Yeast Substitute

Don’t sweat it, if you’re out of yeast? You can still make bread without it. In fact, there are actually several things you can use to leaven your loaves, rolls and doughs. Check out these yeast substitutes.

How to Use Baking Powder as a Yeast Substitute

Replace the yeast called for in your recipe with an equal amount of baking powder. Since baking powder contains both an acid (cream of tartar) and a base (baking soda), it’ll release a bunch of carbon dioxide when it comes into contact with the liquid in your recipe. All of those little gas bubbles will leaven your bread, without any need for yeast.

For the best results, use double-acting baking powder. It’s designed to release carbon dioxide a second time, when it comes into contact with heat. So, when you put your bread in the oven, the dough will rise even more.

How to Use Baking Soda and an Acid as a Yeast Substitute

If you don’t have any baking powder on hand, you can create the same carbon dioxide reaction by combining baking soda and an acid. Possible acids include:

• Lemon Juice
• Equal parts milk and vinegar
• Cream of tartar
• Buttermilk

Simply replace half of the yeast called for with baking soda; then, replace the other half with your preferred acid. Combining these ingredients will create an immediate chemical reaction, so be sure to measure out all the other ingredients in your recipe, before you add your baking soda and acid.

Example: If your recipe calls for one teaspoon of yeast, use 1/2 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp lemon juice. 1/2 tsp cream of tartar, 1/2 tsp buttermilk or 1/4 tsp milk + 1/4 tsp vinegar could also be used for the acid.

How to Adapt Recipes When Using a Yeast Substitute

Yeast requires rise time to leaven bread. These substitutes DO NOT require rise time. In fact, for the best results, you should aim to get your dough into the oven as soon after adding the yeast substitute as possible. So, disregard any recipe instructions that call for allowing the dough to rise, and enjoy your bread sooner.

A Word About Yeast Substitutes

If you’re out of yeast, or allergic to it, these yeast substitutes will make your dough rise. But don’t expect them to work as well as yeast. Your dough probably won’t rise as high, and you’re also bound to notice differences in taste and texture. If this is a deal breaker for you, consider swapping out the recipe you’re working on with a quick bread recipe. Since quick breads are specifically developed to work with yeast-free leaveners, you can be confident you’ll get good results.

Use an equal amount of baking powder in place of the yeast that’s called for.

Notes

Another Yeast Substitute:

Replace half of the yeast with baking soda. Replace the other half with an acid. This can be lemon juice, cream of tartar, buttermilk or equal parts milk and vinegar.

To substitute  one teaspoon of yeast, use:

• 1/2 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda +1/2 tsp buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp baking soda +1/4 tsp milk + 1/4 tsp vinegar

The yeast substitutes do not require rise time. Measure all the other recipe ingredients into a mixing bowl; then, add the substitute. Bake immediately.

Expect differences in taste, texture and rise.

Post navigation

Baking bread on the stovetop is a great alternative to using the oven. Baking on the stovetop can be an energy saver, as well as a useful alternative when an oven is not available. This process can be used at home, over a camping stove, or in a boat galley to deliver a fresh loaf right to your table.

• Most dutch ovens are between 5-7 quarts and will be large enough for baking bread.
• Try using some broken pieces of thick tile. Flat, or smallish round stones would work as well.Another option is re-purposing an empty tuna can. Make sure that the paper is removed and place it in the bottom of the pot.
• Try using some broken pieces of thick tile. Flat, or smallish round stones would work as well.
• Another option is re-purposing an empty tuna can. Make sure that the paper is removed and place it in the bottom of the pot.
• It should not fit too snug. You need space for air to flow all the way around the loaf pan.
• If you are having a difficult time finding a lid which fits, try using another pan large enough to cover the top of the pot.

• For smaller loaf pans, you may need to cut this recipe in half.
• Combine your ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix the dry ingredients together before folding in the warm water. Turn the dough until everything is fully mixed. The dough should be slightly sticky.
• Allow the dough to rest. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and leave it on the countertop for 18-24 hours. The yeast will allow the dough to rise during this time. It may also create visible bubbles on the surface of the dough.

• Place the dough in your floured baking pan. You want to flour all parts of the inside of the pan. It is helpful to rub oil or lard on the inside for the flour to stick to, then pour the flour in, turn and shake the pan until it is completely covered on the inside. The dough should fit well in the pan. The dough will rise more during baking, so it should not exceed the top of the pan.
  Another option to covering the pan with flour is using oatmeal. Pour oil in the pan covering the bottom and sides, then pour finely ground oatmeal in the pan. Twisting your wrist, be sure to turn and shake the pan until all the sides are also covered in oatmeal.
• Another option to covering the pan with flour is using oatmeal. Pour oil in the pan covering the bottom and sides, then pour finely ground oatmeal in the pan. Twisting your wrist, be sure to turn and shake the pan until all the sides are also covered in oatmeal.
• Place the bread on a cooling rack. Remove the lids and the pan from the dutch oven using oven mitts. Carefully shake the bread out of the pan. It should fall out easily because you floured your pan. The bottom of the bread will be significantly more cooked than the top.
  If you don’t have a cooling rack, you can cool the bread on another heat-proof surface like a plate.
• If you don’t have a cooling rack, you can cool the bread on another heat-proof surface like a plate.

