Have you ever wondered…
How your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother made bread?
I can see her now, gently kneading the dough on her old wooden table and baking up a lovely crusty loaf of bread. It was probably something she did every day, effortlessly.
So then why, for the life of us, do we have trouble producing a good loaf of bread? Why does our homemade bread turn out like something that resembles a brick or worse, fall apart into a million crumbs when slicing? My friends, I think I have discovered the reason.
It’s all in the yeast.
Yeast is an interesting little thing. Did you know that commercial yeast, the packets of granulated stuff you buy at your local store, was only available for purchase starting in 1876? So what did they do 140 years ago and beyond? How in the heck did they make bread?
It’s called wild yeast. It exists all around us, and has been since the beginning of time. It’s something that occurs naturally in our environment, but here’s what’s even more interesting… it takes everything harmful in flour and turns it into a completely digestible, nutrient-dense, living food. Amazing, right?
The problem with grains:
Grains are the ONE FOOD that can be stored at room temperature for 10+ years. Think about it. No other food can match the longevity of a grain. On one side, that’s pretty cool. We as humans can store grains (and nuts, legumes, and seeds) until we need them.
The only problem is, some preparation is necessary before we can start munchin.’ Seeds need to be planted and sprouted into vegetables/fruits. Many people soak/sprout nuts and legumes before eating to increase the digestibility and nutrient power. And just like its friends, grains need a little care before they will release their nutrients.
For thousands of years, our ancestors would soak, sprout, or use a sour leavening method (like wild yeast) before they would dare place a grain in their mouth. Today? We grind up grains into flour and bake goodies without a care in the world, unaware that we are causing harm to our bodies.
Grains contain something called phytic acid. This phytic acid prevents the grain from being digested. You see, inside the grain there’s amazing stuff like fiber, nutrients, minerals, and enzymes. Phytic acid prevents us from absorbing those nutrients. Phytic acid also happens to latch itself onto any free floating nutrients in our digestive tract depleting our bodies even further.
Every heard of gluten? The numbers of people who are becoming gluten intolerant are rising each day. People are unaware that often when the gluten is prepared properly (by soaking, sprouting, or sour leavening) it becomes something that many people can digest with ease without problems.
I’ve written extensively on the subject of preparing grains properly, so if you’re hungry for more info on the subject, check out the following articles of mine:
- Do you know how to prepare your grains properly?
- Grains: Are they good or bad?
- The Ultimate Guide to soaking, sprouting, and sour leavening bread: Part 1
- The Ultimate Guide to soaking, sprouting, and sour leavening bread: Part 2
- The Ultimate Guide to soaking, sprouting, and sour leavening bread: Part 3
- The Ultimate Guide to soaking, sprouting, and sour leavening bread: Part 4
- Your Guide to soaking & sprouting whole grains, nuts, beans, & seeds
The EASIEST homemade bread recipe in HISTORY.
I am telling you, start baking your bread with wild yeast and your bread will not only be a powerhouse of nutrients. It will turn out beautifully EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
Each time I make a batch of homemade wild yeast bread, I am amazed at how beautiful it comes together. I’ve also never had bread taste so moist with no added oil. It’s like we were always destined to make an amazing loaf of bread. We just forgot how to let nature help us.
The only drawback with using wild yeast is that you have to store it in your fridge and “feed” it every day or every other day at the most. This means you’ll need to add water and flour to it for the yeast to continue to thrive. It takes all of 5 minutes, but it does take putting some reminders in that phone of yours.
Also, because it takes time for the yeast to break down the grains and do its thing, you need to allow 5-6 hours for the first rise and 2-3 hours for the second rise. I’m being completely honest when I say that while this may seem overwhelming at first thought, this is actually MY FAVORITE PART about this recipe/baking method. I love that I can take 10 minutes to mix up my dough (let it rise 6 hours), take another 5 minutes to form it into loaves (let it rise 2-3 hours), then bake it for 40 minutes.
I made bread 4 times this week, and took extra to my neighbors because it’s THAT easy. Let me tell you, I’m a busy gal, and I’m still baking wild yeast bread. I LOVE the fact that I can feed it every day or every other day until I need it, then make bread the WAY it was MEANT to be made.
I decided the best way to show this method would be to make a video, so for your viewing pleasure, here is the method for baking bread with wild yeast:
Ingredients
- 2 c wild yeast starter
- 2 c filtered water
- 1 1/2 TBS salt
- 5-6 c whole wheat flour
Instructions
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Combine all ingredients in a mixer & mix until dough cleans sides of bowl (roughly 5 minutes).
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Place in oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
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Let rise 5-6 hours or until doubled in size.
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Divide dough into two sections.
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Knead dough and form into loaves, then place in greased pans.
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Cover with plastic wrap.
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Let rise 2-3 hours or until doubled in size.
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Bake at 325 for 40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees.
Recipe Notes
Feeding Your Wild Yeast Starter:
Feed your starter every day or every other day.
Feed equal parts of water and flour. For example, if you have 1 cup of starter, then mix 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of filtered water.
Cover and store in the fridge until next feeding or next time you're making bread.
NOTE: Don't try to use recently fed yeast in a recipe. 6 hours must pass from time of feeding to when you can use it effectively as yeast.
Adapted from Stelzer family for the Hebrew Congregation Ecclesia
Hey there! I’ve started leaving my starter on the counter instead of the fridge now. I feed it daily and extra if there is hooch… But my bread dough has not been rising very much at all lately and my loaves are dense which I believe is due to the not active rising dough…:(. I’ve started making a new starter thinking maybe it’s my starter…? I did go away and there was a bit of hooch on my starter when back…. I just don’t know… hoping the new starter will be what is needed to have better success…. Any tips or suggestions on any of the above would be welcomed. ??. Thanks for this site!
Hi DT-
Sometimes if you use your starter too soon after feeding it the bread won’t not rise as well. A good rule of thumb is to use it when there are lots of bubbles on the surface and it has risen to its peak. This can be anywhere between 4-12 hours after feeding.
Also some other things that affect bread rising are adding too much salt or flour, allowing it to dry out during rising, or using a pan that is too big (a good size is 8.5 x 4.5).
Best of luck with your bread!
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Thanks! I will try a bit less salt than 2 T.
I was putting in 4 T honey. I guess I’ll back that down as well to 3 T for the 2 loaf recipe.
I fed the starter at around 7:45 pm the night before, and used it at around 8:20 am the next day. But, it had hooch on the top. Should I not have used it to make bread if it had hooch on it or do I just pour the hooch off, and bake with it?
Lastly, should I feed it later in evening since it is on the counter and gets bubbles on the surface quicker than in fridge? Thanks so much for all your patience help! ??
Hi DT-
It would be best to pour the hooch off, feed the starter, wait until it’s bubbly again and then bake.
You will need to feed it more often since hooch is developing. Development of hooch means the starter is hungry/starving.
Thanks -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Thank you so much! I was thinking you would say that! lol God bless! ?
Another thing, my starter which I leave on the counter is super super runny.. but it does rise and bubble…. Is that ok? Thanks!
Hi DT-
Yes, as long as it is active and bubbly it is ok.
Thank -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
DT here! I wanted to let you know that I did try using baking soda before shaping the loaves and it was not good. As you had wanted me to let you know if I tried it. It tasted like baking soda FYI ! Lol. On a better note – – after rereading and rewatching the above video by DaNelle on feeding the wild yeast and making this recipe, I realized she said you can use any flour in the recipe and in the wild yeast recipe, it says best to feed the wild yeast with hard red wheat but that you can use this yeast in any flour recipe that needs yeast. So I used milled hard white wheat in the bread recipe for the first time ever with my red wheat fed starter and wow! what an amazing difference! It is a huge blessing to me & my family! So much easier to work with and more mild flavor! PTL. Again, thanks for this site!!
Quick question. Can you use 2 teaspoons of ACV in this 2 loaf recipe to help with rising instead of using 1/4 teaspoon baking soda? Thanks in advance!
Hello DT-
This recipe does not call for baking soda.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Yup you are right it does not call for baking soda. Sorry! On another note, I have read that you can add a smidgen of baking soda to a loaf right before shaping? Supposedly it will help with the 2nd rise in pans? What say you all?
