I was looking around the bread section of my cookbook and I found that most of the amounts of yeast to add was listed in tablespoons and not teaspoons, so I changed it to teaspoons. Do you think I did the right thing? I just started making bread with a machine and have never had to add as much yeast as it says to in the Italian cooking book.
Paul
Hi Paul,
The bread recipes in the Italian cookbook use active dry yeast. They, therefore, use more yeast than you may be used to if you use rapid-rise yeast. Here is a conversion chart to assist in "translating" between types of yeast. Additionally, in the last decade or so, the makers of active dry yeast have been able to make it even more potent; what this means is that you can probably get away with using less yeast than specified in older recipes (more details below).
Yeast Conversions. When recipes call for a specific type of yeast, you can substitute the type you prefer easily. If you wish to use active-dry yeast in recipes calling for instant yeast, increase the amount of yeast called for by 25 percent. Vice versa, if you wish to use instant yeast in recipes calling for active-dry, decrease the amount of yeast called for by 25 percent. Instant yeast is much more potent than active-dry. Increasing or reducing the yeast types will encourage a better-flavored product than if you just used the yeast types interchangeably.** (4)
1 packet (2-1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast* = .6-ounce cake of compressed yeast = 1 packet (2-1/4 teaspoons) or scant 1-3/4 teaspoons instant yeast**
* Because of improvements in yeast properties and potency by manufacturers, the amount of yeast in packets has decreased. While older recipes call for 1 tablespoon or 1 packet of active dry yeast, the new yeast packets contain 2-1/4 teaspoons yeast. You can reduce the amount of yeast used in any of these older recipes by substituting 2-1/4 teaspoons per tablespoon of yeast.
**Packets of instant yeast contain 2-1/4 teaspoons of yeast, but using only 1-3/4 teaspoons when substituting for active dry yeast will give better results in your bread; although you may use the entire packet if you wish. Alternatively, add 2-3/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast in recipes calling for 1 packet instant yeast.
Hope this helps,
Desiri Wightman, R.D.
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