If you're planning to make your own light and fluffy bread at home, don't forget the yeast! This essential ingredient is used to leaven bread and other pastries. Aside from rice being our staple food, breads such as pan de sal and monay are something that we Filipinos enjoy, whether it be for breakfast or merienda.
Active yeast emits carbon dioxide as it ferments, expanding the dough so that you can serve large quantities when it's baked. There are several baking yeasts available online, and if you find it confusing, don't worry! This article aims to provide you with insightful information about the best baking yeasts to purchase through our recommended products and buying guide, fact-checked and reviewed by professional baker Alexa Versoza.
Quick List - Top Baking Yeast
Alexa Versoza is a graduate of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde with a major in the Culinary Arts. She has trained in the US for 2 years as a Pastry Cook at The Four Seasons Vail and The Sonnenalp Vail. She got back from her training in 2017. Since then, she has been practicing her craft in the Pastry Arts. After training under Chef Richard Manapat, she has been more inclined in baking bread. Alexa now co-owns an Artisanal Bakery in QC, Apo Baking Society, where they specialize in making artisanal bread and pastries.
Our recommendation articles are carefully researched and crafted by the mybest Philippines team of writers and editors. To stay true to our company’s mission and vision to help users’ selection process easier, we also collaborate with experts from various fields to ensure that our content stays factual and useful.
The expert oversees the Buying Guide only, and does not determine the products and services featured.
Here are some key points to consider:
If you look carefully, whether in physical or online stores, they typically offer four different types of baking yeast, namely fresh yeast, active dry yeast, instant yeast, and natural yeast. Below, we discuss the differences between these four kinds of baking yeast.
Also known as compressed yeast or cake yeast, fresh yeast is light beige in color and is sold in blocks. To use it, you just need to crumble it and add it during the mixing process. It contains more moisture compared to other types of baking yeast—around 70%.
As such, it has a shorter, two-week shelf life and needs to be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated. In addition, only selected groceries and specialty stores carry it—you'd usually find it in the dairy or refrigerated section. Though it is a rare find, fresh yeast would make your breads and pastries even tastier, especially those that require longer and slower proofing.
If you have been baking for a long time, you’re most likely familiar with active dry yeast. This type contains dormant yeast and has a rougher texture compared to instant yeast. It also requires a process called proofing, which is to reactivate the yeast.
To reactivate your active dry yeast, you will need a bowl with warm water, around 46°C or 115°F, and sugar. Mix your dry yeast then wait until bubbles begin to rise. If your yeast does not form any bubbles or foam, it is a clear indication that you have dead yeast.
Instant yeast is sometimes labeled as quick-rise or rapid-rise yeast. Unlike dry yeast, this type is more granular and dissolves immediately. It is very easy to use as it doesn’t require proofing, which saves you a lot of time.
However, one caveat of using instant yeast is you can't tell the difference between dead or living yeast. If you are unsure if your yeast is still fresh, you can make a small sample batch of dough using your instant yeast to see if it is still good to use.
If you want to bake healthier breads and pastries, go for natural yeast—commonly known as sourdough starter. It is made from a combination of yeast and bacteria, giving your baked goods a tartier flavor and chewier texture.
And since it requires a longer fermentation process, it breaks down the gluten in bread, making it easier to digest. Plus, it makes you feel full for longer, so you can curb your carb cravings!
Osmotolerant yeast is a unique type of yeast. For example, if you are making cinnamon rolls, you will need this type of yeast to make your dough rise. It can handle lower moisture and a higher concentration of sugar compared to regular yeast.
You will need to use this type of yeast if you want your sweet dough to rise. Most of the time, manufacturers don't put the word osmotolerant on the label since it can be a mouthful and might be intimidating for some.
Thus, we recommend checking the product description to see if your yeast is compatible with sweet pastries. If you end up getting regular yeast, you can still use it in your sweet dough. You just have to double the amount of yeast to compensate for the amount of sugar.
Checking the packaging is essential and should not be overlooked, as yeast is sensitive to its environment. Yeast often comes in a large packaging; however, many packages are not resealable. Thus, you need to transfer it to an air-tight container or jar to prevent any moisture or oxygen from going in.
Other yeasts come in small individual sachets. These packets relieve you of the burden of transferring unused yeast to a different container. As for storing yeast, you can keep it in a cool, shaded place to prolong its life span. It can last up to four months in the refrigerator or six months in the freezer, depending on the type of yeast.
