baking Baking 101 [Part 3] - Yeasts and suchlike
It's getting wild now.
When I started my first blog (which was moved by @JoelR to the Secret Chamber of Wisdom), I already talked briefly about yeast. I'm sure all of you have heard of yeast. I suppose, however, that many of you don't know where yeast actually comes from.
Yeasts are eukaryotic single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. It is assumed that the first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago. Yeast is used in baking as a leavening agent, where it converts the food/fermentable sugars (carbohydrates) present in dough into the gas carbon dioxide. It is hypothesized that the first yeasts were extracted from the surface of grapes for further use.
If you go to a grocery store, you'll find industrially cultured yeast. It is normal for me to be able to buy fresh yeast at any grocery store in addition to active-dry yeast. In my nearby supermarket I even have a choice of 3, sometimes 4, types of fresh yeast. I was told that buying fresh yeast is a challenge in the United States, Canada and some other countries. (Please note: I never use active-dry yeast or instant yeast in my recipes.)
Before we had active-dry yeast or instant yeast, we had wild yeast. Actually, we still have wild yeast. It lives everywhere - in the air, in a bag of flour, on the surface of grapes. Domesticated commercial yeast replaced wild yeast for most baking because it's easier for companies to mass produce, it's easier for bakers to store and use, and it proofs our breads and pastries in a fraction of the time.
By contrast, wild yeast can be fussy and finicky. It needs a medium, a sourdough starter, in order to be useful to bakers. This medium has to be constantly maintained and monitored. Wild yeast also likes cooler temperatures, acidic environments, and works much more slowly to proof breads.
So why bother? Because wild yeast is amazing stuff! The flavor and texture we can get from breads and other baked goods made with wild yeast are no contest to breads made with commercial yeast - the flavors are more complex and interesting, the texture is sturdier and more enjoyable to chew.
Why am I telling all this?
Since wild yeast occurs everywhere, we can take advantage of it. A sourdough starter is how we cultivate the wild yeast in a form that we can use for baking. Lievieto Madre or Yeastwater are further ways in which we can use wild yeasts for baking.
On the right hand side you can see my jar with the yeast water and below it the bread baked with it.
(Edit: tag added)
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