Make Yeast Yourself: Wild Yeast As An Alternative

Due to the corona pandemic, yeast is becoming increasingly difficult to get hold of. Luckily, yeast is very easy to make yourself. Here’s how it works.

The shelves are mostly empty. No flour, no toast, no pasta – and no more yeast. The desire for a homemade pizza base seems almost lost. But yeast is easy to make yourself if you make wild yeast as an alternative.

What is wild yeast?

Wild yeast is a natural alternative to industrial yeast and you can grow it yourself. The difference is that wild yeast, also known as yeast water, has a liquid consistency and requires more patience. However, the alternative solution prevails with clear advantages in taste and texture.

Make wild yeast yourself with just three ingredients

Making wild yeast yourself is not difficult at all. The number of ingredients is also manageable. With only three ingredients, the yeast can be prepared and then used.

These ingredients are required:

• 500ml of water
• 2 dried plums or dates (preferably without sulfites)
• 1 tablespoon of sugar

This is how the preparation works:

1. The lukewarm water is placed in a sealable container. Then add the sugar. Shake well until most of the sugar has dissolved.
2. Then add plums (or dates) and store them in a warm place. The temperature should be between 25 and 35 °C.
3. To allow gases to escape, the jar is shaken and briefly opened in the morning and evening. This should be repeated for five to ten days before the wild yeast can be used.

How do I know if the yeast is ready?

Whether the wild yeast has stood long enough and is ready for use can be seen on the one hand from the typical smell of yeast and on the other hand from the formation of small bubbles on the surface.

What should be considered when using homemade yeast?

Before using, shake the yeast well and remove the prunes. If, for example, pizza dough is to be made, it makes sense to prepare the dough a day in advance, as this now requires a longer rising time. This is because the dough contains less raising power than the conventional yeast variant due to the use of wild yeast.