[Sca-cooks] Bread Yeasts

Terry Decker t.d.decker at worldnet.att.net
Fri Jan 18 06:54:22 PST 2008


Sure, and it is probably correct, except that rather than beer the yeast is 
taken from ale.  Bakers yeast is Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the top 
fermenting yeast used in ale.  S. carlbergensis is usually used making beer 
and is bottom fermenting.  Baker's yeast was taken from the barm on the top 
of the ale pot.  The first reference to this practice can be found in Pliny.

The practice does not hold with sourdough breads where a combination of 
yeast, usually some variety of Candida, and lactobacilli are the leavedning 
agents.

Until the 19th Century, when yeast started being packaged for sale by 
grocers, home bakers would often buy yeast for baking from brewers.  Even 
today, most of the packaged yeast for baking is produced by subsidiary 
operations of major breweries.

Bear

> from another list that I monitor, there is a suggestion that brewerys and 
> bakerys in the Abby were located close together and further suggested that 
> the wort: juice from unfermented beer mash:(what we called 'squeezins') 
> was used as yeast for the making of bread.
>
> Anybody ever hear of this?
>
> Anybody ever try it?
>
> Cheers
>
> Malkin
> Otherhill
> Artemisia
>
> who's brewing days are on temporary hold since my housemate CAN NOT drink 
> alcohol, period.
> Jo (Georgia L.) Foster




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