Hi DT-
Yes, have heard of that too, but don’t normally do that. If you try it, let us know how it works.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Will do! Thanks!
It is winter here in FL and the temps are cooler. Is that the reason my dough doesn’t seem to be rising much?
Hi Denise-
Yes, temperature can affect the wild yeast starter. Also, make sure you are feeding the starter enough so it is active, but not using the starter within 6 hours of feeding it.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Thanks! I believe it’s the cooler temps! Brrr. :). Thanks again! Happy baking!
How do I get my dough to rise in a cold house? Oven?
Hi Denise-
Yes, place it in a slightly warm oven. Turn the oven on to it’s lowest setting for about 5 minutes and then turn it off. Place the bread in the oven until it has doubled in size.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
I made this before with not much success. This time I cut the recipe the in half. But I am having the same issue as the first time I made this. I ran out of spelt flour so this time I did 1 cup organic spelt flour, 1 cup organic rye, 1cup organic unbleached white.
My wild yeast was good and bubbly. The kneading in the kitchen aid went good. Pulled from the sides My first rise was 5 hours in the oven with no heat. Doubled in size.
It is the second rise that goes bad. I kneaded it by folding over, quarter turn, fold, turn, fold, turn. I do that 4 times. I do get some tearing. The dough is slightly sticky. Meaning without flouring the board, it would stick.
It rises, but doesn’t double. After 2 hours it goes no more. It rises then tears and glops over the sides.
When I bake it, it falls. No dome top. Just flattens out.
The last time I made it I used all organic spelt. Same thing happened.
When I make my sourdough, I start with an oven temp of 450 and a pan of water. I don’t have this flattening out.
Would that make a difference here?
Just looking for ideas.
Hi Bryan-
Yes that could make a difference. Also know that spelt is a lower volume bread prone to toughness and cracking. Due to differnt gluten content it does not perform the same as wheat.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Maybe you already answered this, but how is this different than sourdough bread?
Hi Annie-
It is very much the same, except this starter is stored in the fridge all of the time so it doesn’t develop that sour flavor.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
What if I haven’t been putting it in the icebox? Is it still safe?
Hi LeAnn-
You don’t have to put it in the refrigerator. Doing so just slows down the growth and amount of feedings.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
I have been struggling to make a nice loaf of sourdough bread for a long time and I am so happy to report that this recipe worked perfectly for me. I even put the dough in the fridge overnight after the first proof because I didn’t have time to finish it. Took it out in the morning and kept going. Foolproof. Thank you!
Hi danelle, can i use this recipe for wild yeast white sandwich bread? Pls advise on what to tweak?
I live in hot and humid singapore, so the proofing time is usually much shorter too.
Thanks in advance!
Hi Daphne-
If you want to make sandwich bread with a starter this is a good one to work with: https://holycowvegan.net/best-sourdough-sandwich-bread-yeast-free/
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Thank you heaps! Do you have any recipe for muffins or soft milk bread with sourdough starter?
Hi Daphne-
Here’s some favorites:
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/blueberry-sourdough-muffins-recipe
https://www.ful-filled.com/2020/05/17/sourdough-japanese-milk-bread/
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
I use Sunrise flour mill organic heritage white flour. With my wild yeast starter, and this recipe. It works everytime. Delicious bread, and I use it for sandwiches, garlic toast, ect. The sunrise fours are all old variety’s, so it is old fashioned flour with old fashioned baking!
Thanks for your starter and bread recipe. I have tried wild yeast bread and done well with store bought wheat but failed miserably with fresh ground wheat.
Have you ever used fresh ground wheat for your bread and starter?
Hi Robert-
Yes, and it works fine. Just be aware that you will probably use a little less water.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
What is the reason for baking the loaves at 325F? I find that doesn’t cook them through in that amount of time, so I turn my oven up to 375F and give it a good hour and often another 10 minutes, to boot. Just wondering if the lower temperature for a longer time would make a difference I’m unaware of. The higher temp for an hour or even 70 minutes has always been sufficient for my 100% whole wheat bread and I think my oven temperature is accurate. Hm. Maybe today I’ll make sure! -Kate
Hi Kate-
You can bake at a higher temperature just make sure the bread doesn’t rise too fast and crack or become tough. Do note that at higher temperatures the bread can become crusty. Not bad, especially if you like crusty bread!
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
I’m new to wild yeast, and am actually almost annoyed that this is the first recipe I tried, because it is so good! I’m the kind of person who tries things until I find one that I like and then stick to it. So now I have no reason to try anything else, lol. But really this recipe is so easy and so yummy, and just a little bit sour. I ate a slice of toast last night from the loaves I baked 2.5 weeks ago (stored in a ziptop bag on the counter)- a little gummy but still pretty good! I was worried about having 2 loaves at once but it lasts so long it isn’t an issue. This time I actually used half whole wheat and half white flour (bc that’s what I had) and let the first rise happen overnight in the fridge (bc my starter needed to be used and it was already 8pm). Took it out of the fridge around 4pm the following day, shaped the loaves and proofed about 4 hours (extra time bc it started out cold). Came out perfectly!
Hi DaNelle,
I am on my third week of making this bread…absolutely brilliant. I just have a small question… I have started adding honey to the mixture but my dough seems quite sticky and wet now. Should I incorporate the honey into the water so that it makes up two cups of honey plus water, rather than two cups of water plus two tbsp of honey? Or shall I just add a bit more flour? Thanks
Hi Joe-
If you are adding in maple syrup or honey there are some adjustments you need to make. These are just guidelines and each recipe can come out a little bit differently:
-For every 1/8 cup of maple syrup or honey you add reduce the water by 2-3 tablespoons
-Reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees because maple syrup or honey will make baked items brown faster
-For every 1/8 cup of maple syrup or honey you add you will need to add in 1/8 teaspoon baking soda to balance the acidity. Adding a bit more baking soda can also reduce sourness, even if you are not adding in sweeteners.
-A little goes a long way with these sweeteners, so do overdo it, or the taste will be off and you can also disrupt the action of the yeast
To reduce the sourness of the bread, shorten the bread’s rising time, because sourness develops over time. Also, if you have a starter you are using be sure to feed it often.
Thank you! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
I’m going to admit – I was very skeptical. Just leave the yeast outside. Don’t worry about which oil to use when greasing the baking pan. Eyeball account of flour until dough comes off the side of mixer.
It didn’t seem like a regular recipe. When I pulled the brass or of the oven and had my first bite – I couldn’t believe it. So incredibly good & only whole wheat! It’s all about the yeast. So alive and delicious.
It’s changed the way I’m baking bread. Thank you!
Allen Wilder
Thank you for the recipes. I am wondering, if you have any bread recipe, that has crunchy crust? I seem to find only sandwich type ones.
Hi Daiva-
DaNelle doesn’t have an exact recipe, but you can create a crustier bread by placing a sturdy pan (cast iron preferred) on the bottom rack of the oven as it preheats. Then add about a half cup of hot water into the pan as you are putting the loaves into the oven. Cook as directed.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Stream in the oven creates a crispy crust. Avoid oil in the dough or yolks, or butter. Make sure the dough is relatively wet, as opposed to stiff and easy to knead/shape.
I have scoured the internet for an easy bread recipe using a starter and yours was the only one I could find. I am a moderately advanced beginner and I cultivated a decent yeast starter but did not want to bake a sourdough boule as was the only info out there! Your video and site has helped me so much. I hand kneaded my dough and used a combo of white wheat and all purpose. I halved the recipe and initially just used 100 g starter but after 6 hours there was no rise. I added in another 100 g starter and with a tiny bit extra flour kneaded it for a few minutes. Left it overnight in a cooler kitchen 68 F and it rose beautifully. Just wanted to say a huge thank you during this time helping out everyone with your blog!