• Start the baking process on the stove top. Place your dutch oven on the stovetop with the bread pan in place on your thermal ballast. Cover and heat on high for 15 minutes.
  Expect to have a few failed loaves which are under-cooked in the middle or over-cooked. If your equipment is different from that shown, your stove may provide more or less heat. Cooking time may need to be varied accordingly.
• Expect to have a few failed loaves which are under-cooked in the middle or over-cooked. If your equipment is different from that shown, your stove may provide more or less heat. Cooking time may need to be varied accordingly.
• Remove the dutch oven from the stove using oven mitts. Instead of finishing the bread on the stove top, carefully cover the pot with insulating materials such as blankets or sweatshirts to create a haybox.Make sure to use a durable natural fabric like cotton. Synthetic material could melt from the heat of the pot.If it is a sunny day, place the haybox in the sun for a little added warmth.
• Remove the dutch oven from the stove using oven mitts. Instead of finishing the bread on the stove top, carefully cover the pot with insulating materials such as blankets or sweatshirts to create a haybox.
• Make sure to use a durable natural fabric like cotton. Synthetic material could melt from the heat of the pot.
• If it is a sunny day, place the haybox in the sun for a little added warmth.
• Leave the pot in the haybox for at least an hour. Three hours gives a better chance of success and cannot hurt the bread. When the time is up, or you just get too hungry to wait, uncover the pot carefully.
• You have saved up to 80% of the fuel necessary to bake the same loaf in the oven.

• The bread should puff up while it is baking.You want each side to have little brown spots cooked into them.
• The bread should puff up while it is baking.
• You want each side to have little brown spots cooked into them.

Add New Question

• Can I put, say, two inches of water in the big pot with the broken tiles to create steam and to maybe prevent burning the bread?
  Yes. You could also sprinkle a layer of salt on the pot base and then place your baking dish.
• What is the exact measurement for a cup of flour?
  One cup of all-purpose flour is equivalent to 128 grams, or 4.5 ounces.
• How long should I bake the bread before I transfer to the hay box?
  25 to 45 minutes, depending on the temperature.

See more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

• If using glass, make absolutely sure it’s Pyrex or a similar heat-tolerant glass, and be aware that even Pyrex can violently explode if used directly on the stovetop.
• Some stones can contain water if they have cracks or are absorbent, which could cause them to crack apart inside the pot, potentially breaking the inner bowl or glass lid and causing injury. Try to select intact hard, dry stones of dense igneous rock.
• When moving the pot from the stovetop after the cooking time is up, remember that it could be 300 °F (149 °C) or more: very hot! Use leather gloves, potholders, or the equivalent, and test first by gripping without lifting.

Things You’ll Need

• Enameled steel pot or something with similar thermal properties (insulating, traps heat), with a tight-fitting lid.
• Something to use for thermal ballast: broken tiles, stones, perhaps even gravel or sand.
• Pyrex bowl or bread pan that will fit inside the pot without touching the sides. A ceramic bowl may also work, or you can try a standard metal bread pan.
• Your favorite bread recipe.
• Insulating materials to hold in the heat after cooking: clothing, a suitcase or travel bag, a laptop bag; see Use a Suitcase As a Haybox

References

Did this summary help you?

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 364,176 times.

Reader Success Stories

If you bought a special loaf of bakery bread and you’re wondering how to reheat it to preserve its taste and texture, your best bet is heating it in the oven for about 15 minutes. You can reheat bread on the stove, too, but some breads will come out a little chewy this way (and don’t even try the microwave). And if you’re looking for a classic, quick reheating method, nothing beats making toast.

Preheat the oven to 350 °F (177 °C). This is the best temperature for reheating bread. Any hotter and the bread could burn quickly. A lower temperature would require a longer cooking time, resulting in dry bread. If you want a soft interior with a chewy crust, 350℉ (175℃) is the way to go.

• It’s better to slice the bread after reheating rather than slicing it before reheating. Sliced bread will heat quickly and become hard and crunchy if you’re not careful.
• However, if you want to make bread crumbs or croutons, you can slice or dice the bread. Toss it with some melted butter, a dash of salt and pepper and some garlic powder, and you’ll end up with a delicious topping for your salad.

Wrap the bread in foil. This will protect the crust and help stop it from getting burned while the inside of the bread heats. If you try to reheat it unwrapped, the crust could overcook and turn out hard.

Bake the bread for 10 to 15 minutes. For small or thin loaves of bread such as baguettes, limit the baking time to 10 minutes. For larger, thicker loaves of bread, bake for 15 minutes so the center has time to warm up.

Wrap the bread in aluminum foil. This will help it heat evenly and protect it from getting burned during the reheating process.

