margaret551•9d agoOG Member

Question about switching from active dry to instant yeast in my recipes

I was talking to a baker at the farmer's market last Saturday and she said she never uses active dry yeast anymore because instant gives her more consistent results. She mentioned I'd need to cut the water by about 20% if I make the switch. Has anyone else found that adjustment works for things like cinnamon rolls?

2 comments

2 Comments

abbyhall9d ago

I read somewhere that instant yeast is actually a different strain that's more active, so reducing liquid makes sense since it can handle less moisture. For cinnamon rolls, I tried a 15% water cut and my dough was still a little sticky, so 20% sounds about right. King Arthur Flour has a guide that says you can just swap instant for active dry at a 1:1 ratio with no change, but that hasn't matched my experience.

finley_smith9d ago

Did you notice any difference in how fast the dough rose after cutting the water? I usually use instant yeast for my cinnamon rolls and never reduce liquid, but now I'm wondering if that's why my dough always feels a bit shaggy at first. Honestly, switching to active dry worked better for me when I dropped the hydration by about 20% too. The rolls came out softer and didn't get that dense texture I sometimes had with instant. Tbh, King Arthur's advice hasn't matched my results either, so I think it depends on the flour and humidity where you bake.