Yeast is the living part of bread. Yeast comes in different forms, now when we are making bread most often people look to the store for yeast, in the baking aisle you can find packets or small jars of yeast that contain the stabilized microorganism that will live and breath causing the bread to rise. For centuries, up until the turn of the 1900's people cultivated yeast, grew it like they grew a garden, took great care in how yeast was treated. The bubbling and life that yeast has gave rise to bread, beer, and wine, the care surrounding fermentation is an art, an art that is enduring a resurgence, an art that leads to unique and local flavors. The micro biome in my kitchen that feeds my sourdough, gives it a unique flavor that only I can create in this place.
**How do you create and maintain a sourdough starter?
You need two cups of flour, preferably 1 white and one whole wheat or rye flour. I use primarily King Arthur Flour. You can find King Arthur at Kroger or Wal-Mart. Put the flour in a non reactive container--glass or ceramic--add water and stir until you get a texture similar to creamy peanut butter. Stir the mixture hard until all flour is incorporated. Cover the vessel with a cloth, preferably cheese cloth, and let sit for 4 days stirring at least twice a day to incorporate microbial atmospheric yeast into the flour mixture.
When the mixture begins to bubble you the yeast is beginning to live in the culture. Pour out half the culture add 1 cup of whole wheat flour and water and stir again. Cover, let sit and wait for it to bubble. When the starter rises and is full of bubbles its ready for baking. When added to water, your starter should float. If its not floating, feed it again, wait over night and then attempt to use the starter.
Click the button below for a great discussion of the history of yeast fermentation in culture.
**How do you create and maintain a sourdough starter?
You need two cups of flour, preferably 1 white and one whole wheat or rye flour. I use primarily King Arthur Flour. You can find King Arthur at Kroger or Wal-Mart. Put the flour in a non reactive container--glass or ceramic--add water and stir until you get a texture similar to creamy peanut butter. Stir the mixture hard until all flour is incorporated. Cover the vessel with a cloth, preferably cheese cloth, and let sit for 4 days stirring at least twice a day to incorporate microbial atmospheric yeast into the flour mixture.
When the mixture begins to bubble you the yeast is beginning to live in the culture. Pour out half the culture add 1 cup of whole wheat flour and water and stir again. Cover, let sit and wait for it to bubble. When the starter rises and is full of bubbles its ready for baking. When added to water, your starter should float. If its not floating, feed it again, wait over night and then attempt to use the starter.
Click the button below for a great discussion of the history of yeast fermentation in culture.