Hi it’s me again! Even though I’ve been using this recipe for almost 2 years now, I run into things to ask here and there. So… my question, is it possible that I’m not kneading my dough enough because my dough doesn’t seem smooth and elastic as it should be. It has been tearing a little here and there. I mill my grain (Hard Red Wheat) for the starter and bread making and use an Ankarsum mixer. Thanks in advance! Love this site and recipe so much! 🙂
Hi Denise-
It sounds like your dough is under-kneaded. Signs of a dough that hasn’t been kneaded enough are that it will be droopy and loose, tears easily, and still looks a bit ragged.
Keep kneading it and it should smooth out.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Do you have to use filtered water? I tried making this and got gray water on it evary time.
Hi Richard-
Yes, it’s best to use filtered water.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Hi DaNelle, Another quick question. My starter is somewhat liquidy. (It does have bubbles though and smells great.) Since using it last Friday, I had 2 c left and fed it equal parts (2 c water/2 c flour) but it just isn’t firm today – Monday.
Question is: Should I be concerned that it is Not firm, or pancake like. What can I do to get it back to being more on the firmer side if anything?
Hi Denise-
If you are feeding your starter regularly and feeding it enough then consistency isn’t all that important. Sometimes the flour you use will affect consistency. Lower gluten or older flours absorb liquid at a slower rate and may cause the starter to be runny.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
I don’t have a mixer. Would you have some advice about how to mix this by hand or know if I can use my bread machine? Also do I need to have the starter out of the refrigerator for a few hours before I proceed or do I take out 2 cups and then start making immidiatley.
Hi Rose-
You can mix it by hand using a spoon until all ingredients are combined and the dough begins to clean the side of the bowl.
If you use a bread machine you can use it for the mixing and kneading, but for the whole process you will have to adjust for the rise time and the splitting of the dough.
You need to have the starter out of the fridge until it reaches room temperature before you bake with it.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
I’m using your wild yeast starter and bread recipe today.
Could use some clarification regarding the starter.
I’ve had it in a two-quart sealer for the past week and have fed it 3/4 cup each flour/water every two days.
Now I’ve removed 2 cups starter and replaced them with 2c each flour/water.
The sealer’s looking pretty full and if I feed it every two days till using it again next Monday, it may overflow even kept in the fridge.
My question: When I take out 2 cups of starter, do I need to replace with 2 cups flour/water or will, say, 1 cup each flour/water do the job just as well and, over the week’s next 3 feedings, smaller feeds like 1/2c each flour/water? I’m hoping to keep the volume down to that one sealer because I have a small, already overstuffed fridge. -Kate
Hello-
You can do any of that, as long as you feed equal parts of water and flour. Just watch how your starter reacts, and if it forms liquid (hooch) on top. If there is hooch forming, you need to feed your starter more often. You can also transfer some of the starter to a new jar, give away or toss some of it, or use in other recipes.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
We are really loving this recipe. It’s my first new and delicious bread discovery in at least 20 years — and that’s saying something! I’ve been baking 100% whole wheat bread all this time and it’s been our standard — which is lately shoved aside by the bread made with this recipe. Thank you so very much for your contribution to our happy bread-loving household! -Kate
When a recipe calls for one envelope or tbsp of yeast how does that convert to this wild active yeast?
Hi Alisha-
The best approach I have seen for this is done by combining 1 measure of starter, 2 measures of water, and 3 measures of flour (all measures in weight).
Be aware that the rising times may be different based on the type of yeast you are replacing. Also, fully understand how your starter behaves in a traditional starter/sourdough recipe before you begin substituting and converting in other recipes.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
When you speak of measures do you mean 1 cup starter to 2 cups water and 3 cups flour? Most recipes call for 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast. How does that convert to an active wild yeast starter?
Hi Alisha-
Measures can be volume, but typically it means by weight.
Thanks -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Quick question, after using starter to make bread, if I have 2 cups starter left, do I feed it 2:2 equal parts ( 2 cups water and 2 cups flour?) or the1/4 c water 1/4 c flour ?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Denise-
You can do either one, as long as you feed equal parts of water and flour. Just watch how your starter reacts, and if it forms liquid (hooch) on top. If there is hooch forming, you need to feed your starter more (and maybe more often).
Good luck with your starter and bread!
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Can you leave the bread to rise overnight?
Hi Chris-
You will want to stay with the rising times suggested in the recipe.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Hi, [I’m super new to making bread]
Is this recipe with the link to the sourdough starter the same thing as using wild whole yeast? As in, is the starter from the link in ingredients different than using a packet of yeast from store? Will it still bring out the nutrients you talked about?
Hi Paige-
This article of DaNelle’s will help explain the wild yeast starter a bit more: https://www.weedemandreap.com/wild-yeast-starter/
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Hi there,
Just got my starter going. Is it possible to half this recipe?
Thanks!
Hi Amanda-
Yes, you can.
Thanks! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Pretty sure our great-great-great-great-etc grandmothers didn’t’ make bread with an electric mixer. Mine died while making this bread for the first time last night. No matter, I’ve been eyeballing kitchenaids for a long time, now I have an excuse.
So, I made this bread last night/this morning with white bread flour. It looks great, but didn’t get a lot of color, even with an egg (white) wash. Also, one loaf kind of cracked along the side. Do I need to score these when I make them? They other loaf was braided, so less noticeable. They were baked at 325° for 40 minutes, in metal pans. Do I need to make changes to those instructions? (I would upload a photo, but there doesn’t seem to be a way to do that.) Looking forward to cutting into them tonight.
Hi Helene-
Yes, scoring the bread can keep it from cracking. Just be aware that issues with cracking can come from over or under-proofing the yeast, or over or under kneading the dough, which affects the gluten. Cooking at or proofing at too high of temperatures, and cooking too long, can cause issues.
DaNelle shows in her video she is using a glass pan, so you will need to raise the oven temperature by 25 degrees if using a metal pan, but watch the bread closely as every oven is different.
Best of luck with your bread! Happy Baking!
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Hi,
When the recipe note says (something along the lines of), “don’t use starter that has been fed within six hours or less,” is that just so the starter is strong enough to get the bread to rise? And what if there is hooch… Will the starter still be strong enough? (I live in a really hot climate, so last summer, my starter kept producing hooch literally after only 3 hours) My starter is 100% with einkorn).
Thanks!
Hi Pepper-
You do not want to use your starter right after feeding because it will have reduced strength and potency.
If you find your starter has hooch it means your starter is hungry and needs to be fed more often. Feed it appropriately or it will be weak or it can die.
Thank you-Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
I need help. I have made this recipe a few times and never get a good loaf. Maybe my starter isn’t strong enough. Also the loaves always crack. All along the edge of the pan it appears that the bread is pulling away from itself. Any ideas
Hi LaPrele-
I am not exactly sure what you mean by not getting a good loaf, but many issues with baking bread come from over or under-proofing the yeast, or over or under kneading the dough, which affects the gluten. Also, cooking at or proofing at too high of temperatures, and cooking too long, can cause issues. So check to make sure your proofing and baking times and temperatures are appropriate, and you are sufficiently kneading the dough.
As for your starter, be sure to adequately feed it and in a timely manner. Watch to see if it bubbles to see if it is active.
A tip to help with some of the cracking is to make small slashes on top of the dough before baking.
Best of luck!
Thank you –Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Still using this recipe. Recently had to use Einkorn flour as my gluten-sensitive daughter is in the house. First try, I had to use like 8 cups of flour to the 2 cups of water. So, the next time I used just 1.5 cups of water and then I could use the 5-6 cups of flour.
Thanks for the video, it made all the difference in the world. I was watching the dough while you were working it and tried to mimic that. I did pretty good for a first timer. My kids liked it anyway. I also used wild yeast I grew from scratch which was really fun.
Hi Kristi-
That’s awesome! So glad it worked for you! Thank you for letting us know how it went! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Hi, sorry to use reply button but couldn’t find where to ask you…..can I do this recipe and cook in Dutch oven as I would sour dough bread? This recipe seems easier, not so much faffing! Thank you
Hi Barbara-
Yes, you can cook it in a Dutch oven.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
My starter was frozen and thawed because I was away for two weeks . How do I get it to grow faster? Do I leave it out of fridge for a bit? Or will that give it a sour dough taste? Thanks!