Place the bread in a pot with a lid. Use the smallest possible pot that will still comfortably hold the bread. Put the lid on the pot.

Place the pot on the stove over low heat. The low heat will gently warm the bread. Allow it to warm for about five minutes, then remove the bread and check to see if it has been thoroughly heated. If not, replace it in the pan and warm it for another few minutes.

Slice your bread. Use a bread knife to slice it into slices thin enough to fit into your toaster, but substantial enough to hold together when you butter it or use it as part of a sandwich.

• Keep in mind that the thinner you make the slices, the more quickly the bread will toast, and the crisper it will turn out.
• You can toast thick, hearty slices in the oven if they won’t fit in your toaster.

Toast your bread in a toaster. If you’re looking for a quick, convenient, and effective toasting method, nothing beats a toaster. Load the bread into the slots, change the setting to your preferred level of doneness, and push down on the knob that lowers the toast into the toaster and turns it on. When the toast springs back up, it’s ready to eat.

• Be careful when you remove your bread from the toaster. You might need to let it cool for a moment if it’s too hot to touch.
• Never stick a knife or fork into a toaster to extract the toast. Unplug the toaster and remove the toast.

Try toasting your bread in the oven. This adds a tasty gourmet touch, since nothing beats the texture of oven-toasted bread. Turn on the broiler in your oven and let it preheat. Place your bread slices on a baking sheet. Put the baking sheet under the broiler for two to five minutes, or until the bread is toasted to your preferred level of doneness.

• For extra delicious toast, try buttering the bread before you broil it.
• You can also melt cheese on the bread to make a great afternoon snack.

• Question How do you make bruschetta with frozen French bread?Meagan JewettCommunity Answer
  Thaw the bread first so that you can slice it easily, then toast it and add your toppings.
• QuestionWhat is the best way to rewarm French bread?
  You can reheat the bread in a microwave. First, wrap the bread twice with paper towels, as this helps keep the moisture in. Second, heat for short periods of time. It is best to heat small pieces for 10 to 12 seconds for a 900 watt microwave. Be careful not to leave the bread in too long as it may harden when it cools.

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

To reheat bread, first preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Then, wrap the bread in some foil and place it in the oven. Heat the bread for 10-15 minutes, and enjoy! To reheat bread on the stovetop, wrap the bread in aluminum foil, then place it in a pot. Cover the pot and heat it over low heat for about 5 minutes. If the bread still isn’t warm enough, heat it for another few minutes. To learn how to reheat bread on the stovetop, scroll down!

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 588,211 times.

You’ve been fantasizing about making your own bread. But if you check the cupboard and find you’re all out of yeast, fear not. There are plenty of yeast substitutes that can help your baked goods rise to the occasion (sorry) in a pinch. All it takes is some science and a few basics you have in your kitchen right now.

How Does Yeast Work?

It’s aliiiive! Well, once it touches water. Active yeast is a single-celled fungus that acts as a leavening agent by eating away at the sugars in flour and consequently releasing carbon dioxide. That release causes bread and other baked goods like cake, biscuits, rolls and doughnuts to rise at a slow and steady speed. (This is different from nutritional yeast, which is deactivated and used as a vegan seasoning.)

Gluten (if you’re using wheat flour) also helps the rising process. That’s because the two proteins it’s made of fill with gas bubbles as the yeast activates. The flour’s starch releases sugar for the yeast to feed on, and fortifies those gas bubbles during baking. Then, the dough is cooked until the temperature gets so high that the yeast dies, and the stretchy, gummy gluten hardens into the bread we know and love.

Sadly, there’s no perfect replacement for yeast when it comes to kneaded bread dough. But these substitutes can do the trick for a lot of batter-based recipes in a pinch. Your finished product might have a different texture, color or height than you’re used to, but these swaps can get the job done. Just be sure to get your concoction into the oven ASAP to bake with as much captive carbon dioxide as possible.

If you remember that model volcano project from your middle school science class, this swap makes a whole lot of sense. Baking powder contains both cream of tartar, which is an acid, and baking soda, a base. Together, they make a chemical reaction that creates dough-inflating bubbles, aka carbon dioxide—which is exactly why it can stand in for yeast. This swap works best with baked goods like biscuits and cornbread, which rise quickly as carbon dioxide is produced. Use double-acting baking powder for extra lift (it reacts both when added to water and when you put it in the oven). Substitute for yeast in equal amounts.

Baking soda and lemon juice

Remember what we said about a base and acid creating a chemical reaction? This is the same idea, only you’re using the acid of a lemon as opposed to cream of tartar. Baking soda can work as a base with a variety of acids (buttermilk and yogurt are popular choices). Keep the 1:1 ratio, but because you’re subbing with two ingredients, split that equal amount between them. For instance, use ½ teaspoon of baking soda and ½ teaspoon of lemon juice in place of 1 teaspoon of yeast.

