Subject: Yeast

From: [email-masked] (P. K. Powell )
Date: Wed, 30 Mar 1994 22:07:54 GMT

I wonder if anyone in this box knows something of the history of yeast
culture for the purpose of making wheat-gluten "light" bread.  It's easy
to imagine that sourdough might have occurred even prior to domestication
of wheat, but how modern or old might yeast culturing be?  How was it
done? 

Just a thought:  In our age of bread _machines_, how many of you learned
to knead the dough with greased hands, adding flour as needed, until it
*feels like a baby's bottom*?!

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From: [email-masked] (John E. Taylor III)
Date: Thu, 31 Mar 1994 13:44:04 -0500

> of wheat, but how modern or old might yeast culturing be?  How was it

This is pretty much conjecture, based on an anecdote, but...colonial bread
making and brewing often relied upon a hop extract in which wild yeast
cultured itself.  Apparently the hops deterred other organisms, allowing
the yeast to establish itself.  This would not be sourdough, even though
it's cultured from wild yeast.  It's simple enough to go 'way back into
antiquity.

> *feels like a baby's bottom*?!

Not gonna catch _me_ paying $100 for some machine to knead the dough when I
can always use the exercise.  Besides, pounding on the dough is a great way
to release aggression.

--
John Taylor    (W3ZID)     |  "The opinions expressed are those of the
[email-masked] |   writer and not of Rohm and Haas Company."