Baking with Yeast Guide

Reference this Baking with Yeast Guide whenever you work with baker’s yeast. I include practical answers to all of your common yeast questions.

Welcome to your complete guide to Baking with Yeast.

Many of you have responded to a question I asked recently… what baking recipe intimidates you the most? A majority say yeast breads.

Baking with yeast used to intimidate me too. Something about yeast seems really scary! And, what’s worse, some yeast recipes are complicated and arduous. But once I began to understand that yeast is simply another ingredient in the bowl, my fears subsided. And if you begin with easy yeast recipes, your confidence builds.

Whether you’re a beginner baker or pro, it’s important to understand how yeast works. I urge you to read through this guide where I answer many common yeast questions. I wrote this in partnership with Red Star Yeast, so you can be confident the information is very helpful. I’ve worked with Red Star Yeast for years because it’s my preferred brand!

It’s time to tackle your fear of yeast and bread baking! 🙂

What Is Yeast?

Yeast is a living organism. It needs food and moisture to thrive. There are 2 main forms of yeast: brewer’s yeast and baker’s yeast. Brewer’s yeast is used primarily in beer making and baker’s yeast is used in baking. Yeast feeds on sugar and converts it into alcohol and carbon dioxide through fermentation. Alcohol is useful in beer making and carbon dioxide is responsible for stretching and expanding the dough, something we see as the dough rises. Yeast fermentation also provides the flavor and texture you expect in yeast-raised recipes.

There Are 2 Main Types of Baker’s Yeast

1. Wet Yeast – Also known as Cake Yeast, Fresh Yeast, or Compressed Yeast
2. Dry Yeast – Sold as Active Dry and Instant Yeast

Cake Yeast vs Dry Yeast

Cake yeast is wet yeast sold in block or “cake” form. It’s active and highly perishable. To use cake yeast, crumble over dry ingredients or dissolve in the liquid used in the recipe. Today, cake yeast is only available in limited stores.

Dry yeast, on the other hand, has a longer shelf life because it’s been dried out. It’s granulated and sold in little packets or loose in a jar. It is in a dormant state and if the package isn’t opened yet, can be stored at room temperature. Dry yeast requires different liquid amounts and temperatures than cake yeast.

Here is a helpful cake yeast & dry yeast conversion table.

Types of Dry Yeast

Because it’s most common, we’re focusing on dry yeast in this Baking with Yeast Guide. There are two types of dry yeast available: active dry yeast and instant yeast. They both require liquid to “wake” out of their dormant state.

1. Active Dry Yeast
2. Instant Yeast – Also known as Fast-Rising Yeast or Fast-Acting Yeast

Red Star Platinum Yeast

This is, by far, my preferred yeast! Platinum Yeast from Red Star is an instant yeast blended with natural dough improvers. These dough improvers are naturally occurring enzymes derived from protein in wheat flour. They strengthen the dough and build tolerance to variations in flour strength and the baking process (kneading, rising, etc.) As a result, the dough traps more of the leavening being produced by the yeast for an overall better rise and better volume in the finished baked good. Most of the yeast recipes on my website are made with Platinum Yeast from Red Star. It’s fantastic for yeast beginners.

Can I Substitute Active Dry Yeast for Instant Yeast and Vice Versa?

Yes. Active dry yeast has a moderate rate of rising and instant dry yeast has a faster rate of rising. Active dry and instant yeast can be used interchangeably in recipes (1:1); just keep an eye on your dough so it doesn’t rise too much.

Can I Store Dry Yeast in the Freezer?

Yes, you can store dry yeast in the freezer. The experts at Red Star Yeast actually recommended it! Place the yeast towards the back of the freezer so it’s not exposed to temperature changes when you open the door. To thaw, measure the amount you need and set it on the counter for 45–60 minutes before using. The colder it is, the longer it will take to “get going.”

Do I Refrigerate or Freeze Dry Yeast After Opening?

Dry yeast is perishable. Once your package is opened, the yeast must be refrigerated or frozen in an airtight container. Use within 4 months if refrigerated and 6 months if frozen.

What Is Proofing Yeast?

Proofing dry yeast is sometimes a step in a recipe. This step is basically just “proving” that the yeast is alive and active. You dissolve the contents of the packet in warm water or milk with some sugar. After 5–10 minutes, the mixture should be foamy and frothy on top. If not, the yeast is dead and should be tossed. However, if used before the expiration date, this step isn’t really necessary with modern active dry or instant yeast. Still, some recipes call for it, just to be extra certain the yeast is alive. (If using quality, unexpired yeast, it usually is!)

How Is Yeast Used in Baking?

