How much yeast is in a packet?
One packet of dry yeast holds 1/4 ounce, or 7 grams: about 2 1/4 teaspoons. That goes for active dry and instant yeast alike, Fleischmann’s and Red Star both say.
1 packet of dry yeast
2 1/4 teaspoons
- Dry yeast, by the spoon
- 2 1/4 teaspoons
- Dry yeast, by weight
- 7 g (1/4 oz)
- Packets
- 1 packet
- Fresh (cake) yeast
- 17 g (0.6 oz)
Worked from the packet: 7 g of dry yeast is 2 1/4 level teaspoons, and a 0.6-ounce cake of fresh yeast does the same job.
Packets of yeast in teaspoons and grams
| Packets | Teaspoons | Grams | Ounces | Fresh cake yeast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2 packet | 1 1/8 teaspoons | 3.5 g | 1/8 oz | 8.5 g (0.3 oz) |
| 1 packet | 2 1/4 teaspoons | 7 g | 1/4 oz | 17 g (0.6 oz) |
| 2 packets | 4 1/2 teaspoons (1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons) | 14 g | 1/2 oz | 34 g (1.2 oz) |
| 3 packets | 6 3/4 teaspoons (2 tablespoons plus 3/4 teaspoon) | 21 g | 3/4 oz | 51 g (1.8 oz) |
| 4 packets | 9 teaspoons (3 tablespoons) | 28 g | 1 oz | 68 g (2.4 oz) |
Grams of yeast to teaspoons
Recipes from Europe and many bread books give yeast in grams. Here is each amount as level teaspoons of dry yeast.
| Grams | Teaspoons | Packets |
|---|---|---|
| 1 g | about 3/8 teaspoon | about 0.14 of a packet |
| 2 g | about 5/8 teaspoon | about 0.29 of a packet |
| 3 g | about 1 teaspoon | about 0.43 of a packet |
| 5 g | about 1 5/8 teaspoons | about 0.71 of a packet |
| 7 g | 2 1/4 teaspoons | 1 packet |
| 10 g | about 3 1/4 teaspoons (1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon) | about 1.43 packets |
| 14 g | 4 1/2 teaspoons (1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons) | 2 packets |
| 20 g | about 6 1/2 teaspoons (2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon) | about 2.86 packets |
| 25 g | about 8 teaspoons (2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons) | about 3.57 packets |
Teaspoons of yeast to grams
| Teaspoons | Grams |
|---|---|
| 1/4 teaspoon | 0.8 g |
| 1/2 teaspoon | 1.6 g |
| 1 teaspoon | 3.1 g |
| 1 1/2 teaspoons | 4.7 g |
| 2 teaspoons | 6.2 g |
| 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) | 9.3 g |
Measuring yeast from a jar
Use a level measuring spoon, not a heaped one. Going by the packet, a level teaspoon of dry yeast weighs about 3 grams. USDA’s food table puts it at 4 grams and a packet at 7.2, which shows how much a spoonful can vary with how it’s scooped. If your recipe gives grams, a kitchen scale that reads single grams is the surest way to match it.
A 4-ounce jar holds as much as 16 packets, about 36 teaspoons. Once it’s open, Fleischmann’s says to keep it airtight at the back of the fridge.
Swapping instant and active dry yeast
Both come in the same 1/4-ounce packets, so a packet of one replaces a packet of the other. Red Star says the two can be swapped one for one in doughs you knead by hand or in a mixer. Fleischmann’s suggests about 25% more active dry yeast when a recipe was written for its RapidRise instant yeast.
The difference is in how you add them. Active dry yeast is usually dissolved first in about 1/4 cup of water at 100 to 110°F, and that water comes out of the recipe’s total. Instant yeast is stirred straight into the flour.
Bread machines are the exception. Red Star suggests 3/4 teaspoon of active dry yeast or 1/2 teaspoon of instant yeast for each cup of flour.
Fresh cake yeast
One 0.6-ounce cake of fresh yeast does the work of one packet of dry yeast, and a 2-ounce cake replaces three packets, Fleischmann’s and Red Star both say. Red Star now sells only the 2-ounce cake and suggests cutting it into thirds, one third for each packet a recipe calls for.
Old family recipes that say “1 cake of yeast” are harder to read: cakes have been sold in many sizes over the years, Red Star notes, so nobody can say for sure how much yeast those recipes meant. Red Star’s chart below, by the amount of flour, is a safe place to start.
How much yeast for how much flour
Red Star’s rule of thumb for an ordinary bread dough. A dough with more than 1/2 cup of sugar for every 4 cups of flour rises more slowly and needs one more packet.
| Flour | Packets | Teaspoons | Grams |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 4 cups | 1 | 2 1/4 teaspoons | 7 g |
| 4 to 8 cups | 2 | 4 1/2 teaspoons | 14 g |
| 8 to 12 cups | 3 | 6 3/4 teaspoons | 21 g |
| 12 to 16 cups | 4 | 9 teaspoons | 28 g |
Weighing your flour too? Flour: grams to cups · Bread flour: grams to cups
Questions about yeast amounts
Is a packet of instant yeast the same amount as active dry?
Yes. Both come in 1/4-ounce packets of about 2 1/4 teaspoons. Instant yeast has finer grains and goes straight into the flour; active dry is usually dissolved in warm water first.
How many grams is a teaspoon of yeast?
About 3 grams, going by the packet: 7 grams make 2 1/4 teaspoons. USDA’s food table puts a teaspoon at 4 grams, so a heaped or packed spoon can weigh more. If your recipe gives grams, weigh it.
How much yeast is in a 4-ounce jar?
As much as 16 packets: about 36 teaspoons, or 113 grams. Measure it with a level teaspoon.
How much dry yeast replaces a cake of fresh yeast?
One packet of dry yeast replaces a 0.6-ounce cake of fresh yeast, and three packets replace a 2-ounce cake, Fleischmann’s and Red Star both say.
Sources: Fleischmann’s: Yeast 101 · Fleischmann’s: frequently asked questions · Red Star: yeast conversion chart · Red Star: common baking and yeast questions · USDA FoodData Central 175043: yeast, baker’s, active dry · USDA FoodData Central 175042: yeast, baker’s, compressed.