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10 Best Yeasts for Baking of 2024 (Chef-Reviewed)

Q: Top 5 Yeasts for Baking

Q: How to Choose Yeast for Baking - Buying Guide

・Decide Between Active Dry Yeast and Instant Yeast ・Try Osmotolerant Yeast for Sweet Recipes ・Consider Additives That Increase Yeast Activity ・Look for Protective Packaging >> Click here for details >> View Full Ranking

Every home baker knows how tricky baking bread can be, especially when it comes to yeast. Yeast is responsible for getting bread to rise and obtain its light, airy texture. Choosing the perfect yeast for next baking project will ensure your baked goods come out soft and fluffy every time.

We have collected ten outstanding picks for you to check out. Not sure where to begin? How about reading our buying guide reviewed by a professional chef first to help you get started.

Last updated 11/16/2024

Quick List - Top Yeasts for Baking

Anthony's Goods

Anthony's ｜ Instant Dry Yeast Packets: Gluten Free

An Instant Yeast That Simplifies Gluten-Free Baking

Lesaffre Yeast Corporation

Saf-instant® ｜ The Original Red

A Versatile Instant Yeast For Baking Bread

ACH Food Companies, Inc.

Fleischmann's® ｜ Instant Dry Yeast

A Fast-Acting Yeast With No Major Issues

J Mark Brands LLC

Scratch ｜ Gold Instant Rapid-Rise Dry Yeast

A Cost-Effective, Versatile Instant Yeast

Antimo Caputo srl

Caputo ｜ Lievito Dry Yeast

An All-Purpose Yeast With Good Flavor

Executive R&D Chef: Jim Quast

Jim Quast (JQ) is a lifelong professional restaurant and corporate R&D chef who loves everything food-related and the tools, both big and small, to make those great food memories. He's a super huge BBQ, grill, and kitchen gadget fanatic. JQ has spent the last 30+ years trying to figure out what works to make your kitchen life easier and fun. If you can use it to slice it, dice it, cook it, smoke it, or store it, he's been there checking it out. Food = Life!

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Table of Contents

How to Choose Yeast for Baking - Buying Guide
1
Decide Between Active Dry Yeast and Instant Yeast
2
Try Osmotolerant Yeast for Sweet Recipes
3
Consider Additives That Increase Yeast Activity
4
Look for Protective Packaging
10 Best Yeasts for Baking
No. 1
Anthony's Goods | Anthony's｜Instant Dry Yeast Packets: Gluten Free
No. 2
Lesaffre Yeast Corporation | Saf-instant®｜The Original Red
No. 3
ACH Food Companies, Inc. | Fleischmann's®｜Instant Dry Yeast
No. 4
J Mark Brands LLC | Scratch｜Gold Instant Rapid-Rise Dry Yeast
No. 5
Antimo Caputo srl | Caputo｜Lievito Dry Yeast
5 more products
Tips to Help Your Dough Rise Faster
Baking up a Storm?
Amazon's Best Selling Baker's Yeasts

View all

How to Choose Yeast for Baking - Buying Guide

With yeast being such an essential ingredient when baking, it's important to understand how to use it in order to get the best results. In this buying guide, we'll explain the difference between active dry yeast and instant yeast, share options that are suitable for sweeter recipes, and also advise you on how to maintain the yeast's quality.

Decide Between Active Dry Yeast and Instant Yeast

Active dry yeast and instant yeast both cause doughs to expand, but there's one big difference in how they are made. Knowing how to use each type of yeast will help you choose the type that suits your needs best.

Active Dry Yeast Is the Traditional Choice

Active dry yeast is the original type of yeast, and it has been used by generations of bakers. It comes in the form of fine granules.

If active dry yeast is near its expiration date or hasn't been stored in ideal conditions, you'll want to prove it's alive with a pinch of sugar and warm water around 105 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit. If bubbly foam rises to the top after 10 to 15 minutes, your yeast is still alive. This means you can go ahead and use it! However, if the mixture doesn't bubble, that is a sign that your yeast is dead.

Skip Proofing With Instant Yeast

If you'd like to save time, consider using instant yeast. Since it is ground into even finer granules, it dissolves quickly and is designed to be added directly to your dry ingredients. You don't have to proof instant yeast at all.

Due to its fast-acting nature and quick absorption rate, instant yeast is ideal for dough that will be proofed at room temperature. It is also commonly used in bread machines and allows you to make bread with just one rise.

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Try Osmotolerant Yeast for Sweet Recipes

If you're planning to bake sweet treats, such as cinnamon rolls or brioche, you might want to purchase osmotolerant yeast.

In a small amount, sugar can help accelerate the fermentation rate. But when the amount of sugar is more than 10 percent of the flour weight, it can hinder the fermentation process by taking water away from the yeast.

Therefore, sweet doughs take a while to rise or might even end up not rising at all. But osmotolerant yeast is a special kind of yeast that can grow in low water conditions and, therefore, works particularly well in sugary doughs.

However, most brands don't specifically label their yeast as osmotolerant. You'll have to read the product's description and see if it's designed for sweet doughs with a sugar level exceeding 10 percent.

If you don't have yeast specifically for sweet doughs on hand, you can still use regular instant or active dry yeasts. Simply increase the amount of regular yeast by about 30 percent.

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Consider Additives That Increase Yeast Activity

Products that claim to be rapid-rising often use extra enzymes or artificial additives to boost the activity of the yeast. Specifically, ascorbic acid (E300) is an artificial additive commonly used to help create an acidic environment for the yeast to work faster and yield a better rise.

So if you are looking for a product that works a little faster and helps your dough rise higher, screen through the ingredient list of a product and make sure that there are additional enzymes and artificial additives.

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Look for Protective Packaging

Many people assume that packaging is not important, but it's actually a crucial factor that helps ensure the yeast's quality.

The packaging needs to protect the yeast from being affected by oxygen or moisture. Otherwise, the yeast is likely to lose its activity and this will eventually negatively affect its fermentation performance.

Most products are packed in a vacuum-sealed bag to preserve the quality. But the packaging of some is not resealable, so you will have to transfer the contents into an airtight container after you open it.

Some products come in a dark-colored glass container to help protect the yeast from direct sunlight and moisture. Meanwhile, others come in individually-sealed envelopes that are quite easy to use. A standard packet often contains two-and-a-quarter teaspoons of yeast.

Many recipes actually call for one whole packet of yeast, so if you use these, you won't have to worry about storing the rest. If you do have some extra yeast, just pop it into the fridge or the freezer. Usually, yeast can last up to six months in the fridge or a year in the freezer.

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