Baking soda, milk and vinegar

If you’re worried that lemon juice will give whatever you’re making too distinct a flavor, milk and vinegar can be used in its place. Vinegar and milk are both acids, so they should react with the baking soda. Replace yeast in equal amounts divided between baking soda and both acids. For example, use 1 teaspoon of baking soda, ½ teaspoon of milk and ½ teaspoon of vinegar for 2 teaspoons of yeast.

Beaten eggs or egg whites

This is one of the easiest swaps for baking powder, and in some cases, yeast. Beating the eggs will fill them with air, aiding in leavening. A dash of ginger ale or club soda can also help the eggs do their job. This swap works best with cakes, muffins, pancakes and batter recipes. If the recipe calls for eggs, first separate the yolks from the whites. Add the yolks to the rest of the liquids and beat the whites with some sugar from the recipe until light and fluffy. Then, gently fold them into the remaining ingredients. Keep as much air in the batter as possible.

Sourdough starter

This method requires a few days of waiting, but desperate, sans-yeast times call for desperate measures. Combine whole-wheat flour with water and cover with plastic wrap, then watch it bubble for a week as naturally occurring yeast grows (try our sourdough starter recipe). Substitute 1 cup of sourdough starter for a standard 2-teaspoon packet of yeast.

Self-rising flour

Let’s be clear: This is not a replacement for yeast, but because it leavens many baked goods, it can help you make everything from pizza to pancakes if you have it in your pantry. In most cases, you can substitute it for all-purpose flour as long as there’s no yeast in the recipe; the combo can lead to excessive rising and cracking. Keep in mind that self-rising flour has salt and baking powder already in it, so adjust the recipe if it calls for those separately.

The TL;DR on Yeast Substitutes

Basically, nothing does yeast’s job like yeast. But being all out doesn’t mean you can’t make a fluffy batch of biscuits or a few dozen cupcakes. The texture and appearance of your goodies will probably be a bit different, but as long as you’re working on something that doesn’t require kneading, you can probably pull it off with one of the above swaps.

Bread batter in a bowl.

Peter Anderson/Dorling Kindersley RF/Getty Images

Successfully swapping yeast for baking soda and lemon juice is easier than you may think, although the texture of your baked good will typically be slightly coarser than one baked with yeast. According to Margaret M. Wittenberg, author of the book, “New Good Food,” baking soda is the only leavening agent that you need as long as you have enough lemon juice in the mix. Lemon juice’s acidity neutralizes the baking soda, releasing carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide presses against the batter as it bakes, giving it a similar rise to what you’d achieve by using yeast.

Step 1

Preheat your oven and prepare your baking dish by greasing it or spraying it with cooking spray. Once you have the dough or batter mixed, you need to bake it as soon as possible to maximize the leavening power of the lemon juice and baking soda.

Step 2

Mix your wet ingredients in a medium mixing bowl according to your recipe’s instructions and set the bowl aside. Many recipes call for a specific amount of beating and/or creaming of ingredients such as sugar and butter or eggs. This is critical for making sure you’ve incorporated the right amount of air in the wet ingredients.

Step 3

Use a scoop, fork or whisk to fluff your flour before measuring it. Aerating the flour helps lighten it up, giving you a better, lighter result. After fluffing the flour, measure out the amount of flour as specified in your recipe. Level the measuring cup to give you an exact measurement before placing the flour in a separate mixing bowl.

Step 4

Measure 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda for every 1 cup of flour in your recipe. Add it to your dry ingredients and whisk well to combine. Alternatively, you can add the dry ingredients to a sieve and sift them together into your bowl.

Step 5

Combine your wet and dry ingredients according to your recipe’s directions.

Step 6

Measure 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for every 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda that you’re using. Mix the lemon juice into your dough.

Step 7

Place the dough into your prepared baking dish and bake immediately.

• Grease or cooking spray
• Medium mixing bowl
• Spoon, whisk or mixer
• Measuring cups and spoons

Tip

Add extra lemon juice if you want to be able to taste its flavor. Because the baking soda and lemon juice neutralize each other chemically, their flavors are also neutralized.

Warning

Avoid infusing your baked goods with a soapy, off flavor that’s characteristic of recipes that use too much baking soda and not enough lemon juice. Measure your ingredients carefully to make sure that you’re using the correct amounts. Alternatively, you can use a combination of baking powder and baking soda with the same measure of lemon juice. In this case, add 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder to your dry ingredients. The baking powder helps your dough rise without reacting with the lemon juice.

Adding extra yeast in bread can cause it to rise too much and produce large holes.

Whether there is too much yeast in pizza dough or too much yeast in dough to be used for other purposes, it can result in a disappointing end product. The effects may include an overly-large volume of bread, large holes in the bread or even a collapsed bread.

Too Much Yeast in Bread

The Home Baking Association provides the trouble-shooting information below to help bakers understand what may cause their bread to be less than perfect:

• Too much volume may be caused by too much yeast, too little salt, over proofing or a too-low an oven temperature.
• Too little volume may be due to chilled dough, too little yeast, too much salt or kneading too much or not enough.
• A dark-colored bread may stem from too much sugar, too much milk, a dough temperature that is too low or an oven temperature that is too high.
• A pale-colored bread may be caused by over-fermented dough, a lack of sugar or insufficient oven temperature.
• Large holes in bread may be due to too much yeast or too little salt.
• A heavy texture may stem from too little yeast, too little kneading, under mixing or a insufficient proofing temperature.
• Bread falling in the oven might be caused by over-proofing or an unheated oven.

