Thread: Maintaining my own yeast culture?

phaeton wrote:
: I just bought a fresh sack of flour on sale, and of course baking
: season is coming up. I notice that I have only one of those little
: packets of yeast. I can always buy more yeast, but is it ever
: feasible to keep your own yeast culture going in a container in the
: fridge?
:
: How much maintenance (i.e. feeding) does it need, and how much 'active
: sludge' would you use per cup of flour when making breads and
: whatnot? Should the container be sealed or vented?
:
: Or is this all much more hassle than just buying an $8 jar of active
: yeast 'granules'?

For a whim, you can try and make your own yeast. It is consistency you will
regret. I bake my own bread through out the week, meaning more than one
loaf a week. I keep my dry active yeast in the freezer in a one pound
plastic container from King Arthur. I keep my cost down when I get the one
pound commercial sized package of SAF Red Instant Yeast. My experience has
been that the last table spoon of dry yeast has been just as active as when
I first opened the package - if I keep it in the freezer. Your mileage
should be the same.

On Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:37:37 +0000 (UTC), "WSBRK1"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> I keep my cost down when I get the one
>pound commercial sized package of SAF Red Instant Yeast.

Go with the instant yeast...and buy in one pound bags...maybe five
bucks a bag. Will last for nine months or more.......or more.

http://www.wineandcake.com/browse.cf...nt/4,5730.html



The Fine Art of Cooking involves personal choice.
Many preferences, ingredients, and procedures may not
be consistent with what you know to be true.
As with any recipe, you may find your personal
intervention will be necessary. Bon Appétit!

http://whstoneman.blogspot.com

On Sep 17, 1:56*pm, phaeton <blahbleh...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> I just bought a fresh sack of flour on sale, and of course baking
> season is coming up. *I notice that I have only one of those little
> packets of yeast. *I can always buy more yeast, but is it ever
> feasible to keep your own yeast culture going in a container in the
> fridge?
>
> How much maintenance (i.e. feeding) does it need, and how much 'active
> sludge' would you use per cup of flour when making breads and
> whatnot? *Should the container be sealed or vented?
>
> Or is this all much more hassle than just buying an $8 jar of active
> yeast 'granules'?
>
> Thx
>
> -J

Just buy a one pound package of yeast. Keep it refigerated or in the
freezer. It's economical if you ue a lot of yeast.

The only yeast culture you can keep going is a sourdough culture, but
you have to use it or feed it. There are several sites
on the net to find how to start your own sourdough culture.

Better still, get some from a friend who keeps a sourdough culture
going.

"phaeton" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
>I just bought a fresh sack of flour on sale, and of course baking
> season is coming up. I notice that I have only one of those little
> packets of yeast. I can always buy more yeast, but is it ever
> feasible to keep your own yeast culture going in a container in the
> fridge?
>
> How much maintenance (i.e. feeding) does it need, and how much 'active
> sludge' would you use per cup of flour when making breads and
> whatnot? Should the container be sealed or vented?
>
> Or is this all much more hassle than just buying an $8 jar of active
> yeast 'granules'?
>
>
> Thx
>
> A 1lb bag of Red Star Instant costs less than that at Costco. I keep it
> frozen and it lasts for years. In fact, I've never had it run out of
> steam. It may keep into the next generation. An advantage to the large bag
> in addition to strikingly low cost is that you can use exact minute
> amounts. You don't open one of little bags every time you want yeast. You
> just use what you want.

Kent

In article <[email protected]>,
Mr. Bill <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:37:37 +0000 (UTC), "WSBRK1"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > I keep my cost down when I get the one
> >pound commercial sized package of SAF Red Instant Yeast.
>
> Go with the instant yeast...and buy in one pound bags...maybe five
> bucks a bag. Will last for nine months or more.......or more.

If you have a Cash and Carry in your area (or Smart and Final), they
are around $2.50 a pound there.

Regards,
Ranee @ Arabian Knits

"She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands." Prov 31:13

http://arabianknits.blogspot.com/

phaeton wrote:
>
> I just bought a fresh sack of flour on sale, and of course baking
> season is coming up. I notice that I have only one of those little
> packets of yeast. I can always buy more yeast, but is it ever
> feasible to keep your own yeast culture going in a container in the
> fridge?
>
> How much maintenance (i.e. feeding) does it need, and how much 'active
> sludge' would you use per cup of flour when making breads and
> whatnot? Should the container be sealed or vented?
>
> Or is this all much more hassle than just buying an $8 jar of active
> yeast 'granules'?
>


Buy the bulk yeast at a big-box store; much cheaper.

The companies that produce yeast spend a lot of time, money and
knowledge to keep the product consistent. Yours will mutate in very
little time and you might not like the result Especially when it
can't sleep at night LOL.

"phaeton" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
> I just bought a fresh sack of flour on sale, and of course baking
> season is coming up. I notice that I have only one of those little
> packets of yeast. I can always buy more yeast, but is it ever
> feasible to keep your own yeast culture going in a container in the
> fridge?
>
> How much maintenance (i.e. feeding) does it need, and how much 'active
> sludge' would you use per cup of flour when making breads and
> whatnot? Should the container be sealed or vented?
>
> Or is this all much more hassle than just buying an $8 jar of active
> yeast 'granules'?
>
>
> Thx
>
> -J

I would urge you to take to the cultivation and care and feeding of a
sourdough yeast, for many reasons.

1. Taste: the taste of breads made with sourdough instead of commercial
yeast has a more complex, satisfying flavor.
2. Long lasting: Breads made with a sourdough last two to four times as long
as breads made with commercial yeast.
3. Satisfaction: To know that you can bake bread at a moment's notice with a
sourdough that is in your fridge.
4. Pride: I bake bread one or two days per week, all year round. We have not
bought commercial bread in 11 years. At first, the quality left much to be
desired. In the past couple of years, I would put my bread up against
artisan bakers. And for a personal satisfaction, my breads have won multiple
awards at Washington State fairs.

I have two sourdoughs that are in my fridge. Each is 11 years old. I have a
white sour that I use in white flour recipes (baguettes, French Sourdough
boule, as well as other breads including bagels. I also have a rye sour
which I started by being given a 50 year old rye sour from a bakery in
Helsinki. Married to a Finn, I make two or three different kinds of rye
breads throughout the year.

There are many ways to start them for which you can find through Google.
What it will take is a weekly feeding, and storage in your fridge. Nothing
high maintenance.

Good luck.

Alan