Yeast

[Guest Guest]

“There are several ways of getting yeast started, one is from the Air. Another is from any dark skinned fruit such as grapes, plums, elderberries and so on (the yeast can be seen in the white film that covers the fruit). Getting a start from someone else, potato water, flour and sugar or honey or even maple syrup, and of course store bought yeast.

 

Yeast are living organisms and live all around us, they are called wild yeast. Wild yeast is what you are gathering when you use this recipe:

 

Flour, I like using 1/2 rye (Rye flour helps give it that really sourdough flavor) and 1/2 whole wheat, though I have used all whole wheat. Water, but not water from a municipal water company as it will contain chemicals such as chlorine and yeast does not like this, it is best to use bottled water. If you don’t have bottled water on hand then let your tap water sit out 24 hours. And finally sugar or honey; though this is not necessary. You can start yeast without sugar or honey, the yeast will feed off the natural sugar (carbs) in the flour. Sugar I think, just helps it get going faster. Using a glass container that has been washed in hot water to sterilize it and a lid or covering of some sort.

 

Mix 1 cup flour and water to the consistency of Pancake batter, add about ½ cup of sugar or honey if desired and mix. Place a cloth or a loose fitting lid over the top of the jar/container so the carbon dioxide can escape. Stir once a day for 3 days. Your yeast starter should start to smell yeasty and have started to bubble. If it turns pink it has been contaminated and you will need to start over, or if it really stinks throw it away...though I have had some smell really bad by day 3 and turn out to be great yeast.

 

On the forth day, pour out half of this mixture and add more flour water and sugar or honey. You are now feeding your new found yeasties! If you are using any fruit to promote yeast growth, now is the time take it out.

 

You will notice a clear liquid starting to separate with your starter mixture. This is called "hooch" it is normal and a by-product of the yeast. Carbon dioxide is also a by-product which is what gives the bread its bubbles, but what remains in the container is alcohol 'hooch' (just don't let anyone catching you drinking it ) you can stir it back in and it won't hurt a thing or pour it off. If you notice less hooch then normal, it needs feeding, you are starving your little yeasties! oh my! (wondering if one could get in trouble for yeast abuse!?)

 

Your yeast will be ready in a week to 10 days depending on the temperature of its environment. If no real activity is going on, try giving your yeast a boost with a little sugar or honey. Yeast needs food to grow and multiply. If you leave your yeast out on a counter you need to feed it once a day. Pour out half of what you have out, adding more flour and sugar or honey (which ever you are using) and water to a pancake batter consistency. Be sure to keep your yeast loosely covered.

 

Since your yeast is a living organism, you should probably give your yeast a name!

 

You can keep this on your counter and depending on how warm your kitchen is depends on how fast the yeast will grow. The faster it grows the more frequently you will have to feed it. If you have a lid on that is fine, but do not tighten the lid down if it is in a warm place, you see when the yeast grows it gives off carbon dioxide and it has to go somewhere. A tight lid could be very dangerous as the carbon dioxide will have no way of escaping and build up pressure. Upon opening the jar the lid could be launched.

 

You don't have to bake everyday but you may have to feed everyday depending upon the temperature of your kitchen.

To slow down the growth, place it in the refrigerator. If you decide to place your jar in the refrigerator, you can tighten the lid. Take it out once a month, loosen the lid, and let it come to room temperature and feed it. Pour half out and put in back in the refrigerator for another month. Periodically you will need to sterilize the container the yeast is in.

 

Have you given it a name yet?

 

To use this starter also called a sponge, take 1-2 cups of starter for your recipe. Keep 1-2 cups of starter, feed it and set aside for your next bread baking day or put it back in the refrigerator. Understand that this yeast is slow to grow, so it may take 12 hours for your bread to rise. I make bread in the evening and let it rise all night long, first thing in the morning I bake it. I don't let it rise a second time, but you can.

I form my bread and let it rise once. I also have to make a slash in the bread so it won't explode. In villages where there was a community oven and the recipe being used this type of bread needed to be cut. Each family had its own slash marks for identifying their own bread from another’s.

 

 

To share your yeast with a friend, smear some on a piece of muslin or wax paper, letting it dry out. Then when you share it give instructions on how to start it. Store your yeast in a dark cool place. Your dried yeast will last 6 months (but I have been able to revive it at 1 year)

 

A wonderful gift is a basket with home made bread, home made butter and home made preserves along with some dried yeast started and instructions for making everything you have given them.

 

If you have a really great starter from someone and you leave it on your counter eventually it will be taken over by the wild yeast in your area and it will change the flavor. This why most people keep their yeasts in the refrigerator to maintain the yeast they desire. Wild yeast is different in different parts of the world, so my wild yeast starter will taste different then your wild yeast starter. Many people have 5 or 6 different starters in their refrigerators to make different flavored breads.

 

If you make cheese, wait at least 3 days before making bread in the same room, if you keep your yeast on the counter, put it away in Ref. then make cheese. You will need to wait 3 days before putting yeast back on the counter.

Cheese making yeast will contaminate your bread yeast!

 

Have you named your Yeasties yet?

 

Flour

 

If you are using freshly ground wheat flour you need to add ascorbic acid to it. Ascorbic acid (crushed Vit. C tablet) conditions the flour and helps make the dough rise. I am sure some of you have tried homemade bread and had it not rise with the big air bubbles rather it was heavy and tiny holes. The flour wasn't conditioned (aged).

 

Another way to condition the wheat is to grind it and let it sit for about 30 days to age. Try it!

 

I have never researched the process of separating the bran from the flour after grinding mostly because I knew I that would be a fairly sophisticated process and another gadget on my counter I did not need! I shift as best as I can and then let the flour sit (save the bran to bake muffins and to make cereal with).

 

If I put the flour in sacks and let the sun get to it, in time the flour will turn white, well almost. The sun bleaches the color out. Millers found this out when the flour was shipped from the mills to its final destination. Transporting milled flour could take months by the mode of transportation available during the 19th century. When this ground flour arrived at the homestead it was whiter then what was being ground fresh. Then they found that is rose higher and was more tender and fluffy because it had aged. Not everyone could afford to buy already ground flour and the stigma of having ‘white’ flour became one of affluence.”

 

©1998-2004 westbrook

 

 

 

[Guest Guest]

Good info........thanks Westbrook. Maybe it's the rye flour, but I have never been able to achieve the wonderful sourdough flapjacks I enjoyed in Alaska. They were so sour, and I savored every bite.

[Linda]

great information thanks ... i hve tried to make yeast before and ..... welll ... lets just say the family did give it aname think i shall try again. think i shall call it *wild thing*

[Guest Guest]

The next time I have to clean the refrigerator, I'll tell DH that I'm throwing out containers of yeast.

[westbrook]

bump

[westbrook]

http://www.mrssurvival.com/forums/ubbthr...ge=0#Post229902

 

just trying to link all the yeasts together.