Other Bread-Making Questions

Bakers commonly ask if too much sugar can kill yeast. The answer is yes, but indirectly. When yeasts are fed more sugar, they produce more alcohol. Because the yeasts aren’t able to tolerate large amounts of alcohol, they can be killed.

Another frequent inquiry by aspiring bakers is how to activate or proof yeast. First of all, store dry yeast in the freezer. When you’re ready to use it, put a package in a half cup of room-temperature or slightly-warm water. Don’t use hot water because, it will kill the yeast. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar. After mixing, allow it to stand 5 to 10 minutes. Once it’s bubbly, add it to your bread dough ingredients.

Bakers also ask how to use instant yeast, otherwise called fast-rising or fast-acting yeast. To use it, rehydrate the yeast in water with a little sugar, just as you would with non-instant yeast. You can substitute active dry yeast for instant yeast. Just use the same amount.

Use Whole Grain Flour

The Mayo Clinic recommends including more whole grains in the diet, because they’re a great source of fiber and minerals. When making bread, substitute whole grain flour for at least part of the white flour. According to the Whole Grains Council, you can exchange half of the white flour for whole wheat flour without making any additional changes in a recipe for yeast bread.

If you’d like to make yeast bread solely out of whole wheat flour, mix in an extra 2 teaspoons of liquid for each cup of flour. Also, allow the dough to rest 25 minutes before you knead it.

Bread made with fresh whole wheat flour will have a sweeter taste than bread made with flour that has been in the pantry for an extended time. If you’re unaccustomed to eating whole grains, start small, and slowly replace more white flour with whole wheat flour. To enhance the sweetness of the bread flavor, replace 2 to 3 tablespoons of the liquid in the recipe with orange juice, suggests the Whole Grains Council.

Most traditional bread recipes require the use of yeast, but if you have an allergy to yeast or would otherwise like to avoid using this finicky ingredient, there are other ways to bake bread. Some recipes rely on other ingredients, like baking soda or self-rising flour, to give the bread lift, while others don’t use any leavening ingredients at all.

Ingredients

Makes 1 loaf

• 3 tsp (15 ml) cornmeal
• 1 tsp (5 ml) all-purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp (0.5 ml) baking soda
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) scalded milk

• 2 cups (500 ml) warm water
• 1-1/2 cups (375 ml) all-purpose flour

• 1 cup (250 ml) warm water
• 2-1/2 cups (625 ml) all-purpose flour

Makes 10 to 12 servings

• 1 cup (250 ml) cold water
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) honey
• 1-1/2 tsp (7.5 ml) salt
• 1 egg
• 4 to 5 cups (1 to 1.25 L) bread flour OR all-purpose flour

• 2-1/2 cups (625 ml) self-rising flour
• 3 Tbsp (45 ml) white granulated sugar
• 12 fl oz (355 ml) lemon-lime carbonated soda

• To further prevent sticking, consider lightly dusting the bottom of the pan with a little flour after greasing it.
• You may also use parchment paper, but using aluminum foil since the foil can cause quicker browning and uneven cooking for this recipe.
• Combine the flour and sugar. In a large bowl, mix together the flour and sugar until evenly combined.
  Depending on your personal sense of taste and the lemon-lime soda used, you may need to alter the amount of sugar. If you have a notably sweet soda or prefer blander bread, cut the sugar back by 1 Tbsp (15 ml). If you have a mild soda or strongly prefer very sweet bread, consider adding another 1 Tbsp (15 ml) of sugar.
• Depending on your personal sense of taste and the lemon-lime soda used, you may need to alter the amount of sugar. If you have a notably sweet soda or prefer blander bread, cut the sugar back by 1 Tbsp (15 ml). If you have a mild soda or strongly prefer very sweet bread, consider adding another 1 Tbsp (15 ml) of sugar.
• For a blander bread, consider using club soda instead of lemon-lime soda.
• You can experiment further by using different flavors of carbonated soda, but each different flavor will have a different effect on the final taste of the bread.
• Form the loaf. Transfer the dough into your prepared loaf pan. Use your hands to spread it out evenly over the entire pan. Pat on the top surface to flatten it out.
  If using two loaf pans instead of one, evenly divide the dough between the two.
• If using two loaf pans instead of one, evenly divide the dough between the two.
• Bake for 45 to 60 minutes. Place the filled loaf pan in the oven and bake the bread until the top turns light golden-brown. This will usually happen after 45 minutes, but some ovens may require additional bake time.
• Serve. Remove the finished bread from the oven. After 10 minutes, remove the loaf from the pan and allow it to continue cooling on a wire rack. Enjoy slightly warm to room temperature.
  The finished bread will be somewhat crumbly and chewy, with a flavor somewhat reminiscent of homestyle biscuits. You can slice it thin or thick.
• The finished bread will be somewhat crumbly and chewy, with a flavor somewhat reminiscent of homestyle biscuits. You can slice it thin or thick.

