What’s The Difference In Yeasts?

If you’re in to bread making at all, you’ve been faced with the choice of what kind of yeast to use. There are Instant yeasts, Dry active, Bread Machine Yeast, Cake Yeast and Rapid Rise Yeast.  Then to add to your confusion, different manufacturers use different names for some of these yeasts.  I’ll give you a basic primer on yeasts, which one to use and when to use it.

Active Dry Yeast is usually sold in foil packets of three and found in most super markets. This yeast is alright for home baking, but will require the extra step of activating the yeast in liquid before using. To activate this yeast you sprinkle it on a warm liquid and sometimes add a pinch of sugar to it to “feed” the yeast.

Be sure your liquid, usually milk or water, isn’t too hot or the yeast will be killed.  Allow the yeast to sit in the liquid for about 10 minutes. You’ll see foamy bubbles start to form on the surface of the liquid. Once you see those bubbles, the yeast is ready to use. Active Dry Yeast normally has an expiration date printed on the package.  Store in the freezer for best results.

Instant Yeast is probably the most popular yeast among home bakers.  This yeast works instantly, so there is no need to activate the instant yeast as with active dry yeast.  It can be added to a recipe as is.  However, you can still use the activation method I described above to check and see if the yeast is alive. Instant yeast will keep about a year if stored in the freezer. It comes in one pound foil packages, too.  The brand I buy is SAF Yeast.

Rapid Rise Yeast contains dough enhancers and is made to rise quickly and then die.  Rapid Rise yeast was developed to save time in the kitchen. The drawback to this kind of yeast is that the yeast dies before it has time to add that rich yeasty flavor to the bread.  The fermentation process is what brings flavor and richness to breads, so I usually skip using Rapid Rise. Store Rapid Rise yeast in the refrigerator in a moisture proof container.

Quick Rise Yeast is similar to Rapid Rise. In fact some manufacturers call Rapid Rise, Quick Rise. This yeast can stand higher temperatures so your liquids can be up to 130* F. Quick Rise yeast was made to eliminate the need for a second rising. Again, you get that fast rise but not much flavor with this yeast. Quick Rise Yeast should be stored in the refrigerator in a moisture proof container.

Cake Yeast is also known as Compressed Yeast or Fresh Yeast.  Its not used too much in home baking today. Cake Yeast rises like Active Dry Yeast but its shelf life is very short.  Its mainly used in large quantity baking businesses where the bakers are accustomed to using it. Res Star provides a chart for comparing Cake Yeast to Active Dry yeast. Don’t freeze Cake Yeast but store it in a cool, dry place.

Bread Machine Yeast is the same as Active Dry Yeast and can be used interchangeably.

In addition to the types of yeasts used for bread baking, there are Brewer’s Yeast and Nutritional Yeast.

Brewer’s Yeast is used in beer making. It is sometimes used as a nutritional supplement and in the prevention of fleas for dogs and cats. Nutritional Yeast is an inactive yeast used in cooking to provide vitamins, a cheesy flavor and depth of flavor in gravies and sauces.