OXO Good Grips 11 lb Stainless Steel Food Scale
For seeing the display past a wide bowl
OXO Good Grips 11 lb Stainless Steel Food ScaleA pull-out display helps keep the reading visible under larger containers.
11 lb (5.0 kg), reads in 1 g steps
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Instant, active dry and fresh yeast
Instant yeast mixes straight into the flour; active dry yeast is traditionally dissolved in warm water first; fresh (cake) yeast is moist and perishable. Red Star, which makes all three, swaps instant and active dry one for one (active dry can take a little longer to rise), and puts one 7 g packet of dry yeast level with 0.6 oz (about 17 g) of fresh cake yeast.
Instant ↔ active dry: one for one, says Red Star. Dry → fresh: a 7 g packet equals about 17 g (0.6 oz) of fresh yeast. Yeast → sourdough: not a direct swap; a different recipe and timing.
The three types
Keep yeast cold and airtight once opened. Rise times follow dough temperature, as for sourdough: see the bulk fermentation chart for the yeasted curve.
| Type | How to use | Keeps |
|---|---|---|
| Instant (rapid-rise, bread machine) | Mix into the flour | Opened: months in the fridge or freezer |
| Active dry | Traditionally dissolved in warm water; many modern brands can go straight in | Opened: months in the fridge or freezer |
| Fresh (cake, compressed) | Crumble into the flour or water | About 1 to 2 weeks in the fridge |
Converting
By Red Star's chart, 7 g (one packet) of instant or active dry yeast equals 0.6 oz, about 17 g, of fresh cake yeast: a third of its 2 oz cake. Instant and active dry swap one for one. Measure small amounts on a 0.1 g scale, or convert spoons with the cups to grams converter.
Yeast and sourdough together
A little instant yeast in a sourdough speeds it up: King Arthur adds 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per cup of flour, and notes that less yeast leaves more time for flavour. Replacing starter with yeast changes the recipe: the starter's flour and water need adding back, and timings shorten a lot. See preferments.
Questions bakers ask
Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry?
Yes, one for one by weight, says Red Star; mix instant straight into the flour. Dough made with active dry may take a little longer to rise.
How much fresh yeast equals a packet of instant?
About 17 g (0.6 oz) of fresh cake yeast for a 7 g packet, by Red Star's conversion chart.
Equipment for this job
Keep what you own when it does the job. These are the other exact models we profile.
OXO Good Grips 11 lb Stainless Steel Food Scale