When combined with liquid and sugar, yeast makes dough rise. Yeast, while also providing flavor, creates carbon dioxide in the dough. This stretches and expands it. Yeast thrives in warm temperatures, which is why warm liquid is usually used to make yeasted bread dough. However, hot liquid can kill the yeast—around 135°F (57°C) or higher. A good rule of thumb: if it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot for the yeast.

Yeast is also effective in cooler temperatures, but it requires more time to expand the dough. In some cases, a slower rise time is preferred because more flavor is produced in the process. In some of my bread recipes, we use cooler liquid and a long rise time, and may even require the dough to rest in the refrigerator, to purposely slow the yeast’s activity and develop the flavor and texture. For example, this artisan bread, seeded oat bread, olive bread, and no-knead pizza bread.

Where Should Dough Rise?

Most yeasted bread recipes will instruct you to cover your bowl of dough and place it in a warm, draft-free place. This crucial time is when the yeast ferments the sugar into carbon dioxide and alcohol. The kitchen counter is fine, but if you’re pressed for time, you can speed up the rising process by placing the dough in a slightly warm oven. Here’s how:

Preheat the oven to 150°F (65°C), then immediately turn the oven off. Wait a few minutes, then place the covered bowl of dough inside the oven with the door cracked open. This will be a warm environment for your dough to rise. After about 30 minutes, close the oven door to trap the air inside with the rising dough.

Here is more information on dough rising.

What if My Dough Isn’t Rising?

There are a few factors that prevent your dough from rising:

1. Temperatures are too cold. Place dough in a warmer environment.
2. Yeast is expired or dead. Start over with new yeast.
3. Liquid in the dough was too hot, which killed the yeast. Start over with new dough.
4. Too much flour or sugar in the dough. Be mindful of your measurements and remember that it’s ok for dough to be a little sticky. Don’t over-flour.
5. Type of flour. Flours with higher protein content have superior dough (gluten) forming and rising properties. Here is more information on flour types.
6. Kneading not enough or too much.

How Do I Knead Dough?

Kneading dough is a common step in bread baking. You can knead dough with your hands or in a stand mixer with a dough hook. A stand mixer obviously makes the job hands-off and easier, but kneading by hand is gratifying… and a great stress reliever too! I have a full tutorial with a video about how to knead dough that can help with this step.

Kneading the dough serves a couple purposes. First, it incorporates air into the dough. It also encourages the proteins in the flour and moisture in the dough to link together, forming a strong gluten network, which is essential for retaining the gas produced by the yeast. Gluten is what makes bread deliciously chewy.

What Is a Typical Yeast-to-Flour Ratio?

One packet of dry yeast (2 and 1/4 teaspoons, or 7g) will raise up to 4 cups (500g) of flour.

What Does It Mean to Let Dough Rest?

It’s beneficial to let dough rest after working or shaping it. Cover the dough with a clean towel or plastic wrap and set it aside. This little “nap” allows the gluten to relax and settle, and makes dough easier to shape.

For example, if you’re trying to roll out dough to certain dimensions for cinnamon rolls and the dough keeps shrinking back as you try to roll it out, cover it and let it rest for 5–10 minutes, then try rolling it out again. It should be easier to get it to the dimensions you’re aiming for after it’s had a rest.

Where Do I Begin?

Now that you have a better grasp on baking with yeast, start with an easy recipe: Cranberry Nut No-Knead Bread. (Pictured above without the cranberries and walnuts.)

This no-mixer, no-knead bread recipe comes together in 1 bowl with very little hands-on work. It’s a great recipe to begin the day before because it requires at least 12 hours to raise the dough, so just let it sit on your counter.

I also have a 4-ingredient homemade artisan bread that requires very little hands-on work and a 4-ingredient homemade ciabatta bread for more of a challenge.

More Favorite Easy Yeast Recipes:

1. Cinnamon Rolls: Shaped yeast doughs, such as cinnamon rolls, lemon blueberry babka, and dinner rolls, usually require 2 rises. This easy cinnamon rolls recipe skips 1 rise, so it cuts the time in half. I also have a recipe for traditional overnight cinnamon rolls.
2. Flatbread Dough: Make thin-crust-style pizza with this 45-minute flatbread dough. My homemade pizza dough is also very easy, though it’s thicker and requires a slightly longer rise time. Both have great flavor.
3. Homemade Bread Bowls: Pictured below. This is a very basic bread dough that you can flavor and use for many recipes. See the recipe Notes.
4. Soft Pretzels: This pretzel dough only needs to rest for about 10–30 minutes before shaping, so you can have homemade soft pretzels in under an hour!

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