I think I mentioned in a recent post that one of my chef instructors at school taught us how to capture natural yeast from the air. That is how San Francisco gets such a unique, renowned strain of sour dough – straight from the Frisco air. So about three weeks ago we set out to capture our own and we did! The bread turned out beautifully – to attract the yeast you need a sugar and a starch component (for food) bathing in water and covered in cheese cloth or dish towel so that the tiny single-celled organisms can get in but keep all other organisms out. Initially we used honey and raisins in water, set out for a few days while covered in cheese cloth or a dishtowel. You should keep an eye on it each day – ours at school took about 3 days but we got enough yeast to get a decent rise and make some amazing stone ground wheat bread.
I tried capturing yeast at work last week, but it was NOT a success. Lesson learned: you cannot use tap water because of the chlorine content which kills yeast. Last night I checked mine and there was definitely something living inside, the little fungus we call mold. I am going to try again at home, with golden raisins, honey, water, a little flour in the water, and use spring water instead. I’ll keep you posted. For now, here is a little picture of my failed attempt from work:
Historically man has used dried fruits and honey to attract the yeast and give it something to live and reproduce off of. Bottled spring water should be what they need for a little asexy time to reproduce
trial & error 