Things You’ll Need

• 1-qt (1-L) glass jar
• Plastic wrap
• Small saucepan or microwave-safe dish
• Dish towel
• Medium mixing bowl
• Large mixing bowl
• Whisk or mixing spoon
• 8-1/2 inch by 4-1/2 inch (21.5 cm by 11.5 cm) loaf pan

• Baking sheets
• Parchment paper
• Large mixing bowl
• Mixing spoon
• Rolling pin
• Fork

• 9-inch by 5-inch (23-cm by 13-cm) loaf pan
• Large mixing bowl
• Mixing spoon
• Nonstick cooking spray

To make bread without yeast, start by whisking together cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and scalded milk to make the starter for the dough. Then, leave the mixture in a warm spot overnight, or until it develops a bubbly foam and a fermented odor. Next, stir in warm water and flour, then cover the starter with plastic wrap and return it to the warm spot for at least 2 hours. Once it’s doubled in size, add the rest of the warm water and flour, then knead the dough and shape it into a loaf. Let it rise for 3 hours, then bake it for 35-40 minutes in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven. To learn how to make egg matzah or lemon-lime soda bread, keep reading!

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 94,339 times.

You can easily swap baking powder for yeast.

Whether you’ve finally made your peace with carbs or just have an afternoon with nothing to do, freshly baked bread is never a bad idea.

However, if you’ve got all your ingredients needed to bake bread only to find you’re missing the yeast, don’t abandon your baking plans completely. You can easily substitute baking powder for yeast in plenty of baked goods.

How to Swap Baking Powder for Yeast

While it’s also used in the production of cheese and wine, you probably know yeast as the must-have ingredient when baking bread. But considering most people don’t ferment their own wine or cheese at home, yeast may not be an ingredient readily available in your pantry.

Luckily, you can substitute baking powder for yeast in many baking recipes. Switching out baking powder for yeast works especially well if you’re preparing batter breads, pizza dough, muffins, cakes or pancakes, according to Shena Jaramillo, RD.

To substitute baking powder in a recipe, Jaramillo recommends adding one teaspoon of baking powder for every cup of flour in the recipe. Or, if you’re baking with whole wheat flour, you’ll want to add one and a quarter teaspoon for each cup of whole wheat flour.

If you do use baking powder instead of yeast, there are some factors to take into consideration, Jaramillo warns. Baking powders made with aluminum phosphate may produce a bitter after taste, which can pretty drastically change the flavor of your recipe.

In some cases, using baking powder in place of yeast can also change the texture of your baked good, making it more coarse. As a general rule of thumb, you’ll also want to avoid using baking powder in kneaded breads, Jaramillo says.

No baking powder readily available? Another baking hack you can try is using baking soda in place of yeast. Just add in an acid (like lemon juice) to the dough.

Baking Soda Zucchini Bread

Zucchini bread is a great food to swap baking powder for yeast.

If you want to swap baking powder for yeast in your own kitchen, Jaramillo suggests giving this zucchini bread a try. This yeast-free recipe requires relatively few ingredients and takes only about an hour to prepare. Bonus: Make this dish even healthier by using whole-wheat flour.

Yeast and baking powder both work in very similar ways. They are both commonly used in baking. If they are used in the same way – to make cakes rise – can I use yeast instead of baking powder? This is a complicated one! With some recipes you can and some recipes, it may not be that easy!

In this article we will look at how to replace yeast with baking powder and also, how to replace baking powder with yeast.

Hey there! This site is reader-supported and I earn commissions if you purchase products from retailers after clicking on a link from this site.

Table of Contents

• Replace Baking Powder With Yeast
• Yeast Vs Baking Powder
• Substitute For Yeast
• Yeast Instead & Baking Powder Substitute FAQS
• Baking Powder Can Be A Great Replacement For Yeast

Replace Baking Powder With Yeast

Can I use baking powder instead of instant yeast? The answer is complicated as it really depends on what you are baking.

You can use any ingredient as a substitute for another but it does not necessarily mean that the results will be that great. Luckily baking powder and yeast work very similarly so there is the possibility of replacing them for one another.

It is easier to replace yeast with baking powder than it is to replace baking powder with yeast. Yeast is mainly used in breads as an ingredient to add a specific flavor and help the bread rise. Baking powder will never add a certain distinctive flavor to food so it can not match up to yeast in that way, but baking powder can make food rise. Yeast has a very specific flavor when added to food. This flavor can only be destroyed as bread-like and savory. If you try to replace baking powder with yeast it may not work as well as the taste of your sugary biscuits or sponge cakes may change dramatically from what they would have tasted like if you had used baking powder.

When changing these two ingredients and replacing them for one another, the biggest difference will be the texture of what you are baking and then, possibly the taste.

