Precision Baking Science

Yeast & Preferment Converter

Convert accurately between Instant Yeast, Active Dry Yeast, Fresh Yeast, and Sourdough Starter. Includes flour and water compensation math for natural levain.

Input Your Yeast

What Yeast Does Your Recipe Call For?

Weight (in Grams)

Commercial Yeast Ratios Explained

Standard culinary rule of thumb: 1g Instant Dry Yeast (IDY) = 1.25g Active Dry Yeast (ADY) = 3g Fresh Cake Yeast. Instant yeast contains the highest concentration of live yeast cells per gram.

Converted Yeast Ratios

Equivalent to 5g of Instant Yeast

Instant YeastInput

Mix directly with dry flour. No blooming required.

Active Dry

Requires blooming in lukewarm water (38°C/100°F) for 10 min.

6.3g

Fresh Yeast

Crumble into lukewarm water. Highly active, fresh aroma.

15g

Sourdough Levain

Active bubbly starter (equal parts flour and water).

100g

Converting to Sourdough? Adjust Your Recipe:

Because 100% hydration sourdough starter is 50% flour and 50% water by weight, you must subtract the starter's contents from your recipe's main flour and water to keep total hydration exact:

Subtract Flour:

-50.0g

Subtract Water:

-50.0g