Active Dry Yeast and Instant Yeast help leaven bread for an airy, light texture. Here’s what you need to know about these packaged yeasts!
Learn About Yeasts
Active Dry Yeast and Instant Yeast help leaven bread for an airy, light texture. The most important thing to remember is:
Active dry yeast must be dissolved in water before use, while you can mix instant yeast into dry ingredients.
1. Active Dry Yeast
Active Dry Yeast is the most common type of dry yeast. It’s granular with a similar consistency to cornmeal. It’s a living organism that’s dormant until dissolved in a small amount of lukewarm warm water (about 110°F/43°C). You then add it to the rest of the ingredients, which causes the dough to rise.
Active dry yeast is typically sold in individual packets or small jars. If using the latter, refrigerate it after opening it, so the yeast stays fresh and active.
2. Instant Yeast (Rapid- or Quick-Rise) – The yeast that I use in my recipes
This is what I use in my recipes. Instant yeast is a type of dry yeast that dissolves and activates faster. The yeast has been milled into smaller particles, so it doesn’t need to be dissolved into water. In addition, the dough rises more quickly due to the addition of enzymes and other additives.
With this yeast, you can skip the first rise and shape the loaves right after kneading. It’s excellent for quick baking projects and saves time by cutting multiple rises.
How To Use Instant Yeast
Unlike active dry yeast, instant yeast doesn’t have to be proofed first. You can mix it straight into the dry ingredients for the same result.
Substitute Active Dry Yeast for Instant Yeast
I use Instant Yeast. However, you may wonder if you can use Active Dry Yeast as a substitute.
Active dry yeast and instant yeast can generally be used interchangeably, one-for-one.
Since active dry yeast takes more time to rise, if a recipe calls for instant yeast and you use active dry yeast instead, you may want to add an extra 10 to 15 minutes for the rise time.
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