Re: Re: Re: Can you grow yeast? Or where does it c

Posted by breadbaby on July 14, 2007 at 12:56:17 from (71.198.43.21):

In Reply to: Re: Re: Can you grow yeast? Or where does it come posted by Tony. on April 13, 2007 at 07:57:09:

Yeast is a fungus found naturally in the air. Different localities have slightly different varieties of yeast in the air. When yeast lands on a mixture that provides water and food (sugar plus grain-mash)it grows in the mixture. So to grow your own yeast mix 1 1/2 cups warm water (not over 100 degrees F. or the yeast will die) with 3 cups of flour and 2 tablespoons of sugar or honey in a glass bowl (lots of surface area for the yeast to land on) and stir to make a solution about the consistency of heavy cream (not whipped.Stir this 100 strokes to incorporate air (oxygen). Leave this on your kitchen counter (or other warm room) over night. (This is when some yeast will land on it.) Stir the next morning. Cover with plastic wrap. Leave on the counter for 7-10 days, stirring once every day (to give it oxygen to grow and to let more yeast land on it). As the yeast grows it will produce some bubbles and a tan watery layer over the thicker floury layer. Just keep stirring the watery stuff in.

Basically this process is like all gardening. Sometimes the seeds grow and sometimes they fail. So if you are serious, you might have to try this more than once with slightly differing amounts of sugar (the main food).

You are producing a local-yeast, sourdough starter, which you can use to make sourdough bread. San Francisco area has the best flavored yeast for this, which is why no other areas can make sour dough bread that tastes like SF sourdough.

If you want surer results, you can use 1 cup of yogurt (which has a yeast culture in it) in the flour mixture. Or you can just start with 2 packets of dry yeast from the supermarket. The directions are the same as above, but the starter will be ready in 5 days. (Directions are in the Tassajara Bread book for making a sourdough starter and how to make the bread and how to replenish your starter to make more. Basically you use 1-1 1/2 cups of starter to leaven your bread, and then beat in more flour to the remaining starter, which grows more yeast. You keep this is the refrigerator and use it or dump some and add more flour/food each week.)

Another place to look for some "yeast culture" recipes is under "friendship bread." I used to have a recipe, but lost it. You make the "yeast starter" using yogurt in the flour mix. Then you use part of it to make 2 coffee cake sort of loaves. Then you give one loaf to a friend with part of your starter and the recipe. The friend grows the starter for a week, makes 2 loaves and passes the "friendship" on to someone else. It's a little like a chain letter, but quickly can become like giving away zucchini--everyone has the starter and are running out of new "friends" to pass it on to.

Good luck gardening wild yeast.

Follow Ups:

Post A Followup Name: E-Mail: Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Can you grow yeast? Or where does it c Comments: Optional Link URL: Link Title: Optional Image URL: Email Notification: If you check this box, email will be sent to you whenever someone replies to this message. Your email address must be entered above to receive notification. This notification will be cancelled automatically after 2 weeks.