Boneyard Tools

Yeast Conversion Calculator

Recipes call for active dry, instant or fresh yeast, but you may only have one on hand. Enter the grams of the yeast in your recipe and pick its type to see the equivalent weight of the other two.

How to use the yeast conversion calculator

  1. Enter the amount of yeast in grams that your recipe lists.
  2. Choose whether that amount is active dry, instant or fresh yeast.
  3. Read the equivalent grams for the other two yeast types.

Examples

Instant to others

10 g instant yeast
12.5 g active dry, 30 g fresh

Fresh to dry

30 g fresh yeast
10 g instant, 12.5 g active dry

Frequently asked questions

What ratio does this calculator use?

It uses a common baking convention of instant to active dry to fresh of 1 to 1.25 to 3 by weight. So 10 grams of instant yeast equals about 12.5 grams of active dry and 30 grams of fresh yeast.

What is the difference between active dry and instant yeast?

Instant yeast has finer particles and can be mixed straight into the flour. Active dry yeast is coarser and is traditionally dissolved in warm liquid first, though many bakers now add it directly too. By weight you need slightly more active dry than instant.

How do I substitute fresh yeast?

Fresh, or cake, yeast contains a lot of moisture, so it weighs about three times as much as instant yeast for the same leavening power. Crumble it into the dough or dissolve it in a little warm liquid before mixing.

Do I need to change the rising time?

Roughly the same amount of leavening means roughly the same rise, but active dry can be a little slower to start. Watch the dough rather than the clock and let it double in size, adjusting for temperature.

Why convert by weight instead of by spoon?

Weight is far more accurate because the three yeast types have very different densities and moisture. Measuring grams on a scale gives a reliable conversion, while spoon measures vary with how the yeast is packed.

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