Propogate bread yeast?

[rgraville]

Can you take the packets of dry fast rise bread yeast, add some go-ferm, some type of sugar, and water to make more? Put it in a Growler or Flask on a stir plate?
With the stores all being out of yeast for baking, having the tools already to make a brewing starter seems like it might be helpful in making sure we don't run out of bread yeast...

 

[keesh]

You might be better off learning how to make a sourdough starter since that doesn't require anything from the store. But, if you would prefer the known yeast strain of bread flour, in theory you could pitch bread yeast into a mixture of equal parts flour and water. I would consider using some fraction of whole wheat flour with your standard all purpose. Once it has shown signs of CO2 production you could begin experimenting with adding it to your dough in place of store bought yeast.

Basically read up on caring for a sourdough starter, but instead of trying to capture wild yeast you are starting with store bought.

I wouldn't use sugar when you are planning on using it for flour - might as well let it eat what you are planning on feeding it later.

As far as what to put it in: try finding wide mouth mason jars.

 

[Gadjobrinus]

You might be better off learning how to make a sourdough starter since that doesn't require anything from the store. But, if you would prefer the known yeast strain of bread flour, in theory you could pitch bread yeast into a mixture of equal parts flour and water. I would consider using some fraction of whole wheat flour with your standard all purpose. Once it has shown signs of CO2 production you could begin experimenting with adding it to your dough in place of store bought yeast.

Basically read up on caring for a sourdough starter, but instead of trying to capture wild yeast you are starting with store bought.

I wouldn't use sugar when you are planning on using it for flour - might as well let it eat what you are planning on feeding it later.

As far as what to put it in: try finding wide mouth mason jars.

I think even if you start with cultured yeast, you're going to end up with sourdough. After all, that's how we get a sourdough starter culture - water and flour. Your particular blend of yeasts and bacterias will depend on your ambient conditions, but once you go to those conditions and keep propagating, eventually you will end up with wild yeasts and bacterias, sourdough, as keesh recommends. I agree with keesh - sourdough would be the way I'd go, too.

I also agree with keesh - sugar is not at all necessary, as there's plenty for yeasts to work on in the flour alone.

On containers, I wish I could like mason jars as I have (I imagine as brewers we all have) a ton, but I find them a bit of a pain - the curve inwards as it comes towards the mouth is not very easy to get to, and that bugs me a bit. I like to use containers like these, though I grant they're expensive. I look for knockoffs or anything like them. The translucent versions are somewhat less expensive. I also use 1000 ml beakers as well, just because I have a ton due to lots of yeast propagation, slants, etc.

 

[lump42]

Can you take the packets of dry fast rise bread yeast, add some go-ferm, some type of sugar, and water to make more? Put it in a Growler or Flask on a stir plate?
With the stores all being out of yeast for baking, having the tools already to make a brewing starter seems like it might be helpful in making sure we don't run out of bread yeast...

It used to be common that you could buy a packaged yeast cake. If you're looking to maintain single bread yeast strains, I would treat it like a beer starter with all required sanitary transfer steps. You could use flour in the starter but to keep it single strain (assuming the bread yeast is), you would need to boil the flour slurry first. DME would be easier if you have extra on hand.

If you just trying to stretch it further and not propagate it long term. You could make a simple smash beer (lowIBU) and harvest the yeast cake. Store it in a wide mouth jar in the fridge with 1/2" of beer on top. Then just use a spoonful for your baking.

 

[keesh]

On containers, I wish I could like mason jars as I have (I imagine as brewers we all have) a ton, but I find them a bit of a pain - the curve inwards as it comes towards the mouth is not very easy to get to, and that bugs me a bit. I like to use containers like these, though I grant they're expensive. I look for knockoffs or anything like them. The translucent versions are somewhat less expensive. I also use 1000 ml beakers as well, just because I have a ton due to lots of yeast propagation, slants, etc.

Next time I make my way to my local restaurant supply I am going to grab some containers just like those. Great idea. +1

 

[GrogNerd]

don't see any reason you can't use ale yeast to make bread

White Labs has a recipe using Kviek, but I'm sure any of their strains will do

 

[Gadjobrinus]

don't see any reason you can't use ale yeast to make bread

White Labs has a recipe using Kviek, but I'm sure any of their strains will do

It's actually the same species of yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Just a different strain, like any other cultured strain of the same species, optimized for its intended uses and characteristics.

 

[bracconiere]

don't see any reason you can't use ale yeast to make bread

White Labs has a recipe using Kviek, but I'm sure any of their strains will do

i've done it before...worked fine, just used some yeast cake from a batch of beer when i was out of active dry.....

 

[cmac62]

I've heard and read that bakers used to get their yeast from brewers in the olden days. I told my wife not to worry about yeast because I have all the yeast she would need. I hope I'm correct.

 

[bracconiere]

I've heard and read that bakers used to get their yeast from brewers in the olden days. I told my wife not to worry about yeast because I have all the yeast she would need. I hope I'm correct.

+1 to me hearing that too....and just say you're a yeast farmer, and don't want to waste the growing medium

 

[GrogNerd]

It's more ranching than farming

They're a herd, not crops

 

[cmac62]

They do call it "top cropping" LOL.

 

[Dent Arthur Dent]

OK, if you want to maintain it as a non-sourdough? No. But! You can make a starter with just bread yeast and it will take a number of generations to become any good at souring. Just use a 100% hydration base (50% water, 50% flour by weight), mix in your yeast, and let that rise, loosely covered, until it JUST starts to pull down from the highest point it reached in the container. If you want to multiply that again, weigh your final product, then add as much by weight again of both flour and water. When you're done, either make a lot of bread, store it in the fridge for up to a week, freeze it in small containers for about a month (not the best option, it can easily become non-viable), or spread it thin on a sheet of wax paper and let it harden before breaking it up and storing it in an airtight container.

Bear in mind, this isn't a perfect option. You ARE going to inoculate your starter with lactobacillus, it's just a matter of how much you get and, therefore, how long it would take your starter to sour a loaf.

Also, you CAN use sourdough to make bread that isn't super sour. To get a good, tart, sourdough takes at least 6 hours before going into the oven. Get a good, active, levain, and you can turn around a loaf of sandwich bread well before anything gets noticeably sour.