Did you know that commercial yeast is a relatively new invention?
Until about a century ago, almost every household made its own yeast starters for baking and brewing.
The iconic pioneer-style sourdough is one well-known example, but you can actually grow wild yeast using a variety of grains, fruit, and vegetables.
Why not try these four ways to make yeast at home today?
4 Methods for Making Yeast From Scratch
Wild yeast works differently from the commercial strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which had undergone many generations of selective breeding for super-fast fermentation.
Breads, rolls, and biscuits rise more slowly with homemade yeast starters, but you’ll enjoy baked goods with richer, more complex flavors and textures.
Many people who try making their own starters never go back to using instant yeast.
Yeast is everywhere: on plants, in the soil, and even in the air.
If you create the right conditions, it’s fairly easy to cultivate this useful little fungus.
1. Classic Sourdough Starter
The classic sourdough bread was a staple in the pioneer era. Nearly every family had its own tricks for making and maintaining the perfect starter, which was sometimes passed down for generations.
Sourdough has a deliciously chewy texture and a characteristic sour taste that’s due to lactic- and acetic acid-producing bacteria in the yeast culture.
All you need to make basic, pioneer-style sourdough starter is flour and water. Always use unchlorinated water for your starters, since chlorine is harmful to yeast.
I recommend using whole wheat flour, although unbleached all-purpose flour will work fine as well. Start by mixing 50 gr (about 6.5 tablespoons) of flour with 50g (about 3.5 tablespoons) of water in a clean glass jar.
Cover with a cloth and leave at room temperature for 24 hours.
Every day over the next several days, discard half of the starter and feed the remainder by adding the same amounts (50 gr) of flour and water to the jar.
Mix the contents thoroughly every time. On day five, you may already have an active, bubbly mixture with a characteristic yogurt-like smell.
Congratulations! Your sourdough starter is ready for use.
Disclaimer: your starter may also take a week or longer to mature. This depends on many factors, like the temperature in your kitchen, the type of flour you use, and the amount and potency of wild yeast in your area.
Sourdough Starter Variations
Some sourdough recipes call for a “stiff” starter, i.e., using half the amount of water compared to the version above. Other starters are based on rye or spelt flour, or even gluten-free flours.
Adventurous bakers may even add yogurt to their starter for extra-sour flavor.
2. Whey-Based Sourdough Starter
If you make your own cheese or yogurt, you’ll end up with quite a lot of whey. Among the many useful things you can do with whey, one is making sourdough starter.
The lactic acid in whey will discourage the growth of harmful bacteria and may help make your starter more stable. Whey also imparts a unique texture and flavor to sourdough bread.
All you need is whole wheat or unbleached all-purpose flour, whey, and unchlorinated water.
Combine 3 tablespoons of whey, 3 tablespoons of water, and about half a cup of flour in a glass jar.
Some bakers forego water altogether and just use whey.
Cover the jar with a cheesecloth and leave it for 24 hours.
After 24 hours, discard half of the mixture and feed the remainder with about 5 tablespoons of flour and 3 tablespoons of water or whey (alternate the whey/water each day).
Repeat the process for several more days until you have a bubbly, yeasty-smelling mixture.
3. Yeast From Potatoes
One super simple method of growing a yeast culture starts with peeling and boiling a potato.
Mash the potato and save the cooking water.
Place the mashed potato in a jar and top off with the starchy water.
Some variations of this yeast starter call for adding a tablespoon of flour or sugar as well.
Sugar can really help kick-start your yeast culture, but may also result in unreliable fermentation and an unstable starter.
You can experiment with adding a little sugar to your starter to see how it works out for you.
Cover your starter jar with a cheesecloth or a kitchen towel.
The idea is to keep any debris out while allowing wild yeast floating in the air to settle on the starchy medium.
In about 24 hours, you should see bubbles forming, and your culture should begin smelling yeasty.
Stir the jar’s contents and wait about 36-48 more hours before using your starter.
For more detailed instructions, check out our homemade potato yeast starter guide.
4. Fruit or Raisin Yeast Culture
Yeast grows naturally on practically all types of fruit and vegetables. You’ll get best results from fruits with a white bloom on their skins, like plums, grapes (or raisins), and berries.
Choose organic fruit, either wild-growing or from your own garden or local farmer’s market. Washed, waxed fruit from the supermarket won’t work as well for cultivating yeast.
If you use dried fruit, make sure it doesn’t have an oil coating.
With this type of starter, you aim to capture mostly the yeast present on the fruit’s skin, so you’ll need a sterilized jar with a tightly fitting lid.
Take about 3.5 ounces of raisins or other fruit, a teaspoon of honey or sugar, and a cup of water. Put it all in your jar and mix thoroughly.
Close the lid and leave the jar on a counter.
Shake the jar daily.
When you begin to see bubbles, briefly open the lid after every shake to release excess pressure. You should have a very active, bubbly mixture on day 4.
Strain the fruit and keep the yeast water.
Mix the yeast water with whole wheat or unbleached all-purpose flour until you get a fairly sticky starter dough.
Let this dough sit for at least 8 hours or until it doubles in size before you use it.
FAQs
How Do I Maintain My Yeast Starter?
To keep your starter ready for use, leave it out on the counter and feed it daily. For sourdough starters, this usually means discarding some of your starter and adding equal amounts of flour and water.
If you store your starter in the refrigerator, you can scale back to feeding it once a week. However, you’ll need to bring it back to room temperature and feed it every 12-24 hours until it’s active and bubbly before using it again.
Can I Store Starter Without Feeding It?
Yes! You can freeze or dry your starter if you need to store it for a longer period. Drying is my preferred method, since it allows you to preserve starter even in emergency situations when there’s no power. Dried starter is also convenient to ship or gift.
How Do I Revive Dormant Starter?
Let frozen starter thaw and feed it once or twice a day until it kicks back into action. For dried starter, first rehydrate it using a mixture of flour and water and proceed as you would with defrosted starter.
What If My Starter Doesn’t Work?
New starter may need a little more time to mature. Try feeding it for a few more days before you use it in baking. Also make sure you place your starter in a warm spot and use unchlorinated water when you feed it.
You can remove chlorine from tap water by boiling it and letting it cool.
However, sometimes you just have to discard your starter and try again. Toss any starter that turns moldy, develops a pink or orange off-color, or smells foul.