Hi Denise-
After freezing a starter it should be thawed in the refrigerator overnight and then (in the morning) placed in a clean jar, fed, and left on the counter. The sourness is usually dependent on the frequency of feedings. Feeding your starter more reduces the acetic acid (this is what produces the sour taste). Keeping your starter at a warmer temperature will increase the need for feedings, therefore reducing the sourness. When feeding the starter be sure the flour and water ratios are equal, or with a very slight higher amount of water. Dry environments (including too much flour) increase the acetic acid and therefore the sourness. A moist environment will increase the lactic acid (the other acid your starter produces) which will not increase the sour taste like acetic acid.
I hope that helps!
Thank you and Happy Baking! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Hello again.. another question! My oven broke and we are going to purchase a new one. Do you recommend baking the loaves using convection setting or regular conventional setting? Thanks in advance! ~Denise
Hi Denise-
Convection is your best bet for better baking. Thanks! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Hi, I’ve been enjoying this recipe since this past July 2018 and now my husband is saying it tastes a little too sour. I make a double recipe giving us 4 loaves at a time and using 6 T maple syrup. Would honey be a better sweetner to counteract the sour taste? And would it be okay to add 7 T of honey or would it mess with the yeast doing its rising?
Hi Denise-
If you are adding in maple syrup or honey there are some adjustments you need to make. These are just guidelines and each recipe can come out a little bit differently:
-For every 1/8 cup of maple syrup or honey you add reduce the water by 2-3 tablespoons
-Reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees because maple syrup or honey will make baked items brown faster
-For every 1/8 cup of maple syrup or honey you add you will need to add in 1/8 teaspoon baking soda to balance the acidity. Adding a bit more baking soda can also reduce sourness, even if you are not adding in sweeteners.
-A little goes a long way with these sweeteners, so do overdo it, or the taste will be off and you can also disrupt the action of the yeast
To reduce the sourness of the bread, shorten the bread’s rising time, because sourness develops over time. Also, if you have a starter you are using be sure to feed it often.
I hope that helps!
Thank you! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Thanks so much! One other question that might seem silly.. My loaves always seem to have stretch marks on one side. They rise really high though… So, not a big deal, but… is there something I can do, if anything, to minimize this? If not, no big deal, just thought I would ask. Thank you.
Hi Denise-
Yes, stretch marks on bread are a common problem. While it doesn’t affect the taste it doesn’t look the nicest either. Stretch marks usually come from not allowing the dough to proof enough before putting it in the oven and then it rises too quickly from the heat of the oven. The best way to tell if a dough is ready for the oven is to gently touch the side of the bread. If it springs out, it needs to rise a bit more until you can lightly press into the dough and it stays indented.
I hope that helps and you have lovely looking bread!
Thanks -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Thanks, this is Denise again, so with the convection oven, do I reduce the temp by 25 degrees? The sales person says when baking, to reduce the temp by 25 degrees and then bake for the amount of time the recipe calls for… Thanks again, in advance!
Hi Denise-
Every oven will be a little different, but there are three ways to turn a conventional oven recipe into a convection oven recipe.
1. Reduce cooking temperature by 25 degrees F (~15 degrees C).
2. Reduce cooking time by 25%.
3. Reduce both temperature and time by less than 25%.
Thanks! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
I just bought glass loaf pans. And am getting a Convection oven. So, question – when baking, do I bake at 325 like the recipe says for 40 min? Or… should I bake at 300 since it is a convection oven for the 40 min?
Hi Denise-
Lower it by 25 degrees.
Thanks! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Is it necessary to feed the starter every day or every other day if you are only baking once a week?
My starter is quite liquid. Can I just add more flour and less water when I feed the starter or is it important to feed equal parts water and flour at each feeding?
Hi June-
Once you have your starter going you can maintain it by keeping it on the counter and feeding it each day with equal parts of flour and water. Or you can keep it in the refrigerator and feed it about once a week. If you are getting liquid forming on the top this is probably hooch. You can pour it off. It is not harmful, but usually indicates a starving starter. So this means (if the starter is at room temp) you may need to feed it twice a day.
I hope that helps.
Thank you – Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Would like to know about the machine you use to mix your bread. What is it and where to purchase?
Hi Velda-
It’s a Bosch. And you can purchase them on Amazon. I think her “Resources” has a link to a mixer. https://www.weedemandreap.com/resources/
If it’s not exactly what you need you can search around on Amazon and find the one you want. I hope that helps!
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
In the directions above, it mentions feeding the starter: if you have 3 cups starter, add 3 cups flour and 3 cups water to feed it. Is this correct? or do I just daily keep adding the 1/4 cup flour and water (each)? Or do i see how much starter I have and use that same amount? Thanks!
Hi Sarah-
To feed your starter keep adding equal parts.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Hi there-
Can you clarify how I should maintain my wild yeast? I followed
The 17 day instructions, but was unsure whether I should be taking out all but 1/4 cup of starter and then feeding it 1/4 water 1/4 c flour, or leaving what’s in there and feeding 1:4 of each… also some comments say put on the counter and some say maintain in the fridge. I’m going for a less sour taste so should I feel it daily in the fridge and take it out just before I’m about to mix up my bread? Or should I take it out the day before and set it on the counter? Thank you for clarifying!
Hi Leanne-
You can have as much starter in the jar as you want, but always feed at 1:1:1 ratio, meaning equal parts of starter, water, and flour.
Keeping it in the fridge or on the counter depends on how often you want to use it. It you use it and want to feed it daily, then keep it on the counter. If you need it to slow it’s growth or become dormant keep it in the fridge.
The sourness is usually dependent on the frequency of feedings. Feeding your starter more reduces the acetic acid (this is what produces the sour taste). Keeping your starter at a warmer temperature will increase the need for feedings, therefore reducing the sourness. When feeding the starter be sure the flour and water ratios are equal, or with a very slight higher amount of water. Dry environments (including too much flour) increase the acetic acid and therefore the sourness. A moist environment will increase the lactic acid (the other acid your starter produces) which will not increase the sour taste like acetic acid.
Also, shortening the breads rising time can reduce sourness.
I hope that helps!
Thank you and Happy Baking! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Possibly a repeated question, but I’m new and work a lot with little scrolling time. When feeding your yeast, do you mix/stir in the water and flour?
Hello-
Yes you do. Here is a video to completely explain it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnx5ue1O640&t=656s
I hope that helps! Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Hi Danelle,
Thanks for the info and the great video. I have been reading (and reading and reading) to educate myself and your visual and audible elements really help to cement some of this in my head! I am going to try your recipe after I work on getting my starter mellowed out. I’ll start feeding it daily to every other day as you suggest and I think I will use white flour (as I’ve read that you’ll get a less sour starter that way, right now mine is a bit more sour than I want). When I use your recipe, I would like to add maple syrup or honey for a little sweetness. I also want to add some nuts or seeds or oats. Any tips on how much flour to substitute with these ingredients? Thanks!
Hi Lori-
If you are adding in a small amount of nuts, seeds, or oats, you won’t have much to change. Simply watch the recipe as you add in the water and flour and adjust accordingly to your dough. If it’s too dry, add more water, and if it is too wet, add in more flour.
If you are adding in maple syrup or honey there are some adjustments you need to make. These are just guidelines and each recipe can come out a little bit differently:
-For every 1/2 cup of maple syrup or honey you add reduce the water by an 1/8 cup
-Reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees because maple syrup or honey will make baked items brown faster
-For every 1/2 cup of maple syrup or honey you add you will need to add in 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to balance the acidity
-A little goes a long way with these sweeteners, so do overdo it, or the taste will be off and you can also disrupt the action of the yeast
I hope this helps answer your questions. Best of Luck and Happy Baking! Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
I see that you used a glass bread dish. If using metal do I increase the temp 25 degrees to 350? What about baking time? Add more?
Hi Heather-
When a recipe calls for a glass/ceramic pan/dish, but you use a metal one be sure to increase your oven temperature by 25 degrees. So you will increase your temperature to 375 degrees, but keep the baking time the same. Do keep an eye on it because every oven bakes differently.
And just as an FYI: metal pans are reactive and can interfere with a product when soaking and even when baking. Using a glass/ceramic pan/dish will not allow anything to leach from the pan to your food.