With regards to the shelf life, it is also crucial to buy the right amount of yeast for your baked goods. Go for bigger amounts if you are into the baking business; however, if you don't bake often, get small packs. Some yeasts can only be effective in yielding good bread loaves a month after opening.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | SAF Gold Instant Yeast | ![]() | Fast-Acting Yeast to Improve Dough Machinability and Taste | |
2 | Emperor's Best Instant Yeast | ![]() | High-Quality Yeast for Creating European-Style Bread | |
3 | Red Star Active Dry Yeast | ![]() | Best for Health Conscious Bakers | |
4 | Angel Instant Dry Yeast | ![]() | Comes in Small Packs for Baking Small Batches | |
5 | Bakerdream Instant Dry Yeast | ![]() | Helps You Achieve Fluffy, Oven Spring Bread | |
6 | Eagle Instant Dry Yeast | ![]() | Premium, Versatile, and Quick-Rising Baking Yeast | |
7 | Bob's Red Mill Active Dry Yeast | ![]() | Trusted by Professionals and Suitable for Most Diets | |
8 | Mauripan Instant Dry Yeast | ![]() | Baking Yeast That Doesn’t Require Refrigeration | |
9 | Cultures for Health San Francisco Style Sourdough Starter Culture | ![]() | Make Delicious Breads With This Sourdough Starter Culture | |
10 | GYST Trading Fresh Yeast|1 Bar | ![]() | Fresh Yeast for Your Special Baked Goodies |
SAF, a premium-quality yeast brand from Europe, offers this product that's recognized worldwide by bakers and pastry chefs. This professional-grade baking ingredient does wonders in leveling up the dough's machinability. In other words, it lessens mixing time and makes it easy to cut and mold your dough into balls.
This variant of SAF yeast is specially made for sweet dough like donuts, sugar cookies, and ensaymada! It is resistant to calcium propionate, a preservative used in baked goods. It can also tolerate various dough temperatures. As a result, you get properly fermented and evenly risen bread and pastries.
Best of all, you don't need to bloom this yeast—you can add it directly to the flour! These factors are the competitive advantages that made SAF's Gold Instant Yeast a cut above the rest—earning the gold medal in our top 10.
Customers have nothing but praise for this product, especially its quick fermentation quality and shorter proofing time. It is a must-have item in your kitchen and fantastic for baking because it is sugar-tolerant, and perfect for sweet bread. It is also highly tolerant to processing and preservatives, plus, it can be used for different types of dough.
When unopened, the vacuum-sealed packaging helps maintain freshness. But once opened, transfer the remaining yeast to a tight-seal jar for later use—this protects it from moisture and humidity that may kill the yeast and make it unstable. For longer shelf life, place it inside the fridge.
Good news for those maintaining a healthier lifestyle—you need not deprive yourselves of baked goodies! Red Star's Active Dry Yeast is organic, all-natural, vegan-friendly, Kosher-compliant, and dairy- and nut-free. No wonder it has garnered countless good reviews from satisfied customers!
It provides a good yield for breads and pastries, whether you use it in traditional baking or for modern bread machines. Thus, it can be used for sponge and dough processing as well. This active dry yeast enhances the flavor and aroma of your dough, resulting in baked goods of excellent quality.
Plus, it can deal with both high and low sugar levels, great for savory and sweet loaves. Keep in mind that active dry yeast needs rehydration before use. And for optimal results, the manufacturers suggest adding 1.5 grams of yeast for every 100 grams of flour.
Are you on a tight budget or do you want to bake for your family and a small group of friends? If so, we highly recommend this 11-gram, pack of 5 yeast from the brand Angel. These sachets are suitable if you bake every once in a while and in small quantities.
Though this product is affordable, don't let the price tag fool you! Angel's yeast has proven great quality. It can handle doughs with high glucose and oil content and is resistant to preservatives—one example of which is calcium propionate which lengthens the bread's shelf life. It can also be used for low sugar and sugar-free breads, further proving its versatility.
Save time in baking because the yeast needs no rehydration prior to use. Plus, it can help the dough expand well due to its stable fermentation performance. Additionally, it can withstand various dough temperatures for optimal bread quality. If you are a pastry maker, it will never let you down, as it can help you pull off those fluffy siopaos and doughnuts!
Oven spring bread, which has a crispy crust but lighter crumb, is usually achieved when proofing active dry yeast. However, this may require more effort on your part. Fortunately, you can now achieve oven spring bread using Bakerdream's Instant Dry Yeast! It is budget-friendly without sacrificing its premium quality.
Use it to make the classic sourdough bread or experiment with baking rye bread and brown bread. Some yeasts do not work when sugar gets involved, but this product can tolerate it, so it can help you bake sweet pastries.
It can also tolerate long proofing processes and ferments faster than other baking yeasts. This product comes in non-resealable packaging, so pour the unused yeast into an air-tight container for prolonged shelf life.
