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Instant yeast

Baking essentials · Leavening

Instant yeast

Fine dried yeast that can be mixed straight into flour; strongest of the dried yeasts and quick to start.

Also called: fast-action yeast, easy-blend yeast, rapid-rise yeast, bread machine yeast

A kind of dried yeast

50 recipes with it

Photo: Shliphmash, via Wikimedia Commons (public-domain)

What it is

Instant (fast-action, easy-blend, rapid-rise) yeast is dried into very fine particles with a high proportion of living cells, so it dissolves and activates quickly without proofing. It is usually mixed directly with the flour. By weight it is a little stronger than active dry yeast, and roughly a third the weight of fresh yeast for the same effect. Some rapid-rise types include dough conditioners and are designed for a single short rise.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae

How it’s used

  • Same-day breads and pizza
  • Bread machine loaves
  • Enriched doughs
  • Long cold-fermented doughs (use less)

Characteristics

When cooked
Add to the flour rather than directly on top of salt; tolerates warmer water than active dry but still dies above about 50 °C.
Sold as
dried
Cooking uses
Used for leavening, Suitable for baking
Common in
International

Storage

Refrigerated. Once opened, seal and refrigerate or freeze; use within a few months for reliable rising.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
325 kcal
Protein
40.44 g
Carbohydrate
41.22 g
Fat
7.61 g
Fibre
26.9 g
Sugars
0 g

USDA FoodData Central: Leavening agents, yeast, baker's, active dry.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Active dry yeast — Use about 1.25 g active dry per 1 g instant and dissolve it in some of the recipe's warm liquid first.
  • Fresh yeast — Use about 2.5–3 g fresh yeast per 1 g instant, crumbled into the liquid.

Related ingredients

Recipes with instant yeast

See all 50

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