liquid and proofed (to test its activeness/potency). It is also much harder to find in the US in small amounts (at least for me). Based on these factors, it is not my top choice for at-home bakers, specifically if you can’t easily find it.
Instant Yeast – MY Top Choice
And, you’ve made it – my top recommended yeast: Instant Yeast.
Instant yeast is very similar to Active Dry yeast; it’s a slightly different strain and ground into even smaller granules.
Because the granules are so tiny, they dissolve quickly in the dough. So, you can just add your instant yeast directly to your dough. I use SAF Red Instant Yeast and I store it in the freezer. After six months, I may proof it just to make sure it’s still good.
Freezer Tip: You can freeze the packets or move larger amounts to a freezer-friendly container or bag, if it isn’t in one. Add directly to your recipe out of the freezer, no need to do anything else (unless you decide to proof).
Other Types of Yeast
- Rapid Rise/Quick Rising: this type has been coated with yeast enhancers making it more powerful. This is often advertised as a faster, single-rise yeast (requiring only one rise instead of the traditional two). As more flavor and dough strength results from the traditional two-rise method, I don’t use this.
- Pizza or Bread Machine Yeast: essentially Instant Yeast, with some additives that may make them just slightly more effective for their particular use. Normal Instant Yeast works just as well, so I just buy the one type and freeze.
Make it Simple: Buy One and Be Done
Now you know enough about yeast to choose the right yeast for you. To make your life simpler, I do recommend buying either Instant Yeast or Active Dry Yeast and freezing it. These will support all of your leavening needs. Most recipes will tell you the measurement (in teaspoons or grams) so you can measure it out just like you would any other ingredient.
Happy Yeasting!
