[Sca-cooks] Is Sourdough Halal

[Terry Decker]

> From: margaret <m.p.decker at att.net>
>
>>  Since the
>> alcohol bakes out, you have a food rather than an intoxicant.
>> This, of course, does not preclude any particular school from
>> ruling to contrary.
>
>
> In general, the "cooks out" aspect doesen't make a difference.  This is 
> because coming into contact with the alcohol renders the food unclean, the 
> fact that the alcohol is later removed is secondary.
> Of course, it is possible to find opinions to the contrary, but in general 
> "Chicken with white wine sauce" is right out.
>
> -Katie

No disagreement on chicken in wine sauce (with might be acceptable depending 
on preparation and service).

The problem with your interpretation is baker's yeast is generally halal and 
alcohol is a byproduct of yeast.  Leavened bread made with the yeast is 
halal, but using the yeast to produce an alcoholic beverage is haram, so I 
would say that it is the intent to produce an intoxicating beverage and the 
beverage itself that are haram and not the simple fact that a small amount 
of alcohol is produced naturally by the yeast.

This interpretation is in keeping with the fact that torula (a yeast-like 
fungus) grown on sugar cane is halal while that grown on liquor are haram. 
Curiously, while yeast is halal, yeast extract has a split decision between 
halal and mush-booh (undecided, but possibly haram).

Bear