Need Yeast but don't have any??

[BadgeBunny]

Give this a try:

Yeast Substitute

Baking soda
Lemon juice
Preparation:

Mix up all ingredients according to the bread recipe you are using.
Then, add in equal parts baking soda and lemon juice to equal the amount of yeast called for in the recipe. (That means if you need 2 tsp of yeast, mix up 2 tsp of baking soda and 2 tsp of lemon juice. Stir into bread dough immediately.
Bake as usual.

Tips:
Dough does not need rise time when made with yeast substitute.
The baking soda and lemon juice need to be added last for the reaction to work properly.
For best results, use fresh baking soda.


OK ... I will admit I have not tried this yet ... but I am on my way to the kitchen, just as soon as I go check on the hens. I'll report back later this evening!

 

[peanut]

Interesting. Let us know how this works out.
We bake quite a bit.

 

[BadgeBunny]

Well, hmmmm ... Just as I figured, this is not quite as simple as they make it sound.

First Lesson: This does not work with a recipe that makes multiple loaves of bread. There is just too much to have to work with because you have to work very, very quickly.
Second Lesson: The exact SECOND you put the lemon juice in the baking soda the reaction that leavens the bread starts, so ... if your dough is too stiff or dry it is impossible to get the lemon juice/baking soda mixture mixed in before the peak of the reaction is over.

So ... experimentation is ongoing ... I'm gonna try a different bread recipe (read: smaller yield -- 1 loaf of bread -- and wetter dough). I'll post more tonight (or in the morning if I pass out on the sofa again like I did last night ).

 

[oneof79]

With all of this "sperimentation", I hope you don't blow up your kitchen.

 

[BadgeBunny]

With all of this "sperimentation", I hope you don't blow up your kitchen.

I could tell you stories ... The multiple attempts at "harvesting" wild yeast for sourdough have really not gone so well ... And until my little chat with Cinaet the other day my kitchen was destined to be the place where sprouts went to die, not grow into beautiful little powerhouses of nutrition to be piled high on my lunch plate!

I don't remember the last time my kitchen wasn't messy ... There's always something going on in there ... lol

 

[BadgeBunny]

OK, guys ... I did this with a recipe that was supposed to only make one loaf of bread. Maybe it's too cold and humid right now ... I'll try again when the weather is warmer and more conducive to bread-making before I say this is a bust ... BUT ... if what I wound up with last night was anything like what you normally get, I'm gonna say don't waste your time. Just make flatbread or biscuits and be done with it ...

SO ... Soon as the weather cooperates, I'll try it again ...

 

[HiredHand]

What went wrong with your attempts to harvest wild yeast?

 

[BadgeBunny]

What went wrong with your attempts to harvest wild yeast?

Everything ... I'm not real sure what I was doing wrong but I kept getting mold, not yeast. Think I'll probably try again this summer, now that I'm feeling a bit better. This is one of those things that you have to take care of ... It is distinctly possible that it just wasn't getting the attention it needed from me, even though I was doing what the instructions said ...

I have read that the older it gets the more stable the yeast is (and the less likely you are to wind up with a moldy mess). I just need to buckle down and get with it ...

 

[tomthebaker]

The book "Amy's Bread" has some great instructions for beginning a Sourdough starter. We keep several going all year 'round at our bakery. In lieu of sourdough starter, you can use very, very tiny amounts of yeast in a "biga" or (wetter) "poolish" starter, and make great bread. Most bakers, esp. home bakers, use many times more yeast than is necessary, thus masking the grain and fermentation flavors.

I don't recommend the baking soda method you posted. Try Irish Soda Bread recipes, with baking soda and buttermilk.

Here's a link to my bakery:

http://farrellbread.com/

 

[BadgeBunny]

The book "Amy's Bread" has some great instructions for beginning a Sourdough starter. We keep several going all year 'round at our bakery. In lieu of sourdough starter, you can use very, very tiny amounts of yeast in a "biga" or (wetter) "poolish" starter, and make great bread. Most bakers, esp. home bakers, use many times more yeast than is necessary, thus masking the grain and fermentation flavors.

I don't recommend the baking soda method you posted. Try Irish Soda Bread recipes, with baking soda and buttermilk.

Here's a link to my bakery:

http://farrellbread.com/

Ohhhhhh ... thanks for the post. I've just about decided that I agree with you on the baking soda/lemon juice substitution for yeast. It just doesn't produce the same flavor or texture that yeast does -- at least it hasn't for me. I've fed the chickens three loaves of bread and a pan of rolls made using that method because they just did not rise like they needed to. Tasted "off" too ... So ...

I wish I had a nickel for every cup of flour I've used doing little experiments like this one ... LOL