[michiganmom]

Yeast is a living thing, so it isn't really good for a long time. Maybe a year.

I am a baker, but I don't make sourdough bread. I went online and got the recipe for the sourdough starter and the bread recipes. I figure that if I cannot buy yeast that I can still make bread with a starter.

Has anyone else thought about this? What are you planning to do?

 

[Pragmatist]

Not exactly an answer to your question, but more of an alternative (sorry).

A family member got me into Beer Bread. You can make it pretty easily without yeast. It is a very simple recipe (can be modified as all can):

* 3 cups self-rising flour (1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, a pinch to ½ teaspoon salt)
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 12 ounces beer
* 2 tablespoons melted butter

This way you don't have to worry about yeast, and it makes a mighty fine (and filling) bread.

Also, in case you aren't aware, yeast (brewers yeast at least) can be easily cultured from unfiltered beers if you need to create more.

 

[britzen]

I got a starter from a friend and dried and packed some in mylar. I resuscitated one pack the other day with great success. Making a few loaves today.

The other starter I made from scratch-- works great but does not have a sour taste, so i keep both on hand.

I've made wild yeast bread without problems, but living in the SF BAy Area out wild yeasts are pretty famous for sourdough.

 

[high peaks man]

We've been in the soudough bread making for about a year now and love it.
Hardly ever buy grocery store bread anymore, blech, LOL.
Had some dried sent to me and it has been working great.
Also made some starter from scratch and got it right on the 2nd attempt.
All you need is flour , water and some patience while nursing it along, may take a week or so to get it going good.
Good topic !

 

[kathynsteve]

I have been making bread using yeast, and have tried making sourdough starter; kept it going for a while and then didn't use it enough so will try again when I need to. Beer bread is great, although I expect at some point you would run out of beer. I haven't tried this, but heard about making yeast by soaking raisins in water for a couple of days, until they start fermenting. Has anyone read or tried that?

 

[britzen]

I have been making bread using yeast, and have tried making sourdough starter; kept it going for a while and then didn't use it enough so will try again when I need to. Beer bread is great, although I expect at some point you would run out of beer. I haven't tried this, but heard about making yeast by soaking raisins in water for a couple of days, until they start fermenting. Has anyone read or tried that?

That may work, because I take my neighbors grapes for the yeast to start my "wild" breads.

I take 2 c starter, 2t salt, 2 t sugar 1 Y oil and around 2 cups flour and mix it up. Haven't had a bad bad loaf. If you want a REALLY tangy sourdough, add 1/8t ascorbic acid to the mix.

 

[thePraXis]

Haven't done it yet, but a friend bought a San Francisco sourdough kit off ebay and absolutely loves it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Authentic-SAN-F...120?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item414f1fef10

 

[high peaks man]

This is the link i used and had success with getting a sourdough starter going with just flour and water. Its pretty straight forward compared to some of the starter
recipes i've seen.

http://www.io.com/~sjohn/sour.htm

 

[california]

Ive had good success with making wild yeast.. just flower, water and time.

 

[Daniel964]

I started makeing sourdough bread about 2 months ago. I make a loaf once a week. I can only eat one half loaf a week so I cut it in half and take it to work the day after I make it. That half loaf lasts about 2 days before my co-workers have eaten all of it.

 

[britzen]

Leftover loaves make EXCELLENT croutons. Just chop it up, sprinkle olive oil, pepper garlic and onion powder and a little sea salt and bake at 300f for about 20-30 mins, stirring occasionally till brown.

 

[techo]

I was baking an Amish friendship sourdough my sister gave me for several months last year.
We were all eating so much bread we put on too much weight so, I quit making it.
I still haven't lost the weight.

 

[airdrop]

For your info I have heard that in the old days folks in Alaska would carry thier starter around under thier cloths so it would stay alive thru winter. So if times get tuff grab your stuff and then your ready for bread when the heats off

 

[Chapin]

high peaks man, that is a great link. I started making a sourdough starter yesterday. The site (follow the sourdough) I was using was on youtube. I prefer your link much better. Thanks for posting the link!

 

[benajah]

Yeast is a living thing, so it isn't really good for a long time. Maybe a year.

I am a baker, but I don't make sourdough bread. I went online and got the recipe for the sourdough starter and the bread recipes. I figure that if I cannot buy yeast that I can still make bread with a starter.

Has anyone else thought about this? What are you planning to do?

I know several people who have been using the same sourdough starter for several years. People say it gets better with age, thing with sourdough starter, its like a little mini yeast ecosystem, so you are just putting a little active yeast colony in your flour and making dough. The starter is kind of self sustaining as I understand it.

 

[Daniel964]

high peaks man, that is a great link. I started making a sourdough starter yesterday. The site (follow the sourdough) I was using was on youtube. I prefer your link much better. Thanks for posting the link!

Thats the site I used when I started makeing sourdough. It's easy to do and makes a great bread.

 

[high peaks man]

I almost gave up on the starter after three days. It had an off smell and wasn't doing much.
Then on the 3rd or 4th night we had the wood stove cranking pretty good and overnight it doubled in size and started smelling beery like it should.

I already had some starter going but wanted to give making my own a 2nd try just in case
something happens to the original.
We are pumping out about 2 loaves every five days, sometimes make quick cowboy biscuits for dinner and pancakes for breakfast or french toast too.

We've cut out the oil and lessened the salt in our dough mix and it still tastes great, especially warm , toasted or grilled for sandwiches.

 

[captaingreg]

http://carlsfriends.net/ check out this site this starter has been around for like a hundred years they will send you some free but appreciate a couple dollar donations its dried out and you restore it havent tried mine yet but it's supposed to be good....happy cooking

 

[high peaks man]

We've been experimenting lately with sourdough biscuits and bread sticks.
Today, 1/2 the batch of sourdough went to bread sticks and the other 1/2 to a loaf.
The bread sticks are brushed with extra virgin olive oil combined with fresh minced garlic and
grated parmesan cheese .
Its wicked good , stinks up the house wicked good too!