Yeast Converter
Convert between active dry, instant/rapid-rise, and fresh cake yeast using standard baker ratios.
Use this much instant
5.25 g
7 g of active dry yeast ≈ 5.25 g of instant yeast. Ratios used: instant = active dry × 0.75, fresh = active dry × 2.5.
Active-dry equivalent
7 g
Result
5.25 g instant
How it works
The three common yeasts aren't interchangeable gram-for-gram because they're different concentrations of living cells. Instant yeast is the most concentrated, active dry is the baseline, and fresh cake yeast has the most moisture, so you need the most of it.
The ratios this tool uses are the ones bakers reach for: instant is about 0.75 times the active dry weight, and fresh is roughly 2.5 times it. To go between any two types, it converts your amount to an active-dry equivalent first, then out to whatever you're switching to.
So 10 grams of active dry becomes about 7.5 grams of instant or roughly 25 grams of fresh. These are working approximations — yeast is forgiving, and a little more or less mostly changes how fast the dough rises, not whether it will.
Frequently asked questions
Can I just substitute instant for active dry one-to-one?
You can in a pinch, but instant is stronger, so you'll rise a touch faster. Using about three-quarters as much instant matches the original recipe more closely.
Do I need to proof instant yeast in water first?
No. Instant (rapid-rise) yeast can be mixed straight into the dry ingredients. Active dry traditionally gets bloomed in warm water first, though modern active dry often works stirred in directly too.
How much fresh yeast replaces a packet of active dry?
A standard packet is about 7 grams of active dry, which is roughly 17 to 18 grams of fresh cake yeast at the 2.5x ratio this converter uses.