Yeast is an interesting ingredient that can combine your mixture and give your recipes the ability to rise. In fact, yeast is actually a fungus but acts like a leavening agent.

As yeast is a fungus, the way it produces its carbon dioxide bubbles which is what makes food rise, is very natural. The process yeast undergoes to produce carbon dioxide is called fermentation. Fermentation uses the starch and turns it into gas, alcohol and water. A biological reaction which is vital in our cooking.

When yeast turns the starch into alcohol the alcohol actually helps develop a lot of the other ingredients, like the gluten. This will help the overall flavor to the bread.

Yeast reacts very slowly and does require higher temperatures and moisture to begin its process. When you use yeast in your recipes it can react so well with other ingredients such as gluten sugar and starch and really bring out the flavor and height in your bread. The disadvantages to yeast is that it does require a slower process of baking. Yeast is very tasty in savoury items but it is not a good ingredient to use in sweet treats like cake and biscuits as it will not give a sugar-like taste.

Baking powder produces similar results but works in a different way. Baking powder is also a leavening agent and instead of making carbon dioxide in a fermentation process, it is made using a chemical reaction. This chemical reaction occurs when the baking powder is combined with other ingredients such as water.

Baking powder is naturally very acidic and is made up from acid and wheat starch. It is meant to be used in baked goods like cakes and biscuits. Baking powder is ideally for these kinds of bakes as baking powder reacts quickly and does not require a longer cooking time. Baking powder does not leave any kind of taste behind and does not react so much with other ingredients to bring out their flavors.

Both yeast and baking powder work in very similar ways as they produce the same reaction. These ingredients may be able to produce the same reaction but it may be harder to replace them with one another as they do have different advantages and different disadvantages.

Substitute For Yeast

Are you looking for a substitute for yeast to use in your baking? This can be a tricky one as yeast is very vital in many recipes, especially when making bread. Yeast can make dough rise and also combine the ingredients. Using yeast can also give your bread and buns a specific desirable taste.

Here is the top three substituents we have found for yeast:

• Baking powder: Baking powder is a key ingredient used when baking cakes and biscuits. You will most likely find that even if you are not a consistent baker, you will have baking powder in the back of your cupboard or somewhere in your pantry. Baking powder works similarly to yeast and helps the food rise. Similar to yeast, baking powder is also a leavening agent. Baking powder works by reacting with liquid as the acid inside of it will produce carbon dioxide bubbles. Baking powder can also react with heat as when it is heated to high temperatures the carbon dioxide bubbles will expand which causes food to rise and sometimes double in size. The main difference between baking powder and yeast is how rapidly they react, baking powder reacts quickly and almost immediately, causing it to react and make the food rise rapidly. Yeast works slowly to rise but can react in a bigger way. Yeast will always make bread rise larger than baking powder, but will take more time. Baking powder is the most simple bet if you are wanting to replace yeast in a recipe as it works very similarly to yeast,
• Baking soda and acid: Combining baking soda with acid can help make an effective substitute for yeast. A baking soda and acid mixture can be just as good of a replacement as baking powder. When you combine baking soda and acid it actually forms a very close replacement for baking powder. The only difference with using baking powder as a replacement for yeast compared to a mixture of baking soda and acid, is that baking soda and acid will not make food rise as well. When we say combine baking soda with acid we would recommend using a citric acid or a dairy product. You could use lemon juice or lime juice a s citric acid or milk as a dairy acid. If you do want to replace yeast with a mixture of baking soda and acid it is best to replace every teaspoon of yeast that was in the original recipe with half a teaspoon of baking soda and acid.
• Sourdough starter: The third option to finding a suitable substitute for yeast is sourdough starter. Sourdough starter is an ingredient that is actually found in yeast and is made from flour and water. The starter, like you probably guessed, is made to start sourdough bread. The sourdough starter mixture can help start the tangy flavor and trigger the fermentation that sourdough bread needs to gain its flavor and texture. Sourdough starter can work in the same way yeast does as the fermentation process will form bubbles of carbon dioxide. These bubbles are what make the dough grow and rise. We would recommend that you use half a cup of sourdough starter to replace every 2 tablespoons of yeast in your original recipe. These are all fantastic subtitles but some can be more effective than others. To start, we would recommend trying out the baking powder substitutes, then the sourdough starter and then the baking soda mixed with acid.

When you are making bread, yeast is a vital ingredient to make sure that the load of bread rises and has a certain taste. Though there are replacements that can be used like self raising flour, beer and baking powder!

Baking powder does work as a clever substitute for yeast in baked goods, especially bread and cakes. It is best to replace the yeats in your original recipes with the exact same amount of baking powder. Baking powder will not give you the same amount of rise to your loaf. But it is a great substitute if you can not use yeast.

