Natural or homemade fermentation, among other denominations around the world, is the most primitive way of making a dough and / or cake. It has existed for thousands of years, after all, in the past there were no industrialized yeasts.
It is common for people to refer to natural yeast using the name "levain", which is basically a dough made by mixing flour and water.
Making a homemade bread baking requires technique and a lot of patience. To get an idea, some preparations take an average of one week. But according to people who are adept at this kind of fermentation, the result is, to say the least, more rustic breads with very distinctive flavors and better digestibility.
Laura Borzani, patissier chef at Bombas de Chocolate, comments that foods that use homemade yeast are softer and last longer. They also retain the natural taste of the recipe and lessen the symptoms of heartburn. Natural yeast also has better nutritional value ?, he says.
On the other hand, she explains, “It needs a lot of care in its preparation and must be nourished. It's a lot of work! It takes about 15 hours to get ready and to do the recipe in 2 hours. For convenience, the supermarket yeast ends up being more sought after ?.
Also read: 27 mouthwatering pancake recipes
Angela Oliveira has a degree in foreign trade and, after working 32 years as commercial director of a food exporter, today cooks and maintains the blog Ora, Pitangas. It uses homemade fermentation to make breads and highlights as its main advantages:
- Bread of excellent quality;
- Easy digestible bread;
- Breads of good presentation;
- Bread lasts longer for softness;
- Enables the use in bruschetas, toast and the like;
- Lower cost;
- Accepts variations with added grains and other flour.
Among the disadvantages of making your own yeast, Angela quotes:
- Feed it frequently, between 1 week and up to 10 days, make bread or not. "Which is not difficult, because it can be easily included in the routine, provided you have mineral water and flour," he says.
- Have to plan to make bread at least 24 hours in advance.
- Good doses of patience as fermentation is slow.
Interestingly, for most people who use home-brew, what counts a lot is the care involved in the process. “Natural yeast must have a name, it must be a man's name and a strong name, mine, for example, is called Narcissus. In artisanal baking, haste and anxiety have no time !?, comments Angela.
In the case of homemade cake baking specifically, some recipes are simpler but also provide a better quality cake and taste.
4 Homemade Yeast Recipes
1. Natural fermentation for bread (by Angela Oliveira)
Procedures and materials:
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- Use sterile glass with lid.
- Each day, after mixing water and flour, cover the glass by just leaving the lid on it, without completely closing or covering the glass with plastic wrap and making 3 or 4 small holes with toothpick.
- Mixing with a long chopstick is more efficient leaving the mixture without lumps.
- Leave the glass in a place where it will not get sun or wind (in a place where it will not disturb, but is in sight).
- Use markers to mark yeast level and date and time of mix.
Step by step:
- First day: For 30 g (30 ml or approximately 2 tbsp) of filtered or mineral water in the pot, add 15 g (2 tbsp) of flour. Mix well (it will be a thin mixture).
- Second day: without any addition, stir several times a day.
- Third day: 30 g (30 ml or 2 tbsp) of filtered or mineral water and 30 g (4 tbsp) white wheat flour. Stir vigorously.
- Fourth day: 15 g (15 ml or 1 tbsp) of filtered or mineral water and 30 g (4 tbsp) of flour. Stir well and, when you remember, stir a few more times throughout the day.
- Fifth day: 30 g water (30 ml or 2 tbsp) and 30 g wheat flour (4 tbsp approximately).
- After this day, the mixture should begin the fermentation process. If it does not, continue to feed on the fifth day until the yeast doubles in volume.
After the yeast ready:
- Separate 30 g and store in refrigerator for up to 10 days, leaving in "dormancy".
- After 10 days, if you are not making bread, you should do the 'refresh' process, ie feed it again.
- If it is just to store it again, use small amounts of flour and water, eg 2 tablespoons flour and 1 tablespoon water. Mix well and leave at? Home? for about 4 hours covered only with plastic film with small holes. After the bubbles are active, separate 30 grams and store in the refrigerator in capped glass, being sure to set the date.
- The rest you can donate or discard, the? Refresh? It is necessary for your yeast to always remain active.
2. Homemade Yeast (by chef Laura Borzani)
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons white flour
- 4 tablespoons refined sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups of water
Preparation: mix sugar, flour and salt in a bowl. Then add the water. In the same bowl, let the mixture rest for two days. Do not cover. To ward off insects, cover with a neutral cloth. During this time, every five hours, stir the mixture with a wooden spoon. Is ready!
