What to Substitute for Yeast: 7 Alternatives and a Conversion Table
Yeast in dough can be replaced with baking powder (10-12 g per 500 g of flour), baking soda with an acid, sourdough starter (100-150 g per 500 g of flour) or kefir with soda. Honestly: only a sourdough starter gives real yeast-style structure and flavour, the other options turn the dough into a quick, soda-leavened one. And if you just need to convert one kind of yeast to another: 1 g of dry yeast equals 3 g of fresh. In this article: a conversion table for dry, fresh and instant yeast, a substitution table with proportions, what works for bread, pizza and pancakes, and the cases where no substitute will do.
Yeast Conversion: Dry, Fresh and Instant
Most often yeast does not need replacing, just converting. The key rule: 1 g of dry yeast = 3 g of fresh (compressed) yeast. A 7 g sachet of dry yeast replaces 20-21 g of fresh and is meant for 500-600 g of flour.
| Flour in the recipe | Fresh (compressed) | Active dry |
|---|---|---|
| 250 g | 8-10 g | 3 g (1 level tsp) |
| 500 g | 15-20 g | 5-7 g (one sachet) |
| 1 kg | 30-40 g | 10-14 g (two sachets) |
Instant yeast is used in the same amounts as dry, but goes straight into the flour without proofing in water. The reverse conversion works too: divide the weight of fresh yeast by 3 to get dry.
Yeast Substitutes: The Table
Proportions are per 500 g of flour:
| Substitute | How much | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Baking powder | 10-12 g | cookies, muffins, pancakes, plain pies |
| Baking soda + acid | 1/2-1 tsp soda + 1 tbsp lemon juice | pancakes, quick bread, flatbreads |
| Sourdough starter | 100-150 g (cut 60 g flour and 60 ml water from the recipe) | bread, pizza, baguettes |
| Kefir + soda | 200-250 ml kefir + 1/2 tsp soda | pancakes, flatbreads, batter pies |
| Sparkling water | instead of the regular liquid | crepes, batter, flatbreads |
| Whipped egg whites | 3-4 whites, folded in last | sponge cakes, charlotte |
| Unfiltered (live) beer | 200-250 ml instead of liquid | savoury pies, flatbreads |
Ingredients (7 yeast alternatives)
Show ingredients
- baking powder;
- baking soda and an acid (lemon juice, vinegar);
- sourdough starter (flour + water);
- kefir or soured milk;
- highly sparkling water;
- egg whites;
- unfiltered (live) beer.
How to Replace Yeast: Step by Step
1. BAKING POWDER is the easiest route. Sift 10-12 g of baking powder with 500 g of flour so it spreads evenly, then knead as usual. The key difference from yeast: no proofing, the dough goes into the oven right away while the reaction is active. Good for cookies, muffins, pancakes and plain pies.
2. BAKING SODA WITH ACID works like homemade baking powder: for 500 g of flour take 1/2-1 teaspoon of soda and quench it with a tablespoon of lemon juice right in the dough (not in a spoon: the bubbles must stay in the dough). If the recipe already has kefir, sour cream or yogurt, the acid is there: add the soda to the flour without quenching.
3. SOURDOUGH STARTER is the only full replacement for yeast in bread. Made once in 5-7 days: mix 50 g of flour and 50 ml of warm water in a jar, cover with cloth, keep warm and feed daily with the same amounts. A ready starter bubbles and doubles within 4-6 hours after feeding. Use 100-150 g of starter per 500 g of flour and cut the recipe flour and water by 60 g and 60 ml. Keeps in the fridge with a weekly feeding.
4. KEFIR OR SOURED MILK WITH SODA is the working pair for fluffy pancakes and flatbreads. To 200-250 ml of room-temperature kefir add 1/2 teaspoon of soda, stir and wait 2-3 minutes: the mixture foams up. Then mix in the flour. Fry or bake immediately, this dough cannot sit.
5. SPARKLING WATER replaces the regular liquid in crepe, batter and flatbread dough. The carbon dioxide bubbles leaven the dough physically. Use strongly carbonated, cold water, mix quickly and cook right away before the gas escapes.
6. WHIPPED EGG WHITES lift sponge cakes and charlottes with no yeast at all. Whip 3-4 cold whites to stiff peaks and fold gently into the finished batter from the bottom up. Bake at once and do not open the oven for the first 20 minutes.
7. LIVE (UNFILTERED) BEER contains traces of brewing yeast and gives light fermentation. Replace the liquid in savoury dough with it (200-250 ml per 500 g of flour), cover and leave somewhere warm for 4-6 hours. Works for flatbreads, savoury hand pies and rustic bread. The alcohol bakes off completely.
Tips and Tricks
Tip 1. Bake soda and baking powder doughs immediately after mixing: the reaction lasts 10-15 minutes, a rested dough will not rise.
Tip 2. Do not expect yeast flavour or big holes from substitutes: soda doughs are denser and finer. Real bread crumb comes only from a sourdough starter.
Tip 3. Check your baking powder is fresh: a teaspoon in a glass of hot water should fizz actively. No foam: replace the pack.
Tip 4. Do not toss expired yeast right away: dissolve it in warm water with a spoon of sugar. A foamy cap in 10-15 minutes means it is alive and will work.
Tip 5. If you have yeast, just the wrong kind: convert it with the table above. Swapping dry for fresh and back always beats any substitute.
Recipes With and Without Yeast
Tried recipes for both situations:
More Substitution Guides
❓ Frequently asked questions
How much dry yeast instead of 50 g of fresh?
About 17 g: divide the weight of fresh yeast by 3. In reverse: 10 g of dry equals 30 g of fresh. Count instant yeast like dry, but add it straight to the flour without proofing in water.
Can you bake bread with no yeast at all?
Yes, two ways. First: sourdough bread, its structure and flavour are even more interesting than yeasted bread, but the starter takes 5-7 days to grow. Second: quick soda bread on kefir, ready in an hour but denser, closer to a large flatbread. A classic fluffy loaf without yeast or starter is not possible.
What can replace yeast in pizza dough?
For thin pizza yeast is not critical: dough on water with baking powder, or kefir with soda, rolls out thin and holds toppings well. The crust is crispier and denser, and there is no waiting for the dough to rise.
Can I put baking powder into a yeast recipe?
You can, but the result changes: no proofing needed, the crumb comes out denser and finer, without yeasty aroma. Acceptable for hand pies and casual pies, noticeably worse for enriched buns and loaves.
What about yeast in Easter cake (kulich)?
Honestly: nothing replaces it fully. Kulich is a heavy enriched dough that only strong yeast or a mature starter can lift. With baking powder you get a pound cake: tasty, but a different dessert.
How do I make a sourdough starter from scratch?
Mix 50 g of rye or wheat flour with 50 ml of warm water in a jar, cover with cloth, keep warm. Add the same amounts once a day. Bubbles and a sour smell appear on day 3-4; by day 5-7 the starter doubles within 4-6 hours of feeding: it is ready. Store it in the fridge and feed weekly.
How to make fluffy pancakes without yeast?
Room-temperature kefir, half a teaspoon of soda, a couple of minutes for the reaction, then flour to a thick sour-cream consistency. Fry at once on a hot pan and do not re-stir the batter: the bubbles you keep are the fluffiness.
My yeast is expired: can I still use it?
Test it: dissolve in 100 ml of warm water (under 40 C) with a teaspoon of sugar. A foamy cap within 10-15 minutes means the yeast is alive: use it, adding slightly more than the recipe says. No foam: it is dead and will not raise the dough.