Can I Use Yeast Instead Of Baking Powder For Pancakes

It is easy to swap baking powder for it’s substitute yeast, as long as you get the measurements right! For every 1 teaspoon of baking powder that was in your original pancake mix recipe, you should replace it with half a teaspoon of yeast. Yeast can have its disadvantages and was not designed to be used in a pancake mixture. Often people like their pancakes to be sweet and fluffy and yeast can make them stodgy and sour tasting. There is no real way of changing this if you are wanting to avoid bad effects yeast will have on your pancake mix. The only thing you can do to help this is to add a little more sugar.

You can replace baking powder for yeast when making pancakes. But we do not see why you would want to as you can actually get away with not using both! If you stick to the core ingredients in your pancake mixture (which is eggs, milk and flour), your pancakes will turn out just fine.

If you do not want to use baking powder in your pancake mixture, we recommend not using anything new at all. Stick to the core ingredients.

Can I Use Yeast In Sponge Cake Instead Of Baking Powder

It is possible to use yeast in a sponge cake rather than using the traditional option such as baking powder. Replacing baking powder with yeast to make any kind of baked good would require the same kind of skill set as baking bread. Therefore substituting other ingredients with yeast could be a dodgy experiment. You may need a little practice before it is one hundred percent right.

Baking soda will take less time when making a sponge cake and using yeast can make the cooking process slower. The taste of the sponge cake may alter if you use yeast instead of baking powder. Although, the taste may change but it is dependent on what the flavor of the cake will be. If you are making a chocolate, coffee cake or something with a strong flavor then the yeast may not make a noticeable taste change. If you make a plain sponge or red velvet cake, then the yeast may make quite a big change in taste.

Can I Use Yeast Instead Of Baking Powder For Biscuits?

Yeast is great when baking bread but will not work as well for biscuits. Biscuits tend to be on the sweeter side. Yeast can have a slightly sour taste which is unusual in sweet goods like cakes and biscuits.

If you are looking for a healthier option compared to baking powder, yeast is actually perfect. Therefore if you do not mind compromising a little bit of quality for a healthier biscuit, then yeast may be the way to go for you.

Can I Use Baking Powder Instead Of Yeast For Buns

When baking any type of bread, it is possible to replace yeast with the same amount of baking powder and not notice the difference in the end result. Although, if you do decide to use baking powder instead of yeast when making buns, the rise on your buns may not be as obvious as they would have been with yeast. This lack of rise is due to baking powder not having the same leavening effects as yeast. Baking powder can make bun rise very quickly, but not to the height yeast would have allowed them to rise to.

Can I Use Baking Powder Instead Of Yeast For Pizza Dough

Yes! You can use baking powder instead of yeast when making a pizza base. Baking powder can actually give you pizza dough a bit more texture than if you were to use yeast. Using baking powder in your pizza dough can give your pizza crust height when it rises. If you are using baking powder instead of yeast when making your pizza dough, you can add a little bit of sugar. This will add to the flavor and help create a brown colored crust.

Can I Use Yeast Instead Of Baking Powder In Buttermilk Pancakes

Just like normal pancakes, you can get away with not using yeast or baking powder when combining the ingredients. If you do want a rising agent, you can replace baking powder with yeast when making buttermilk pancakes. In a buttermilk pancake recipe, yeast will act very similarly to baking powder. If you would like to replace baking powder with yeast, it is best to use the same amount of yeast as you would have with baking powder.

Can I Use Yeast Instead Of Baking Powder For Muffins

As yeast and baking powder are very similar, when baking muffin you can use yeast instead of baking powder. When switching baking powder for yeast, the recipes that will produce the best results will be recipes including dough. Recipes to make bread, pancakes or muffins will work very well if you switch out baking powder for yeast.

Can I Use Yeast Instead Of Baking Powder For Cake

Yes, you can use yeast instead of baking powder to make cake but there may be some problems along the way. Yeast can give a sour flavor to food, especially cake. Yeast may also cause your cake not to rise as you would expect. Baking powder is the safest bet over yeast when making cakes. If you do not want to use baking powder, there are other alternatives other than yeast that can be used. The other alterices such as baking soda may not give the cake a sour taste.

Yeast Instead & Baking Powder Substitute FAQS

The quick answer to this question is yes! You can use baking powder instead of yeast, but it really does depend on what you are making. Sometimes you may be able to get away with not using baking powder and yeast. If you are going to use baking powder instead of yeast, it is best to stick to the same amount used.

Baking Powder Can Be A Great Replacement For Yeast

It is true, you can replace yeast with baking powder and sometimes it can work brilliantly. Depending on the recipe you are making, replacing yeast with baking powder does not have too many disadvantages. If you do decide to use baking powder instead of yeast, you may not be able to get the same kind of rise in your loaf of bread. But luckily the taste should not change too dramatically.

Do you replace yeast with baking powder?

Related Articles on Cooks Dream:

• Flour Substitutes For Frying
• Types Of Bakers Flour
• Is Baking Soda Edible?
• Baking Soda For Cooking vs Cleaning
• Can You Use Arm & Hammer Baking Soda For Baking?
• Baking Puns You Knead in Your Loaf
• Can You Use Bread Flour For Cake