Yeast Converter
Convert between fresh, active dry and instant yeast by weight, with the packet and teaspoon equivalents, using the yeast makers’ own figures.
Result
Use this much: 0.3 ozEstimate
Conversions by weight from the yeast makers’ published figures. Teaspoons are approximate; weigh yeast where you can.
- Dry yeast packets (¼ oz each)
- 1Estimate
- Teaspoons of dry yeast, about
- 2.3Estimate
https://calcgallery.com/baking/yeast-converter-calculator/
Results are arithmetic on the figures you enter. Cooking times are estimates: ovens, cuts and starting temperatures vary, so check doneness with a thermometer. Safe temperatures are the USDA's; guidance differs by country, so check your own. Read the full disclaimer
How to use the Yeast Converter
- Choose the type of yeast your recipe calls for and the type you have.
- Enter the amount the recipe gives, in grams or ounces.
- Read how much of your yeast to use, with the equivalent in packets and approximate teaspoons of dry yeast.
The conversions
The page uses the conversions two US yeast makers publish:
active dry = instant, by weightdry yeast = fresh yeast × 0.25 ÷ 0.6packets = dry yeast ÷ ¼ ozteaspoons ≈ packets × 2¼The 0.25 and 0.6 come from Fleischmann’s and Red Star’s statement that a 0.6 oz cake of fresh yeast equals one ¼ oz packet of dry yeast. Red Star describes dry yeast as essentially cake yeast that has been dried, which is why less of it does the same work.
Fresh, active dry and instant
- Fresh yeast, also called cake or compressed yeast, is sold moist, in blocks.
- Active dry yeast is dried into larger granules that are usually dissolved in liquid before mixing.
- Instant yeast, also sold as rapid-rise or bread machine yeast, has finer granules that can go straight into the flour.
When the conversion is only a starting point
A conversion by weight keeps the amount of yeast the same, but the dough may still behave a little differently. Red Star notes that instant yeast rises faster than active dry in the same dough. Watch the dough rather than the clock: it is ready when it has risen as the recipe describes.
With your numbers
- That is 2 packets of dry yeast, about 4.5 teaspoons
- 0.6 oz of fresh yeast equals one ¼ oz packet of dry yeast, so 1.2 oz becomes 0.5 oz
Quick reference
Conversions by weight from the yeast makers’ published figures. Teaspoons are approximate; weigh yeast where you can.
| Example | Use this much |
|---|---|
| One 0.6 oz cake of fresh yeast to instant | 0.3 oz |
| One 2 oz cake of fresh yeast to active dry | 0.8 oz |
| One ¼ oz packet of active dry to fresh | 0.6 oz |
| 42 g fresh yeast to instant | 17.5 g |
| 20 g fresh yeast to active dry | 8.3 g |
| 7 g instant to fresh | 16.8 g |
| 10 g active dry to instant | 10 g |
Where the numbers come from
The fixed figures this calculator relies on, and the published source each one was checked against. How the calculators are built and checked
3 sources
Fleischmann’s Yeast, Frequently asked questions, https://www.fleischmannsyeast.com/frequently-asked-questions/: "One 0.6-ounce cake is equivalent to 1 packet of dry yeast." Red Star Yeast, Yeast Conversion Chart (updated 24 September 2026), https://redstaryeast.com/yeast-conversion-chart/: "0.6 oz cake yeast, or one (1/4oz) package dry yeast".
Used for
- Fresh (cake) yeast equivalent to one packet of dry yeast: 0.6 oz. The same makers also equate a 2 oz cake with three packets, which implies 2/3 oz.
Fleischmann’s Yeast, Frequently asked questions, https://www.fleischmannsyeast.com/frequently-asked-questions/: "a ¼-ounce packet of dry yeast". Red Star Yeast, Frequently Asked Questions, https://redstaryeast.com/frequently-asked-questions/: "one standard (1/4-ounce or 7-gram) packet".
Used for
- One US retail packet (envelope) of dry yeast: 1/4 oz, about 7 g.
Fleischmann’s Yeast, Frequently asked questions, https://www.fleischmannsyeast.com/frequently-asked-questions/: "About 2-¼ teaspoons". Red Star Yeast, Frequently Asked Questions, https://redstaryeast.com/frequently-asked-questions/: "approximately 2 1/4 teaspoons of dry yeast".
Used for
- Level teaspoons of dry yeast in one 1/4 oz packet, as the makers state it: about 2 1/4.
Common questions about the Yeast Converter
- How much dry yeast replaces fresh yeast?
- By the yeast makers' own figure, a 0.6 oz piece of fresh cake yeast does the same work as one ¼ oz packet of dry yeast. That means fresh yeast weighs 2.4 times as much as the dry yeast it replaces, so divide a fresh-yeast amount by 2.4 to get dry, or multiply dry by 2.4 to get fresh.
- Are active dry and instant yeast interchangeable?
- Red Star says instant and active dry yeast can be used interchangeably, one for one, in dough made by hand or in a stand mixer, with instant yeast rising faster. Fleischmann's says its instant, RapidRise and bread machine yeasts are the same yeast under different names. Active dry has larger granules and is usually dissolved in liquid first.
- Why does a 2 oz cake come out as more than three packets?
- Both makers also say a 2 oz cake equals three packets, which works out at two thirds of an ounce per packet rather than 0.6. The page uses the 0.6 oz figure because both makers print it, which turns a 2 oz cake into about 3⅓ packets. If you would rather follow the three-packet figure, divide by 2⅔ instead of 2.4.
- How many teaspoons are in a packet?
- About 2¼ level teaspoons of dry yeast, according to both Fleischmann's and Red Star. Teaspoons are less precise than weighing, since granules settle and spoons vary, so the teaspoon figure here is rounded and approximate.
- Does this work for sourdough starter?
- No. A sourdough starter is a live culture of wild yeast and bacteria in flour and water, and there is no fixed conversion between it and commercial yeast. It also changes the flour and water in the recipe.