How much yeast is in a packet?

Baking with yeast always seems like an intimidating task until you learn all the secrets to working with yeast with ease.

Yeast comes in multiple varieties, including small packets of active dry yeast and instant yeast for ease of use.

How much yeast is in a packet?

A store-bought packet of baker’s yeast weighs about 7 grams, which is equal to 2 1/4 teaspoons.

In this article, we’ve covered everything you need to know about yeast, including yeast varieties, how they’re used, what forms they come in, and how much product is in commonly used yeast packets.

What is yeast and how does it work?

If you are fond of confectionery, surely you know what yeast is and what its function is in confectionery. But anyone new to working with yeast-prone doughs may be confused by this seemingly tricky ingredient.

So what is yeast? Yeast is a unicellular fungus that functions as a leavening agent in baking. It makes the dough rise through fermentation . The yeast works with the sugars in the flour. It feeds on them and releases carbon dioxide.

Trapped in the dough, the gas causes it to increase in size, creating all the little bubbles. This is what creates light, airy bread and other baked goods.

In addition to baking, yeast is also commonly used in making wine and beer.

4 types of baker’s yeast

There are 4 main categories of yeast: baker’s yeast, nutritional yeast, brewer’s yeast, and wine yeast . Baker’s yeast is what is used for baking. There are 4 popular varieties of baker’s yeast, including

1. Active dry yeast

To produce active dry yeast, manufacturers remove the water from the live yeast. This is how you get the fine granulated yeast that usually comes in small packets.

You can also buy active dry yeast in a jar.

Active dry yeast is inactive until you activate it. Many people think that to activate this type of yeast you have to first dissolve it in warm water.

However, active dry yeast can also go directly into the dough along with other dry ingredients.

2. Instant yeast

Instant yeast is also a type of dry yeast. But it is finer than active dry yeast and it dissolves and works faster. You may or may not try instant yeast, which is made by mixing it in hot water with a little sugar.

But instant yeast can be added mixed in with the dry ingredients to save time, which is exactly how most people use it.

3. Cake yeast

Powdered yeast, also known as fresh yeast, differs from active dry yeast and instant yeast in appearance. It comes in a solid block that looks like clay.

This variety of compressed yeast has a shorter shelf life and must always be refrigerated to retain its leavening properties.

When using cake yeast, always dissolve it in hot liquid before adding it to the rest of the dough ingredients.

The flavor of cake yeast is more intense than that of granulated yeast varieties. That is why professional bakers prefer this variety of yeast for bread.

4. RapidRise Yeast

Another very popular yeast strain is RapidRise yeast. This yeast is produced by the Fleischmann’s brand and comes in small packets.

Although RapidRise yeast is similar to instant yeast, the two are different. RapidRise works for recipes that require a rapid rise.

How much is in a packet of yeast?

Instant yeast and active dry yeast are often sold in small packages, also called sachets. It is common for these yeast packets to be sold in a set of three.

But how much yeast does a packet of yeast usually contain? One packet of yeast, either instant yeast or active dry yeast, contains 7 grams of product. A packet of RapidRise also contains 7 grams of yeast.

You may think that this is too little. However, it is useful for manufacturers to sell yeast in small quantities, as opened yeast deteriorates quickly and yeast from a freshly opened packet always works best.

But 7-gram packets aren’t the only way granulated yeast varieties are presented. You can also buy yeast in jars and large bags.

But these are only good if you make a lot of bread. Otherwise, the yeast will lose its potency until you use the entire jar.

Recipes often call for a packet of yeast, which means you have to add 7 grams of yeast. 

How many teaspoons are in a packet of yeast?

What if a recipe calls for a packet of active dry yeast and all you have is a big jar of yeast? How do you know how much yeast to use?

For these cases, it helps to know how many teaspoons are in a packet of yeast. Seven grams of yeast equals 2 1/4 teaspoons. Or 1/4 ounces if you are measuring in ounces. 