I hope this helps. Best of luck and Happy Baking! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
This feels like a silly question but I see you have a recipe for actually making a wild yeast starter, yet in this bread recipe it links to a store bought starter. Are they essentially the same thing? I read the issues with commercial yeast, so how is this store bought one different? It is the dead of winter now so I don’t have the option to make an outdoor wild starter but REALLY WANT to make this recipe. I’ve never baked bread before and I am thrilled to come across this tutorial.
Hi Katie-
Actually that is great question! Typically commercial yeasts are not all that great, so you want to steer clear of them if possible. The one linked in the article is from a seller that has more of a whole foods, ancestral health approach and puts out quality products that are great to use when you don’t have the option of making something on your own…such as trying to capture yeast in the dead of winter. So it is a good option to use.
However, you can make a yeast starter inside your home, it just won’t be “wild” yeast starter but more of just a sourdough starter, which can be used is this recipe. Keep the area where your starter is at 80 degrees F, but if you can’t, make sure the water you add is at 80 degrees F.
I hope this helps! Let us know if you make the recipe! Best of luck and Happy Baking! Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Hi there! I am quickly putting this as a comment because I didn’t have time to figure out how to add a new comment. I’m so sorry, I have my kid sitting next to me making all kinds of noises. How would I make this into pancakes? I would love to try it out because I love the bread recipe!
Hi Colleen-
To the make pancakes with a yeast/sourdough starter I would follow the Nourished Kitchens recipe here: https://nourishedkitchen.com/sourdough-pancakes/
However,to make great pancakes you don’t need yeast and DaNelle has a tasty recipe for sprouted wheat pancakes here: https://www.weedemandreap.com/easy-sprouted-wheat-pancakes/
I how this helps! Best of luck and Happy Baking! Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Hey Bobbi – thank you for the encouragement. You were right about the salt – I adjusted it a bit and I also substituted 1.5 cups of flour with Bob’s Red Mill 10 Grain. Oh my stars this bread is absolutely delicious – best I’ve ever baked! Thanks again!
So glad it is working for you! Thank you for letting us know how it turned out!
Hi! I really would like to try to start baking our bread fresh, but am concerned about the yeast starter. I only have to bake for my husband and myself, so we don’t need very much. I love the idea of using half the recipe to make a couple of pizza crusts to freeze. But if you have to keep feeding the starter every day with equal amounts of water and flour, how large does it get if you aren’t baking daily? I don’t want to bake more bread than we will need, and I also work full time! Also, have you ever frozen the bread after baking to save?
Hi Elizabeth-
First to slow your starter you can keep it in the fridge. This slows growth or can allow it to go dormant.
As for freezing bread, this is definitely something you can do.
For short-term storage (1-2 weeks) freeze bread tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or freezer paper after it has completely cooled.
For long-term storage (2 weeks – 6 months) freeze bread wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, then wrap it again in a second layer of foil or freezer paper after it has completely cooled.
When you are ready to eat your bread place a loaf in the fridge overnight.
Another thing you can do is to freeze your bread dough instead of baked loaves. You can place it in the oven frozen when you are ready to bake. Just note that may take 5-15 extra minutes to bake.
I hope this helps! Thank you and Happy Baking! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
I can’t seem to figure out how to comment here so I’m ‘replying’ instead. I started a wild yeast starter on Dec. 5, 2017 and have great success feeding it and keeping it going. It smells and looks amazing. I’ve made many loaves of bread starting about 10 days after the yeast got going. The bread looks beautiful and smells good when it’s baking. My dilemma is that the bread is basically flavorless – I’m not getting a good yeasty flavor at all. Do you think this is something that will change over time? I’ve been using basic unbleached white flour and sometimes I throw in some whole wheat to bulk it up a bit. Years ago I had a sour dough starter that made such delicious, yeasty, slightly sour bread. This wild yeast just doesn’t seem to be going in that direction. Any suggestions?
Hi Jan-
That’s fantastic that you have created a starter. A well established starter can give your bread a great taste, so keep working with your starter. Be sure to allow your bread sufficient rising time so the right balance of acids is created, as this affects the flavor. Another thing you may alter is the amount of salt you use. Salt in many recipes can enhance the flavor, giving you a better product. I suggest playing around with the amount of salt you use to see if you can find the flavor you like. Just don’t go overboard on the salt because too much can interfere with the yeast’s activity.
I hope this helps! Best of luck and Happy Baking! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Hey! So I’ve gotten a starter going but I have done the instructions as written in the starter kit you recommend, not the “wild yeast” way I guess. Can this type of starter still be placed in the fridge once it has gotten going?
Yep, it can be placed in the fridge to slow down its growth.
Do you freeze the bread dough after it has risen once or before? I heard that freezing kills some of the yeast. I froze it after the first rise, kneaded it again, shaped it then froze it. when I went to use it, it didn’t seem to rise after defrosting before I cooked it.
Hi Jacquelynn-
You will want to freeze it after the first rising. If you do plan to freeze your dough, you may want to adjust your recipe by using a high protein flour and use slow rise yeast or double the amount of yeast in the recipe.
Also, you will need to thaw the dough for about 3-4 hours and then let it rise another 45-60 minutes.
I hope this helps! Thank you and Happy Baking! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve been regularly making sourdough bricks! I use all sorts of flour – sprouted, kamut, spelt, and I know that has been enabling the brick issue. So yesterday I decided to try this recipe, although I favour overnight soaks, I figure if you’re gluten sensitive, as is my hubby, then if it works for you, it should work for him. I’m just making one loaf, one pizza and 1 dough for the freezer. This dough is feeling and looking awesome. I did use some of my sprouted flour, as I ran out of whole wheat non-sprouted, and some AP flour, as Canadian AP flour is high protein. Looking forward to trying with other flours and adding seeds etc.
Hi LindaV-
Wow, it’s sounds like you are super creative and really having some fun with baking! I hope it all turns out and you have some delicious bread products! Thanks for trying the recipe and for posting! Happy Baking! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Hi DaNelle, I really think the natural yeast or sourdough is something we need to try. My husband has never been willing to try a gluten-free diet but he suffers migraines often. Natural yeast makes so much sense to me. We have made our own whole wheat bread by hand for years but here the catch. BIG family, we pretty much use 8 loaves per week. I have loved making batches of 8 and being able to pull them out of the freezer and they thaw wonderfully etc. I just am not picturing how I would multiply this recipe. Surely, this can be done en mass. (didn’t our for-mothers do it for big families…oh yeah, they did it everyday and no freezer option) Would I really need eight cups of starter? Will my whole starter-making be different? I like the idea of fresh bread 4 days per week but I hate heating the kitchen that often and my 9 kids all ages keep us very busy. I think we will find a way to do this. I have three able daughters who do bread better than me, but really prefer to bake once a week especially in summer. Have you any advice on how to multiply the wild yeast starter and this bread recipe. Another question: If our bodies are getting the wheat nutrients by natural yeast will that help break into the nutrients of other grains products in our diet such as pastas. I am not thinking my husband in allergic to wheat but maybe he is nutrient deficient..thus migraines. I am considering pushing to reduce other gluten while we do natural yeast test season. Just curious if you know. Thanks for your info, ps we butchered our first chicken’s from your tutorial this year.
Hi Jo-Anne-
Yes, you will need to use 8 cups of starter to make 8 loaves (2×4 batches). Your starter making will be the same, however you can have more than one starter going if that helps.
The only way to receive nutrients from other foods with phytic acids to is to actually soak/sprout those foods. The breakdown of the phytic acids happens during the soaking/sprouting, not in our bodies, only the absorption occurs there. There are certain nutrients that do help us absorbed certain nutrients, such as Vitamin C helps us absorbed iron.
Migraines can be caused by many things, including gluten, too much sugar, nitrates from processed meats, deficiencies in B-12, B-9, B-6, Iron, Copper, and Vitamin D. Evaluation of diet and subsequent changes can help reduce the number migraine episodes and the length and intensity of migraines.
