Does anyone know how to get/keep Yeast for baking without buying it in the store?

Question

Does anyone know how to get/keep Yeast for baking without buying it in the store? Or how people used to get/keep yeast for baking? I want to know how I would get yeast if I were self-sustaining. Thanks All!

Answer 1

you would leave your dough on the widowsill and try and catch some wild yeast.....

yeast thrives on sugar so, if you keep a small piece of dough ( after it rises )...and keep feeing it, you could effectively keep it alive and just add more ingredients each time you want to bake.

Answer 2

This old book says,
"Boil down two large handfuls of hops, in three quarts of water, till the hops begin to sink to the bottom of the vessel ... (about and hour) ... Put about a quart of flour in ... (a basin)... and strain the liquor, boiling ... into the flour (reserve one cup?), stirring the batter quickly as you do so. The flour will thicken up like paste: stir it as smoothly as you can, then let it stand until blood warm: stir in one cup of (reserved?) barm, and let the vessel stand covered up (in a warm place) till it begins to show that fermentation has taken place. (Bubbles)

Make sure everything is sterile. The trick is to get the hops (plants that beer is made of) to ferment. This is the "starter", natural yeasts growing in the hops (you must have to add sugar). The "barm" is fermented hops, so maybe you have to boil and ferment (add sugar - 2 tablespoons) a pint or so first to add to the flour mixture. This makes what I believe used to be called Sour Dough. You keep it active and feed it sugar if it stops acting. You have to use it up and replenish it, keeping it in a warm place. You make bread by adding flour and letting it rise, I guess. You can make good old fashioned SCOTTISH bannock with baking soda. I've also read that wood ashes (must be hardwood, I think) will raise bannoc, but I've never tried it. You could also check different bread recipe books at the library. Don't overlook "Joy of Cooking" :)

Hope that helps. You might get hops at a home brewery company.

Answer 3

you can also get yeast from a bakery.

Answer 4

I don't think you have anyother option but to go to the store. ;)