Preparation time: 48 hours / Difficulty level: easy
3. Homemade Yeast (Levain)
Step by step:
- First day: separate 100 g of whole flour and 100g of water. Mix with a plastic spoon and place the yeast in a glass jar, covered with a pan.
- Second day: separate 100 g of yeast (the remaining discard). Then add 50 g of whole flour and 50 g of water, mixing with a plastic spoon. Put back in the pot.
- From the third to the tenth day: separate 100 g of yeast (the remaining discard) by adding 50 g of whole flour and 50 g of water to it. Mix everything with a plastic spoon and put back in the pot.
Guidelines:
- Check, whenever possible, if the yeast has grown in the pot. The rule is "whenever yeast increases in volume, discard half and feed the yeast (50g water and 50g flour)".
- Yeast may be ready before the tenth day (in the heat) or shortly after (in the cold). When ready, it should be stored in the refrigerator and twice a week, use half or discard it and feed the yeast again.
4. Homemade Cake Yeast
Ingredients:
- 1/2 teaspoon of cremium tartar (a byproduct of wine production, can be found in supermarkets, along with dehydrated spices);
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.
Preparation: mix the tartar cream and baking soda in a container. Normally use in recipes that indicate chemical yeast.
12 delicious recipes made with homemade yeast
1. Bread with natural fermentation: a good suggestion for those who want to taste the unparalleled taste of a bread made with natural yeast. In the recipe has all the step-by-step, including how to make a yeast with natural yogurt.
2. Homemade Yeast Crispy Bread: Learn how to make a tasty bread that sticks to the crispy crust with this vegan recipe.
3. Natural Yeast Roll: Learn what it is and how to make the so-called? Bread of Christ? which, they say, takes its name because the person who does it has to have "a patience of Christ". In the recipe there is even the step-by-step how to make the yeast.
4. Wholemeal bread: In this recipe, you learn how to make wholemeal bread using a "pre-yeast", which must be prepared at least 12 hours in advance.
5. Fortune Cake: Regardless of superstitions, this is a delicious cake with a slightly sour taste, which is due to the use of natural yeast.
6. Apple Cake: The recipe takes, in addition to levain (natural yeast) and apples, eggs, flour, milk, Demerara sugar and cinnamon, among other ingredients.
7. Natural fermentation bread: The recipe takes ingredients such as nuts, sunflower seeds and macadamia nuts. The result is, to say the least, a very tasty and healthy bread.
8. Cornmeal breads: Cornmeal looks like little muffins, and the taste is the perfect combination of cornmeal and sweet grass.
9. Rye-Flaked Sugarcane Bread: For those who love bread and like to taste different flavors, this is a great tip.
10. Carrot Bread: A different recipe for bread, ideal for example for breakfast.
Below, chef Laura suggests two more recipes made with natural yeast:
11. Simple Homemade Yeast Chocolate Cake (Chef Laura Borzani)
Ingredients:
- 250 ml whole milk
- 250 ml of vegetable oil
- 2 free-range eggs
- 250 grams chocolate powder
- 250 grams of refined sugar
- 500 grs. of wheat flour
- 250 grams homemade yeast
Preparation: In a bowl, mix the chocolate powder with the sugar, flour and baking powder. Then insert the milk, oil and both eggs. Beat in mixer for five minutes until dough is smooth. Reserve. In an oval baking dish, butter unsalted butter. Pour batter into greased pan and bake in preheated oven at medium temperature. Observe the process and avoid opening the oven during. Average baking time: 30 minutes? depending on the oven.
Tip: add wet syrup, or just sprinkle cinnamon powder mixed with icing sugar.
Preparation Time: 40 minutes / Difficulty Degree: Easy
12. Homemade Yeast Bread (Chef Laura Borzani)
Ingredients:
- 350 ml of filtered water
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 125 ml of oil
- 3 free-range eggs
- 250 grams homemade yeast
- 1 kg of flour
Preparation: In a bowl, mix the water, salt and homemade yeast. Then the three free-range eggs. When well mixed, add the flour gradually until the dough comes off the hands. Separate this dough into another oiled bowl covered with a cloth. Let the dough rest for half an hour. Take a baking sheet and grease with the other oil. Form rolls into the desired shape and arrange them on the baking sheet. Let them rest again for two more hours. Heat the oven for 15 minutes at 180 ° C. Insert the baking sheet and observe. Expect to brown.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes (excluding oven and rest time) / Difficulty Degree: Easy
Now you know: home brew often requires some technique and a lot of patience. But those who use it guarantee it is well worth it. How about trying your yeast and venturing into new bread and cake recipes ?!
How To Make Yeast Bread (April 2024)
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