There is a lot of contradictory information online about swapping one yeast for another. So here is the short answer first, then the gram amounts people ask about most; my video on the world of yeasts is at the bottom.
The short answer
- Active dry yeast = half the weight of fresh yeast. Use 10 g active dry in place of 20 g fresh.
- Instant yeast ≈ one third of fresh yeast. Use about 7.5 g instant in place of 20 g fresh.
- Instant is a little stronger than active dry. When swapping instant for active dry, use a quarter less: 7.5 g instant in place of 10 g active dry.
- Sourdough starter doesn’t follow this math. It’s a living culture; you measure it against the flour (see below).
How much dry yeast replaces fresh yeast? Quick chart
| Fresh yeast | Active dry yeast | Instant yeast |
|---|---|---|
| 5 g | 2.5 g | 2 g |
| 10 g | 5 g | 4 g |
| 15 g | 7.5 g | 5.5 g |
| 20 g | 10 g | 7.5 g |
| 25 g | 12.5 g | 9.5 g |
| 30 g | 15 g | 11 g |
| 40 g | 20 g | 15 g |
| 42 g (1 cube) | 21 g | 16 g |
| 50 g | 25 g | 19 g |
To go the other way, multiply active dry yeast by 2 and instant yeast by 2.7: 10 g active dry = 20 g fresh; 10 g instant ≈ 27 g fresh.
Measuring with spoons
- 1 teaspoon dry or instant yeast ≈ 3 g
- 1 tablespoon ≈ 9 g (3 teaspoons)
- 10 g dry yeast ≈ 3 teaspoons ≈ 1 tablespoon
- ½ teaspoon ≈ 1.5 g
Spoons are only a rough measure; use a scale if you can.
Packets: how many grams in a packet of yeast?
- Fresh yeast in Turkey: 42 g cubes.
- Instant yeast in Turkey: 10 g sachets; the maker recommends one sachet for 500 g–1 kg flour.
- A standard US packet is 7 g (2¼ teaspoons).
- One 10 g instant sachet ≈ 3 teaspoons ≈ 27 g fresh ≈ 13 g active dry.
- One 42 g fresh cube ≈ 21 g active dry ≈ 16 g instant.
Four yeasts, four ways to use them
Fresh yeast. Moist, living yeast sold in blocks. Crumble it into lukewarm liquid or straight into the flour. Keep it in the fridge; it doesn’t last long.
Active dry yeast. Dried, dormant yeast that needs waking up first. Take water or milk at 35–40°C, three times the yeast’s weight, add sugar weighing half as much as the yeast, and stir the yeast in until it dissolves.
Instant yeast. A more finely ground dry yeast. No need to dissolve it; mix it straight into the flour.
Sourdough starter. A living culture fed with flour and water. Any gram conversion stays theoretical, because its strength changes with feeding time and temperature. It also rises much more slowly than fresh or dry yeast.
How much yeast per flour?
- For bread dough, fresh yeast at 2–4% of the flour weight, or about 1% instant yeast, is enough.
- Enriched doughs like brioche, with butter and sugar, take more.
- With sourdough starter, my preferred ratio is 20% of the flour weight.
Frequently asked questions
How much dry yeast equals 50 g fresh yeast?
25 g active dry yeast, or about 19 g instant yeast.
How much dry yeast equals 25 g fresh yeast?
12.5 g active dry, or about 9.5 g instant; close to one 10 g sachet.
How much fresh yeast equals 10 g dry yeast?
20 g if it’s active dry, about 27 g if it’s instant.
How many teaspoons is 10 g of dry yeast?
About 3 teaspoons, or 1 tablespoon.
Are instant yeast and active dry yeast the same?
No. Both are dried, but instant is ground finer and goes straight into the flour, while active dry is dissolved in warm liquid first. Instant is slightly stronger, so use a quarter less.
What’s the difference between fresh and dry yeast?
Fresh yeast is moist and alive and keeps only briefly in the fridge. Dry yeast keeps for months at room temperature. For the same rise you need about half as much active dry, or a third as much instant.
If you love bread
- Some of the best bakeries in the world are in Tokyo; have a look at my Japan guide.
- Listen to our YBYK episode (in Turkish) with Hakan Doğan, one of the most important names in bread in Turkey.
