Yeast Colony for Homemade Bread

Every morning, I wake up and start a pot of coffee. Next I start a loaf of bread. Have you ever eaten homemade bread? It is so delectable, so full of perfect texture and satisfying flavor. If you eat it when it is fresh out of the oven, as we do, topped with drippy, melting butter you will never want store bought bread again.

The ingredients are simple, yeast, sugar, flour, butter, olive oil, milk and salt. The yeast is the most expensive addition, running upwards of $9.00 per 4 oz. With the budget crunch in mind I started experimenting with making my own yeast starter. I figured it would not be too hard based it on the fact that I make my own sourdough starter. Why couldn’t I just start a batch of yeast and go with it. It works. I have not gotten to the place where I need to put the yeast to sleep. I will try that though, putting it in the refrigerator or freezer, and I will let you know if it works.
Here is what you do to make your own yeast. I do not measure so use your judgement as these amounts are just estimates for those of you that need the cup:
Day 1- Use a gallon zip lock baggie. Add about 3 cups of flour and maybe one half cup sugar. Add about four tablespoons of dry yeast (this is the only time you will have to add the yeast). Add whole milk to make it thick and mushy, between thick milkshake and sticky dough consistency.

Day 2- Add another cup flour and tablespoon of sugar and enough milk to keep it mushy. Mush the bag to mix it well.

Day 3- Repeat day 2

Day 4- Repeat day 3

Day 5- Use 1-3 of cups of the yeast mush in your favorite bread recipe with these changes (vary amount added to rise time you prefer, a longer rise time means tastier bread, similar to artisan bread)- on first mix, do not add the salt, adjust your liquid and go a little light on the flour, leaving the dough a little sticky, let it sit about 15 minutes. The yeast will start doing it’s thing. Then knead, adding the salt and more flour until it is the right consistency. You can change the amount of yeast mush to alter the rise time. You can basically use your favorite recipe from here on in. I leave mine to rise over the whole day (maybe 4 hours first then fold then 2 hours then bake) if I add less mush. If you work all day just fold it when you come home and rise it another hour or two then bake. When using a long rise time, take care that the top of the bread does not dry out. I have a ceramic dish with a glass lid that is the perfect size for me. I flour the loaf and the dish and do the rising and baking right in it. This is so inexact, so work it like you have to.

The mush needs replenishment so just add more flour sugar and milk in appropriate proportions each time you take some. I keep mine on the kitchen counter and if I’m not making bread that day I just add a little of the flour sugar milk to feed the yeast until the next day. You don’t need a lot of mixture to keep it going. Over time it might take on a bit of a sour dough flavor which is alright with me. If you don’t like it then start afresh.

Enjoy.

Update: May 7th, I've had a nice sponge of yeast in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. It is in a big plastic container rather than the baggie. I used it to make dinner rolls last night and they rose just great. Next I will try the freezer.