I hope this information helps. Good luck with your bread and everything else! Thank you for reading and posting! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
If I am grinding my own flour to use in this recipe do I follow the soaking instructions first? Let 5 cups of freshly grinded flour soak in 1 cup + 14 TB of water + 2 TB apple cider vinegar? Then 12-24 hours later add starter & salt and follow recipe?
Yep! Exactly!
I was under the impression that we didn’t need to soak the 5-6 c whole wheat being added to the yeast starter because the yeast would break down the phytic acid while it is rising all day. So is it really necessary to soak the wheat before adding it to the starter? I’m new at this and still trying to figure it out too. Thanks!
Hi Christine-
You are correct. The action of yeast can definitely break down the phytic acid. However, soaking the flour will ensure a more complete break down of the acid in case the amount of yeast isn’t sufficient enough to complete this action. However, just allowing the yeast to do its job, even without soaking the flour, is usually enough. I hope that helps.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Thank you so much for sharing! My starter is looking good and I’m getting ready to bake my first loaves, tomorrow hopefully! Quick questions: should you make the bread with a recently fed starter? (how long do you need to wait after feeding to use it?) And, what size loaf pans would you recommend for this recipe? Thank you!
Hi Laura-
I am so glad your starter is looking good! To make bread from your starter you need to wait a minimum of 6 hours after feeding. You can use a standard bread pan size (9×5) for this recipe. I hope this information helps! Thanks and Happy Baking! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Hey! Thank you very much for the recipe!
I was wondering if it would work okay with all purpose flour instead of whole wheat flour? My family can be kind of picky and prefers white bread. If so, should I also start my starter with all purpose flour?
Thank you!
Hi Kay-
I understand that not all people like the flavor and texture of wheat bread. Plus, it’s nice you are looking to get creative with recipes and make them your own. I like to tell my own kids, and those in the classes I teach, that cooking/baking is my favorite way to use chemistry everyday and to try new experiments. I usually get an eye roll here, but hey, I think it’s fun to change up recipes!
So, to change this one up from whole wheat to all-purpose flour is very doable. Since this is a bread recipe, the flour can be swapped out pretty much cup for cup. However, sometimes wheat bread recipes require more liquid than do the white bread. So reduce the water by 1/2 cup and then slowly add in more water as you hand mix the dough so it doesn’t become to runny. If it does become runny just sprinkle in a little more flour. (So as you make this bread, you may not be able to make it in a bread machine but rather by hand until you get the flour to water ratio down.) The rest of the recipe should work the same. Your rise times may be shortened since all-purpose flour is not as dense as wheat flour. If you want, you can also try mixing and matching with the flours, adding in just a cup of wheat flour or go half and half just to see how the family likes it and how those breads turn out. That’s right, channel your inner chemist and get to experimenting.
I hope this information helps and you get a bread your family loves. Best of luck and Happy Bread Making! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
I left my bread for 6 hours, but it didn’t really grow. What went wrong with it? I have it in the loaf pan now to see what happens, but it is not looking good. I also don’t have a machine to work the dough for me. Could this have been the problem?
No, if it doesn’t rise, it’s probably that your yeast is bad or you added too hot of water to it and killed the yeast.
I have tried making my own wild yeast starter, and failed, but I was leaving it out on the counter. It never seemed to “double” in size, as per those instructions. Then I read I could use milk kefir, but have not found a recipe to tell me how: how much to use, when to use it …
I’m very much a newbie to baking bread, but I have been using my Vitamix to grind my own flour for a while. I actually have only used spelt, because I don’t know about all the different varieties, and what’s best for my (and my family’s) health. I know many varieties are not traditional, and it makes me question their healthfulness.
What advise do you have for me?
Blessings and thanks in advance.
Hi Rita,
If you’ve been making your starter with Spelt that is problem. In my yeast-making article, I point out that hard red wheat is best to get a flourishing starter:) Good luck!
Also honey can be left out for a long time on the counter.
Hi! I absolutely loved your video. I just recently made my first sourdough starter a few weeks back & have loved experimenting with bread and pizzas. I was wondering if you could use your sourdough starter for this bread, either with the discard or after you feed & let activate overnight? My starter is completely wild, no added yeast. PS I also live in Arizona 🙂
Have you found the temp of your home to be a significant factor with this bread? Most people using this starter mention the need for a pretty warm room, 75 degrees plus, and mine is not that warm. I don’t mind it taking longer to rise, as I plan to do the first one over night as mentioned by one commenter. I’ve been resurrecting the starter on my counter for the last couple days after more than a year of dormancy in my fridge with zero feeding and it’s all bubbly and growing, so I’m thinking it should be fine raising the bread below 70 degrees. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
We live in Arizona, so I’ve only known a warm place. I do have friends in Washington who make bread this way year round. You can set the bread to rise on a heating pad to help raise the temperature.
also i don’t think my other comment went through-
i have baked with sourdough starters forever. i have never heard that you could take the starter out of the fridge and bake immediately with it. rather, i have always taken my out of the fridge (the day before i bake) fed it three times (maybe 8 hours apart) and left it at room temp during that time. the room temp (re)activates the starter.
if you take it directly out of the fridge, feed, and use, how is it active enough to allow for the rise?
i don’t get it.
Yes, there are a lot of different methods. In this one, we can do that because we feed every single day so the frequency keeps it very active.
Can you make a starter using Brewers Yeast?
I haven’t tried it personally before:)
how do you know the dough is ready when mixing by hand?
thank you
It becomes less sticky, and very dense.
How do I just start a starter? Thanks!
Here’s my tutorial for ya’! https://www.weedemandreap.com/wild-yeast-starter/
First let me say that I have baked bread for 40 years and I have a grain mill and grind my own wheat. I’m pretty good at making bread with store bought yeast but I have never had any luck with sourdough bread. I have lost count of all the sourdough bread recipes that I have tried. I have never found one that works till now. I couldn’t be more thrilled! I have 2 absolutely perfect loaves in the oven right now. I think the secret is the amount of starter (which seems to be one cup per loaf) and that the starter is left in the refrigerator till you use it. I can not wait to taste it!! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Linda A
Oh that makes me so happy! Congratulations!
Hi, I am wondering why you have to use filtered water? I have well water at home would that be ok? Thanks 😉
That’s fine.
How long does the loaf of bread last once made? Can you make one to eat fresh then freeze the other?
Yes, absolutely!
Hi! I attempted to catch my own wild yeast and now I think it’s ready. I left it outside for 10 days (I brought it in at night due to rain or freezing temperatures a few times). My question is, should it taste sour? It’s not as sour as the sourdough starter I made at the same time inside, but it’s still a little sour, and fizzy. Did I actually get wild yeast or did I just make a different sourdough? I’m baking with it today per your wild yeast recipe so I’ll have to see how it tastes. Either way it will be good but I’m hoping it’s actually wild yeast. Otherwise a have a whole lot of sourdough starter haha!
Sounds about right to me! I would keep feeding it and putting it in the fridge to finish it off.
How much gluten is in the bread, I am trying to stay away from gluten & do you have a gluten free recipe for the bread?
Hi Brenda, I don’t have a means by which to measure the gluten, but there definitely would be gluten in this bread. I don’t have a gluten free recipe either.
Hi! Thanks for a great simple tutorial! Mine is currently on it’s first rise and I don’t have loaf pans so plan on baking a couple round loaves in my Dutch oven. Any time/temperature adjustments you could recommend? Thanks again!!
Hi Michelle, I haven’t cooked in a Dutch oven, so I’m not sure I could give good advice about that:)
Hi there, I do this regularly – a smooth ceramic one. I grease it, put a bit of cornmeal on it and then put my dough in it to rise for the second rise with the lid on. Once risen, I cook it with the lid on for the first 15 minutes and off for the second 15. I think it rises better than in a regular pan. Good luck!
I used a food processor with the small cutting blade on the bottom and it worked great, taking just 3 minutes to form into a smooth loaf. My first couple loaves didn’t rise well, the kitchen was too cold (Chicago, otherwise known as Chiberia). Placing the bowl with the dough in a crockpot on warm as TOO warm, but setting it on an open metal trivet on top of a heating pad on low (covered) on top of my wooden countertopgave me a perfect loaf. Thanks for your video – I’d have given up after my first couple of tries using another’s instructions otherwise. – Lin
That is such great info, Lin! I’ve been having trouble with this recipe trying to do it by hand since my stand mixer is in storage. And I couldn’t get the dough blade to work well in the food processor. So you used the regular metal blade with your food processor? What size?