Want to bake something different besides bread loaves and cakes? Then, why not try making homemade pizza dough? For superior quality and voluminous dough, purchase this instant dry yeast from Eagle. It has fine granules that dissolve quickly and easily, plus, it does not require proofing!
Mix 6 to 10 grams of yeast for every kilogram of flour for best results. Fun fact: aside from baking, you can also use it to brew homemade beer or prepare carbonated non-alcoholic beverages like rootbeer soda, which is the perfect pizza partner! Remember to seal the unused yeast tightly for your next baking session.
If you want to try your hand at making fresh dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, pizza, and other baked goodies at home, Bob's Red Mill's Active Dry Yeast is here to save the day! This world-famous company is known for producing high-quality products that are made using the best grains and techniques. So it comes as no surprise that even professional bakers use it!
Though it requires proofing, you'll be rewarded with mouth-watering breads and pastries that everyone will love. It comes in a resealable pack that locks in the freshness and makes it easier to store. It is also vegan, gluten-free, Paleo-friendly, and Kosher-certified, ideal for those who follow diet plans.
AB Mauri is a credible and internationally known brand that focuses on making quality baking ingredients. In fact, it expanded its market across countries in the Middle East, Europe, and even here in the Philippines. This fast-acting and easy-to-mix instant dry yeast provides a good-quality yield of bread dough, cake bases, and even dumpling wrappers.
Aside from its affordability, another highlight of this product is its ability to withstand room temperature without killing the yeast, so you don't need to put it inside the fridge! As such, it has a longer shelf life compared to other baking yeasts on the market. A 500-gram bag can help yield loaves in large quantities, perfect for small to medium-sized pastry businesses.
When it comes to food quality, yeast yielding performance is the primary concern. However, safety also matters. Luckily, this product is made with natural, non-GMO ingredients from the USA. Moreover, it is made in a facility that has been pathogen tested by a trusted laboratory, ensuring its quality.
This sourdough starter culture is great at yielding excellent quality dough, giving your sourdough loaves their signature tangy flavor, chewy texture, and crispy crust. Besides sourdough, you also can use it to whip up pancakes, fresh pasta, pizza crust, muffins, cakes, and other baked goodies!
The blend of bacteria and yeast makes your baked treats more delicious and nutritious, so, they are easier to digest. Best of all, it is easy to use, as you only need to add water and white flour to activate it—even newbie bakers can use it! When stored properly, it can be reused for your next baking projects. Just remember to keep it in a cool, dry place to keep your yeast cultures active.
Finding fresh yeast in the Philippines can be difficult, but we're glad we came across this product from GYST Trading, a store that specializes in yeast products. They offer fresh yeast that's made in Laguna and transported in refrigerated trucks to several locations in Metro Manila.
Using fresh yeast imparts unique flavors to your baked treats—your sukis can definitely tell the difference! GYST Trading offers 500-gram bars of fresh yeast, priced at PHP60 each. If you need a larger quantity, you can get a case of 40 bars for PHP1,880. To order, check out their Facebook page linked above and contact the retailer nearest you.
Below are some of the most asked questions on the web answered by the mybest team.
Baking yeast originated from a combination of wild strains—one of which is Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To grow new batches, previous strains are cultured in optimal conditions, as yeast needs a lot of water, food, warmth, and oxygen to thrive.
The key to storing baking yeast is to place it in a cool, dry place and to keep moisture and air out. For unopened baking yeast, store it in your pantry or cabinet. But for opened baking yeast, you need to transfer it to an airtight container before placing it inside the ref or freezer.
However, you can only store fresh yeast in the refrigerator. Unopened baking yeast can last up to 2 years, while opened baking yeast can last up to 4 months inside the ref and 6 months inside the freezer. On the other hand, fresh yeast has a shelf life of up to 2 weeks.
Fresh baking yeast can be bought in supermarkets and specialty bakeries, particularly in the refrigerated or dairy section. If you can't find fresh baking yeast in these places, you can try making your own using flour and water—the instructions are available online!
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Author: Roel Pillas Malubay
Re-editor: Aprille Jarcia
Our buying guide was carefully researched and crafted by the mybest team of writers and editors, in collaboration with the expert featured in this article. We used the buying guide as a basis for choosing and ranking the product recommendations, and we looked at reviews and ratings from different E-commerce sites like Lazada, Shopee, and more.
No. 1: SAF|Gold Instant Yeast
No. 2: Emperor's Best|Instant Yeast
No. 3: Red Star|Active Dry Yeast
No. 4: Angel|Instant Dry Yeast
No. 5: Bakerdream|Instant Dry Yeast
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
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