SAF Red Instant Yeast

I am beginner and am confused about how to use SAF yeast, ie how much SAF yeast to mix with water (it comes in a 1lb block) in much smaller quantities than 1lb. Any guidance would be welcome. Thanks.

Yeast is an ingredient, like sugar is an ingredient. I confess that I have never read any yeast package instructions.

Use yeast as directed in a recipe. For example, below is the beginning of a basic no knead bread recipe on this site. (this is a yeast version not a sourdough version)

So, as the recipe directs, combine all of the dry ingredients which include 1/4 tsp of the yeast. Add the water. That’s it. No other mixing, premixing.

A recipe will give you the amount of yeast and how to handle it, but generally it is incorporated in with dry ingredients per the measurement of the recipe.

Some recipes will call for active dry yeast or some other form of yeast. Fire up Google and look up the equivalent, but generally, most current recipes call for instant yeast.

Your 1 pound “block” will not be a block when you break the vacuum seal … if, as you write it is SAF Red Instant Yeast.

Testing yeast. I never regularly did this and never had a yeast failure or yeast go bad. But if you feel the need to test the yeast, you can dissolve a little in warm water. It should foam up in 5-10 minutes. Some info says to dissolve the yeast in a bit of sugared warm water.