Thanks!
Annie
I’ve been making this by hand and I love it! Thanks for sharing the recipe! My only problem is that when I’m kneading it it has been getting tears in the dough. In other words, the surface is not smooth but starts to stretch and tear. Am I adding too much flour? The dough seems as though it’s still too sticky but i am getting those tears. Suggestions? Also, I’m making pizza shells today with it like you suggested in your video. Should they be baked for 7 minutes at 325 or a higher temperature? And when they’ve cooled,do you wrap them in saran wrap to freeze them or what would you use? Thanks for your help!
Hi Emily!
When there are tears, it’s usually because you are working the dough too hard and not being gentle. Gluten can sometimes be fragile and needs a gentle hand to produce that elasticity. I bake my shells for 10 min. at 500, then let cool completely and wrap in saran wrap to freeze.
I live in Europe and I will try with simple tap water. There is some chlorine in it I guess but nothing compared to the amount they put it in the US. I’ve been to several different states and I think everywhere when I got the water at a diner or elsewhere and I sipped in it I was like Jeez its like drinking from a swimming pool. It’s brutal over there :((( In Europe the water has no chlorine taste whatsoever 🙂
My family is very allergic and get sick from gluten and dairy-as in auto-immune issues-we eat very healthfully-and are grain and dairy free (but don’t want to be!!) are you saying there is hope that we can have bread? I guess I do not understand how that is possible with wild yeast bread? Wheat is the worst for us… Thank you great video please do more !!
I have the recipe you posted two years ago on your site. It also calls for coconut oil, vanilla and baking soda. Can you explain why you changed your recipe? I’m not challenging your changes, just curious as to why they were made. I haven’t been real successful with my natural yeast breads. Most of the time they are too sour and my kids won’t even touch them! I don’t really like a strong sour taste either, so most loaves are being given to our chickens. I have taken a few classes from Melissa Richardson and Caleb Warnock and have their books. I know that this type of baking takes lots of practice, but after almost 2 1/2 years of trying, I’m still pretty discouraged. Any suggestions?
Hi Stephanie,
My old recipe wasn’t for natural yeast, it was for soaked bread. They are two different processes.
i’ve been using well water, is that my problem?
Hi! I was able to capture wild yeast successfully based on some of the instructions above. Yeah! This is awesome considering I’m NOT a baker!
My question is, can I follow the same method in a food processor? All the food processor dough videos I’ve seen does it exactly the opposite, flour first and add liquid slowly. Granted, they’re using commercial yeast. My stand mixer is not available at the moment (in storage, long story 😛 ) so all I have is the food processor and it was a mess when I tried it. Again, not a baker here so all these appliances are not very familiar in my hands. I got a dough going and ended up taking it out and finish the kneading myself as the dough felt a bit warm to me. I added some more flour and the dough felt very thick, like in your video above. It is rising now, so I’m HOPING, that it will work!
One more question. After I captured the yeast (bubbles and all), I had put it in the fridge. Last night, I took it out to feed and let it sit on the counter over night as I was worried about the fridge being too cold for the yeast if I’m to use it today. Is that ok? I didn’t see a lot of bubbles and am a bit worried…
Thank you for the wonderful video and instructions. I cannot wait to get my stand mixer back so I can do this more often!
Hi Annie,
I’m sure you can use a food processor, if there’s a dough hook attachment. Otherwise, it’s a no-go:)
Thanks DaNelle! It has a dough blade but not a hook. So at one point, it burnt out the motor and it stopped. Came back on when it cooled down. I feel like that’s probably not a good sign. LOL. It had some rise with the first proof. It is on the second proofing right now. I’ll know how it goes soon. Unfortunately, it took a really long time for it to rise so now it is very late and I’m waiting for the second rise :/ Anyway to bake it in the morning or will it be super sour?
Hi Annie, you may have to wake up early to bake it, but it’ll be well worth it!
Also, do we need to warm up the wild yeast before we use them or can we use them straight out of the fridge? Thanks!
Hi Annie,
You can use it straight out of the fridge!
Awesome! Thank you!! The wild yeast was very doughy and sticky but no bubbles like I’ve seen online. Is that ok?
Well, I got up early and baked and it turned out disastrous :(. It was dense but the flavor was great. I think somewhere along the line, either the yeast was not active enough, too much flour, or the food processor over did it on the dough. I’m not sure which is what :/ any suggestions for my next go around until I get my stand mixer back? Do I do it by hand? If so, do I put in most of the flour up front? The dough blade in the food processor didn’t work very well with the liquid first method. So bummed :/ would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!
Hi DaNelle, my bread turned out rather stiff and chewy. Is this a typical result? It made yummy grilled cheese sandwiches though, and really great toast.
Stiff & chewy could mean you baked it a bit too long:)
DaNelle, Thanks for making the video. I recently got some wild yeast starter. This is a first for me. I am worried that my starter is not active enough. How can I be sure without wasting expensive flour?
Hi Nicole, you can pretty much tell by the look of it and how doughy it is. The more tight and doughy it is, the better:)
Hi, I made a yeast starter from raisin water. I used regular white all purpose flour and my bread didnt rise much. What did I do wrong? ):
Hi Kimberly! Your yeast probably wasn’t fully developed enough. I’d give it another week of feeding before I try to bake with it again!
I recently activated some Desem Sourdough Starter from Cultures for Health and have made whole wheat tortillas and biscuits with it so far. (Delicious BTW) I have kept my starter in a cupboard away from the AC drafts (I live in the Mesa area too) I have never had hooch on the surface of my starter and it is actually dried on top each time I go to feed it. Have you ever experienced this?
Hi Bethany (and fellow Arizonian!)
I store mine in the fridge, so it stays rather moist:)
Any idea if I could get the same result by letting it proof in the fridge overnight for 8-12 hours vs. on the counter for 5-6 hours?
Hi Vanessa, yes you’re right. But expect it to take even up to 24 hours to match what’s accomplished on the counter.
Hi, the link for the yeast is not working
🙂
Hi there, I just adore your blog, hence our 2 goats and 4 chickens in our back yard ;). I was wondering if I can use my whole wheat pastry flour this recipe? I have that and King Arthur bread flour.
Absolutely!
I love your video, you have such great presence in front of the camera, makes me feel like I can do this sourdough thing too. Thank you.:-)
So what did they do before refrigeration to store the yeast?
You can store it in the fridge to last longer. For them, they stored it on the counter and used it more often/shared it with others:)
Thank you!
I captured my yeast naturally. Use a half gallon mason jar, add boiled and cooled water, (this gets rid of chlorine,) and equal part flour, I use 1/2 cup each. then take the ring for the jar (lid part removed), and put four layers of cheesecloth over it, and screw the ring onto it. Keep this on the countertop. Feed each day, for four days, it should start to become bubbly, fed one more day. It is ready to use the next day. Now keep it stored in the refrigerator. and feed it after each use. I usually make bread once a week, however, when I took a two week vacation, I was worried it would die, but it was OK.
Thanks for sharing!
How long do you knead the dough before you separate?
About 2 minutes:)
Hi there! I have been following your blog mainly reading up on milking goats preparing for when we pick our girls up in a week and half 🙂 I make my own bread too, and am wanting to start soaking my grains. I’m wondering, can I use SAF Instant Dry Yeast in place of Wild Yeast in this recipe? Thanks! I enjoy your posts 🙂
Hi Samantha,
This recipe is for wild yeast only, so you can’t replace it with any kind of commercial yeast:)
Hi Samantha,
This recipe is for wild yeast only, so any kind of commercial store-bought yeast wouldn’t work:)
Would it be possible to let the first rise be in the 8-10 hour range? I’m thinking overnight. Or would that cause the dough to taste overly yeasty?
Yes, you might get a very sour taste.
Yum! Love this!