How many tablespoons are in a packet of yeast?

If the yeast you have doesn’t come in packets and you don’t have a teaspoon handy to measure 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast, use a tablespoon.

A packet of instant yeast or dry yeast measures 3/4 tablespoon.

How many packets of yeast do you need to bake?

One of the most popular questions about baking with yeast is what is the ratio between yeast and flour. Although it can vary from recipe to recipe, one packet (7 grams) of active dry yeast should be used with about 4 cups of flour.

The same goes for instant yeast.  If you’re using fresh yeast, use 0.6 ounces (17 grams) for 4 cups of flour. 

The amount of yeast you need to use to make bread also depends on the fermentation time. However, the mentioned ratio of yeast and flour works well for almost all recipes.

The ratio of yeast and flour is different for pizza dough. For example, to make two standard-size balls of pizza dough, you can use just 2 pinches of instant dry yeast for 500 grams of flour.

The latter equals 3 cups and 2 tablespoons. As for active dry yeast, use 1/4 teaspoon of yeast for the same amount of flour. 

Why is the yeast-flour ratio important?

Maintaining the proper ratio of yeast to flour is important if you want to ensure that your efforts pay off.

And we recommend that you do not make any changes to the amount of yeast called for in the recipe if you are not an experienced baker.

However, in general, adding less yeast to the dough is better than adding too much.

When you add too much yeast to the dough, a lot of gas is created in the dough in a short time. This makes working with the dough difficult and causes multiple quality problems.

The bread can end up with irregular holes throughout the dough. It may taste or smell very yeasty, or expand massively in the oven. 

Another problem that excessive leavening can cause is the sinking of the bread. Therefore, we recommend that you never use more yeast than the recipe calls for just to make the dough fermentation process faster.

It is certainly better to wait longer but end up with a light and airy bread.

Using less yeast doesn’t cause as many problems as using more. As long as you don’t use an insufficient amount, using less yeast just means you have to wait longer for the dough to develop.

But this is not necessarily a bad thing. Also, bakers claim that slowly rising dough tastes better.

The slower the fermentation process, the stronger the gluten network of the dough will be. This produces a bread with a better texture and crust.

Yeast Conversions: Using Instant Yeast Instead of Active Dry Yeast

Now you know that a packet of active dry yeast has 7 grams (or 2 ¼ teaspoons). What if a recipe calls for a packet of active dry yeast and all you have at home is instant yeast?

Luckily, you can easily substitute dry yeast for instant since the two are interchangeable.

And the best part is that instant yeast also comes in 7 gram packets. So all you have to do is use a packet of instant yeast instead of a packet of active dry yeast.

The same goes for RapidRise yeast. It also comes in 7 gram sachets and can be used instead of active dry yeast in the same amounts.

When using instant yeast or Rapidrise yeast in place of active dry yeast, be aware of the particularities of their uses and remember that they work faster than active dry yeast.

You can also use fresh yeast instead of active dry yeast. One US cake yeast block is equal to 3 packets of granulated yeast. Divide it into 3 parts and use 1 per package of dry yeast.

How to measure yeast

You don’t have to worry about measurements if a recipe calls for a packet of yeast and that’s exactly what you have on hand. But what if your yeast comes in a jar or bag? And do you have a half full packet of yeast that you need to use?

As we have already said, a package of yeast measures 2 1/4 teaspoons and 3/4 tablespoons of product. Keep these measurements in mind if you often bake with yeast.

But what if the recipe calls for as small amounts of yeast as 1 or 2 grams? Even the smallest kitchen scales won’t do for such small tasks. That’s when electronic measuring spoons come in handy.

Tiny measuring spoons are also a good investment if you’re someone who is often faced with tasks like measuring out a few grams of yeast.

But if you don’t have any special tools, you should know that 1/5 of a teaspoon equals a gram, and go from there. 

When measuring yeast, remember that it is better to use less than add more trying to err on the safe side.