Active Dry Yeast Vs. Instant Yeast: What's the Difference?
There are two key types of yeast at the grocery store. Find out which is best for your baking.
If you’re baking bread, a pan of gooey cinnamon rolls, or mixing up a batch of homemade pizza dough, you’re going to need to use yeast. Yeast is the key ingredient that helps dough to rise, resulting in that beautiful fluffy texture we all love. But not all types of yeast are created equal, and while you may find them next to each other on the grocery store shelf, active dry yeast and instant yeast are not one and the same. Here are the key differences between these two key types of yeast, along with ways to use them.
What Does Yeast Do?
Yeast is responsible for helping dough to rise, while also imparting great flavor. Yeast is a living microorganism that feeds off sugar and thrives in moist, warm environments. When sugar is present, the yeast eats the sugars and releases CO2, ultimately expanding the dough which results in a rise. Both active dry yeast and instant yeast can do the same job in a recipe — the difference is all in how quickly and how they’re treated.
What Is Active Dry Yeast?
A package of active dry yeast contains larger granules than a package of instant yeast. The dormant yeast needs to be activated or woken up before being used in a recipe. This is also the ideal opportunity to ensure that your yeast is still alive and will correctly prove your dough. Activating the yeast in a bowl with lukewarm water and sugar will result in a bubbly, foamy mixture if it is still alive and well. Because active dry yeast has larger granules, it also typically requires more time for fermentation, resulting in a longer proofing time.
Best For: Recipes that call for a double rise or a cold rise.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox
What Is Instant Yeast?
Instant yeast is just as the name suggests — it works quicker than active dry yeast. Instant yeast may also be labeled as RapidRise Yeast or bread machine yeast. Instant yeast has a much finer texture with smaller granules, meaning more surface area to come into contact with other ingredients. That contact allows it to absorb water quickly and get to work faster. It can be added straight into a dough mixture, without the need for activating it in warm water ahead of time.
Best for: Often used in bread machine recipes or other recipes with a quicker rise meant for a shorter wait before the dough heads to the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to activate yeast?
Active dry yeast is dormant when you purchase it from the grocery store. Before utilizing it in a recipe, it should be activated. This allows it to start waking up, and you can ensure that it is alive and ready to do its job. The last thing you want is to discover that the yeast has died off, your dough isn’t proofing, and you have to scrap the whole project. Instant yeast doesn’t need to be activated before adding it to a recipe.
Can I substitute instant yeast for active dry yeast?
Because the key difference between active dry yeast and instant yeast is all in the rise time, you can easily exchange one for the other in a recipe. Use an equal swap. Keep in mind that some bread machine recipes may perform best with instant yeast.
Favorite Recipes To Try
These great yeast rolls should be on your list of recipes to try next:
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