How to Make Natural Yeast or Wild Yeast
If you’re reading this post, you might be curious about what natural yeast or wild yeast is. Are you looking for healthier bread? Do you want bread that’s easier on your digestive system? Or are you interested in making sourdough but not fond of its flavor? If so, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, I hope to share information about the history of yeast, explain what natural yeast aka wild yeast is, and guide you on how to make it.
History
Yeast was developed by the Egyptians around 1350 BC, making bread a staple food for civilization. During World War II, the first non-refrigerated yeast, Active Dry Yeast, was created. This innovation aimed to provide soldiers with a non-perishable product that would allow them to enjoy freshly baked bread on the front lines.
In 1984, another significant advancement occurred with the invention of Instant Dry Yeast, which allowed bread to rise 50% faster than Active Dry Yeast.
The introduction of dry yeast transformed bread-making. People moved away from making their yeast as the new products enabled faster and more consistent bread production. However, this shift came with a cost: We began to lose something significant in the traditional bread-making process.
What is it?
Natural yeast, often called wild yeast, is produced by nature and has been used and cultivated for hundreds of years. There are different types of yeast; some are sour, while others are flavorless. It’s important to note that the yeast used for making bread differs from the yeast used in beer. Natural yeast is typically cultivated using grapes, juniper berries, or wheat berries (grains).
Yeast thrives by feeding on a mixture of water and whole wheat flour, especially when using freshly ground wheat. However, it doesn’t grow as quickly as active or instant yeast. Typically, you let your bread dough rise all day or night before shaping it into loaves. After shaping, the dough rises again for several more hours.
It is in the rising process that we have lost a very important aspect of bread making. The raising or fermenting process breaks down gluten, making it easier for your stomach to digest. Additionally, it transforms calcium-leaching phytic acid into an antioxidant.
When I discovered how natural yeast breaks down the gluten that causes many people issues, I was amazed. It made perfect sense! God provides us with everything we need, and natural yeast is one of those gifts. Not only does it help break down gluten and pre-digest sugars, vitamins, and minerals, but it makes them easier for our bodies to absorb and utilize.
Sourdough vs Natural Yeast
You might think that this sounds a lot like a sourdough starter, and it is. However, the natural yeast starter was created by Melissa Richardson, who aimed to develop a sourdough starter that wasn’t high maintenance. She began storing her starter in the fridge and feeding it only every 3 to 4 days instead of daily like traditional sourdough.
Melissa has written two books, both of which I highly recommend. I was introduced to her book, The Art of Baking with Natural Yeast, and I was hooked.
Natural yeast is much milder than regular sourdough. I have been experimenting with it, and my family hasn’t even noticed when I’ve used the starter. When you leave the starter out, it will develop a tangy flavor. I typically feed it the same day I bake, so I don’t get much tang.
So, should you choose sourdough or natural yeast? It really doesn’t matter, which one because they do the same thing. It depends on your personal preference for maintenance and commitment levels. I love that I don’t have to feed it daily, and I appreciate how resilient the starter is. I’ll admit that I once went without feeding my starter for a week, and it still bounced back!
How to Make Natural Yeast
I won’t lie—it’s nice to be able to whip up four loaves of bread in just an hour and a half. However, I found it uncomfortable to rely on a grocery store for my yeast. For hundreds of years, people have made bread using homemade yeast, so why couldn’t I do the same?
Thus, I began my search for a natural yeast. I knew that sourdough contained yeast, but I was determined to find a natural yeast that wasn’t so tangy since my family isn’t a fan. Don’t get me wrong—I love sourdough, but my family isn’t a big fan of it. And here we are! So sit back and relax and lets make a natural yeast starter.
Day 1
- Place 10 berries into a glass jar and add 2 tablespoons of water with 1 tablespoon of whole wheat flour.
- Stir well and cover with lid. I use the lid that comes with canning jars. However, I put the cap upside down and screw the ring on the jar. This allows it to breath.
- Place the mixture into a warm spot preferably between 70-80 degrees fahrenheit.
This is the starter yeast mixture after it has been mixed.
Day 2
The next day there should be no bubbles and the liquid partially separates.
- Add 2 tablespoons of whole wheat flour and 2 tablespoons of water and mix well.
Day 3
On day 3 you should see bubbles throughout the mixture.
- On this day you will want to move your starter mixture to a bigger glass jar.
- Add 1/4 cup of water and 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour to the starter. Place it back into the warm area.
Day 4
On this day we want to see lots of bubbles everywhere! You should also have a nice yeasty smell. If it looks like this you have yourself your very own natural yeast!! Congrats!!
Feeding
To maintain your starter, mix one part starter with one part water and one part flour. For example, if you have one cup of starter, add one cup of water and one cup of flour, then mix the ingredients. The mixture should have a thick, lumpy consistency similar to pancake batter.
Feed your starter twice a week, or every 3 to 4 days. It’s important to avoid underfeeding your starter, as this can result in an unpleasant tangy flavor. Make sure to add sufficient flour for the starter to feed on.
Storage
To store your new yeast, keep it in a glass jar with enough space to expand as it grows while feeding. After you have fed your starter, you can place it in the fridge or leave it on the counter. If you leave it on the counter, you will need to feed it almost every day.
Using the Start
When you use your sourdough starter to make bread, you may notice some liquid or dark, crusty residue on top of the yeast starter. This indicates that your starter has consumed its available food supply. Don’t worry; the liquid and dark, crusty bits are harmless. You can pour off the liquid and scrape off the crusty bits. Once you’ve done this, measure how much starter you need for your recipe. If you’re not baking that day, add the leftover starter to your compost pile or feed it to your chickens—ours love it. After that, feed the remaining starter and place it in the fridge.
On the day you plan to bake, take the starter out in the morning, feed it, and let it awaken throughout the day. Then, that evening, when you’re ready to make your bread dough, measure the amount of starter required for your recipe, feed it again, and place it back in the fridge.
Conclusion
Now you have your start and know the basics of how to take care of it. I hope you enjoy!
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I absolutely love making bread with natural yeast starter. I prefer it over any other bread. Within the last month I have probably made around 30 loaves of bread for people in our ward for Christmas. Thanks for sharing this Mara.
I had no idea there was a different between natural yeast and sourdough. That’s so interesting!
It is interesting. I was surprised as well when I learned about it.
So interesting!! I need to get myself some wheat berries!
Just buy some regular hard wheat and you got your wheat berries!
This is incredibly informative and very well written. Thank you for helping me understand the benefits of wild yeast! Looking forward to taking care of my own one day, but for now I will save this information for later. Thank you!
Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed! Love to hear your experiences with your wild yeast!
This was so interesting to read! I had never heard of making your own natural yeast. Thanks for sharing!