Active Dry Yeast Measurements and Conversions

Yeast recipes call for small amounts, so level spoons matter more here than with flour or sugar. Dip the measuring spoon into the yeast and scrape the top flat with the back of a knife. A heaped teaspoon holds far more than a level one, and extra yeast makes dough rise faster than the recipe expects.

Measure from the jar or an opened packet with a dry spoon, and close the container right away. Fleischmann's notes that heat, air and humidity weaken yeast, and it suggests keeping opened yeast airtight in the fridge.

A scale helps less than you might expect. If yours counts in whole grams, its smallest step is already a quarter of a level teaspoon of yeast, so spoons are often the more precise tool. To weigh yeast reliably, use a small scale that reads to a tenth of a gram.

Granules can be finer or coarser from one product to the next, which changes how much fits in a spoon. The spoon weights on this page are USDA's figures for active dry yeast.

This page covers active dry yeast, which USDA lists by the teaspoon, the tablespoon and the packet. USDA also has a record for fresh (compressed) yeast, sold as soft cakes, and the by-the-piece table above shows what one cake weighs. Fresh yeast crumbles rather than pours, so go by the cake or by weight, not by the spoon.

USDA has no separate record for instant yeast, so the site gives no weights for it. Fleischmann's describes its instant, bread machine and RapidRise yeasts as the same yeast under different names; in the UK this type is sold as fast-action dried yeast.

Its FAQ also explains how to use instant yeast in a recipe written for active dry. The yeast goes straight into the dry ingredients, and a short rest replaces the first rise.