Best instant yeast, according to chefs
Three picks, each tied to a named taster and a public source — from Stella Parks, PJ Hamel, Susan Reid, Cook’s Illustrated test kitchen and 1 more. Recommendations come from seriouseats.com, kingarthurbaking.com and epicurious.com.
Baking · The ranking
- 1Top pick
SAF Red Instant Yeast
Chosen by- Stella ParksPastry chef, BraveTart · ex-Serious EatsWikipedia ↗
- PJ HamelKing Arthur
- Susan ReidKing Arthur
Also chosen by- PJ Hamel · King Arthur source ↗
- Susan Reid · King Arthur source ↗
Parks calls for plain instant yeast like SAF in her cookbook and at Serious Eats: stable, consistent and fine for cold-proofed doughs. King Arthur’s side-by-side bake against active dry and fast-rising yeast picked SAF Red as the all-around yeast, “a King Arthur Flour test kitchen staple for decades.” A one-pound bag keeps for years in the freezer.
- 2
Dr. Oetker Instant Yeast
Chosen by- Stella ParksPastry chef, BraveTart · ex-Serious EatsWikipedia ↗
Serious Eats’ other favorite instant yeast, alongside SAF Red: sold in packets, guaranteed fully active, and added straight to the dry ingredients with no proofing.
- 3
SAF-Instant Gold (osmotolerant)
Chosen by- Laurie Ellen PellicanoPastry chef · ex-head pastry chef, Tartine Bakery
- Cook’s Illustrated test kitchen
Instant yeast built for sugary, enriched doughs (brioche, panettone, sweet rolls), where sugar slows ordinary yeast. Pellicano says it “helps shorten proofing time” and split a one-pound bag with friends, though regular instant works fine for most home bakes. Cook’s Illustrated found it “worked almost twice as fast as the instant yeast and produced results that were identical in flavor and texture.”
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Questions, answered
- What is the best instant yeast, according to chefs?
- MyTastr’s top pick is SAF Red Instant Yeast, chosen by Stella Parks (Serious Eats, BraveTart); PJ Hamel (King Arthur); Susan Reid (King Arthur). Parks calls for plain instant yeast like SAF in her cookbook and at Serious Eats: stable, consistent and fine for cold-proofed doughs. King Arthur’s side-by-side bake against active dry and fast-rising yeast picked SAF Red as the all-around yeast, “a King Arthur Flour test kitchen staple for decades.” A one-pound bag keeps for years in the freezer. Source: seriouseats.com ↗
- What are the other top picks for instant yeast?
- No. 2 is Dr. Oetker Instant Yeast, chosen by Stella Parks (Serious Eats, BraveTart). No. 3 is SAF-Instant Gold (osmotolerant), chosen by Laurie Ellen Pellicano (ex-head pastry chef, Tartine Bakery); Cook’s Illustrated test kitchen. Each card above links to the original source.
- How does MyTastr choose these picks?
- Every pick is tied to a named chef, cookbook author or food expert and links to the public interview, panel or article it came from. We survey dozens, often hundreds, of top chefs, food writers and critics, and order reflects how often and how strongly a brand is recommended. Only organic recommendations count — paid endorsements don’t — and brands can’t buy a spot. Read how we pick.