Tuesday Tidbit

A bit about yeast: I love bread. I start "A Promise of Possibilities" with Ellie, the heroine, making bread. The Ancient Egyptians used leavening, yeast, from grains. Yeast didn't exist in it's granulated form, as we know it, until 1872. Before that it was sold in a block form, beginning in 1825. Before that, it was sold in a liquid form. The Dutch sold a bread-making variety as early as 1780.

Early yeast came from grain and wine fermentation, much like in sour dough. A piece of dough was added to the new batch of bread. I remember reading about a sour dough culture that could be traced back over a hundred years, used by the mother, grandmother, and great grandmother.

I'm not fond of the usual sour dough that is aged several days. It's too strong for my taste. However, Kneaders has a one-day sour dough that has a light flavor. Delicious.