In this post I share about the best yeast for bread machine baking. And it’s probably not what you’d expect!

What is yeast for bread machine?

• Bread machines are a type of small kitchen appliance that makes breads, doughs, and even jam, yogurt and more.
• Yeast is an ingredient often added to bread to make it rise.
• Some companies sell yeast for bread machine labeled “Bread Machine Yeast“.

However, you don’t need bread machine yeast to make breads in a bread maker.

All you need is Dry Active Yeast.

This is just basic yeast and it’s the best bread maker yeast.

Bread Machine vs Active Dry Yeast vs Instant Yeast

It’s different than Instant Yeast, but honestly you can also use Instant Yeast too. They react the same in a bread maker.

So, to answer your question “Do I need bread machine yeast to make bread?” The answer is no.

Also, don’t waste your money on bread machine yeast! It’s often more expensive than active dry yeast.

Best yeast for bread machine

Here’s a few products I use and recommend.

Red Star Dry Active Yeast for Bread Machine

This is probably the least expensive yeast.

You don’t have to do this if you are making bread or dough in the bread machine, but here’s a video I shared of how to activate dry active yeast if making bread by hand using Red Star Dry Active Yeast:

Bob’s Red Mill Dry Active Yeast for bread makers

This is the yeast I use most often in my bread machine recipes and it works great. I use this yeast in my Panasonic Bread Machine and Elite Gourmet Bread Maker. It has minimal ingredients which is why I like it.

Here’s a video I shared about why I use the Bob’s Red Mill dry active yeast in my bread maker recipes:

Fleischmann Bread Maker Yeast

This is an example of a Bread Machine Yeast product by Fleischmann. As you can see, this is very expensive on Amazon. And, it’s not necessary. Just use dry active yeast!

Further reading:

Is the Budget Elite Gourmet Bread Maker Worth Buying? Chef’s Honest Review