Homemade sourdough bread is my families favorite. I’ve been making it for a couple of years now and have learned just how NOT temperamental sour dough really is. So many other recipes and tutorials make it seem like such a fragile and intimidating process. One thing I always do is mix up my dough for the first rise before bed and then when I get around to it the next morning I get it ready for it’s second rise. We usually wind up with fresh, hot, delicious sour dough bread by lunch time.
Hi, I do a lot of home… well everything. I make my own wines, breads, pasta, I grow my own vegetables, and i even milk my own goats and get fresh eggs daily from my chickens.
I thought you might like something about growing your own yeasts. I do this for my wines and breads, but I have never bought yeast, I start with yeast that occurs naturally in foods.
Here is a good link for bread yeasts, you can ignore the recipe for their bread, I did, I use my own recipe and the yeast that I learned how to make.
https://www.goodtaste.co.za/Where-Design-Meets-Food/Make-your-own-Potato-Yeast-Bread
Also, for wines, I never add yeasts, I let the yeast that is naturally present in the fruit do it’s thing (with a little extra feedng of couse 😉 ) but I do keep a ginger bug on hand for making ginger beer and root beer. It is really very rewarding. I never buy bread, it took me six months to perfect my sandwich bread recipe (we like a slightly heavier bread with a soft crust) but ever since then, never have i bought bread agian, not when I can buy a bag of flour that will make 8 loaves of bread for the price of one loaf
This was an interesting read, thank you for taking the time to share with everyone.
Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom!
I’m confused on the flour. I thought the better flour is sprouted or SOAKED. Which do you use for this recipe. Or does the wild yeast prepare the flour as in the sour dough approach? Sorry, but new to all of this
Hi Chris, the 3 methods of preparation are soaking, sprouting, or sour leavening. Each starts with plain flour or the grain. This recipe starts with plain flour and the wild yeast actually breaks down the anti-nutrients just like in the soaking or sprouting method.
Thank you for explaining this!
I love this! I need to know what kind of mixer that is though. I have never seen one like it and would really like one. Do you have an amazon link per chance?
I am pretty sure this is a older model Bosch mixer.
It’s an older Bosch and about to break haha!
Do you have to use a mixer? I don’t have one, so can this be done by mixing by hand?
You can totally do it by hand. A little more work, but still doable!
Great video! I’m all excited to get started in my own loaves now! I have a couple questions: Is your starter one that you “caught” yourself, or from another starter? And what is that amazing dough mixing machine?! I think I’m in love…
I am pretty sure this is a older model Bosch mixer. I have a newer one and love it.
Thanks Angie! I have never seen a mixer like that before, but it looks super useful!
It’s a Bosch:) I got my starter from a friend:)
Hi, I’m seconding the question about freezing… What do you do when you go out of town??
If you feed it properly and its a well stablished starter it can be in the fridge for more than 6 months without feeding. Personally if it’s going to be so much time I prefer to dry it (also if I’m transporting it) but you can freeze it as well, I have never try this though.
Here someone made a experiment https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/20438/storing-sourdough-starter-short-amp-long-term
Hi Danelle,
Do you have any recommendations on other suppliers for the starter? I cannot get this kind because it’s not shippable via UPS. Thanks! Jen
You can make your own, I made mine two years ago, and makes great bread. The process takes 3 days:
1. mix equal weight of filtered water and flour, better use Rye the first time. Cover the mix with plastic, and punch some holes in it. Leave it at room temperature.
2. Next day, throw half of the mix and add equal weights of filtered water and flour, at this point the flour can be regular bread flour, it’s important to stir well to put air in the mix. Cover with the same plastic and leave it at room temperature.
3. Repeat step 2.
In the morning of day 4 (and even before that) you should be able to see bubbles and notice that it has grow. At this point you can feed the starter at put it in the fridge. The process can be faster or slower depending on the temperature of your house. I only feed my starter once a week and I keep it in the fridge the rest of the time, I have it semi covered to let it breath and avoid that it dries.
I hope I made it clear enough.
Thank you, Esti,
I tried growing my own last summer, but I think our house was too hot. Maybe I’ll try again. I did successfully start a desem from scratch as described in The Laurel’s Kitchen Bread Book. I make the Desem bread quite regularly, but this recipe here looks more adaptable and simpler. Does the starter you made work the same as Danelle’s? As in, can I follow the same recipe/proceedure she shows in the video?
Thanks again,
Jenny 🙂
Esti,
Thank you for such detailed steps. The Azure starter cannot be shipped here in CT so I wanted to give your method a try. Quick question, in step 1, when you say equal weight, do you mean actual weight of each or equal volume? So 1 cup of each or by weight on a food scale?
Sorry, that seems like such a sill question, but I’m so new to baking so none of this is familiar.
Thanks for your help!
Annie
Hi Annie, I mean weight by the scale. I tried once by volume and it didn’t work as well. Good luck!
Thank you Esti! Unfortunately, I don’t have a food scale. Can you give me approximate ratio? I have a 4 cup mason jar, thinking about 1/2 cup of flour. what would you suggest for water? Thanks again for the clarification!
Annie
Hi Jenny, Just tried Danelle’s recipe with my wild yeast and it has worked great. I love how little kneading this recipe needs! I only made one change to it, and that is adding the salt right after the first raise before kneading the dough, that is called autolysis I believe, and allows a better performance of the yeast.
Also, I only made half of the amount to get one loaf instead of two.
Great bread for grilled sandwiches and for toast, thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Esti! I have the starter going now. I think it’s ready for me to bake tomorrow!!! Excited to try it. Will let you know 🙂 Cheers
Hi! So I’ve not yet gotten to bake with my starter. It seems plenty active, but it will double in size and then fall about half way again within 12 hours. As I understand it, I should be using the starter to bake when it’s pretty much at the top of it’s rise. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Jenny
That’s pretty normal for a starter, it will rise then fall:) It should still work!
Yes, I tried to order it and it isn’t available unless you can get it via a drop location 🙁
Oh!! I love the video Danelle. Very nice to watch the process done.
It took me awhile to make my own wild yeast (sour dough start) this past fall, but I was persistant and have a really great start. I keep it in the fridge, make bread a couple of times a week or more; depending on how often our grown sons come by 🙂 I love that the bread is the first thing they go for, and always send some home with them. I grew up on my mother’s sourdough, but never got a start when she was living. Glad to be back on track.
There is no sound on the video. Anyone else have a problem with sound?
I loved your video and post. Since 2010 I have made fresh bread with fresh gound flour but recently with work and goats my life is too busy. I was wondering, do you think this bread could have a 1st rise of 10 hrs or would that be to long? That is about how long I am away from the house for work. Also do you grind your flour fresh every day? On another note I love your wall and cabinet colors. Do you happen to know the paint colors?
Happy Goating and Bread Baking!!
Oh gosh I can’t remember the paint colors, I’m sorry!
I’m curious – can the starter be frozen in the case of a holiday or something? Will it come back to life afterwards? Thanks 🙂
You can let it go a week or two if you have to, then scrape off the top dark layer and revive with feeding again when you come back!
Hi! Thanks for this video! I am wondering if this “wild yeast” bread is the same thing as sourdough bread? Or what makes it different? I know that sourdough prepares the flour to be more easily digested. Is there any difference with this? I didn’t know that wild yeasts could be cultivated in the fridge. Can you help me know the difference? Thanks again!
Very much the same, except this starter is stored in the fridge all of the time so it doesn’t develop that sour flavor:)
I made this bread. It’s really easy, yummy and hardly sour at all if your starter is healthy! I just made french toast with it (a faw days old) and wow, so deliceous:). Thanks DaNelle!
Awesome, Sarah!
Love the video tutorial! I was thinking maybe sourdough was too complicated for me, but this seems so easy I think I will give it a try. Thank you.
Just wondering if your bread has a sourdough taste to it. I have only ever done the leave-on-the-counter method and it ends up being rather sour for our tastes, although I do find that we digest it much better than straight soaked recipes.
It’s not sour at all!
I LOVE using natural yeast to make our bread. There is no better recipe to get the perfect sandwich bread for slicing, IMHO. Natural leavened bread products are the best!
I store my sourdough starter in the fridge after I feed it for up to 2 or 3 weeks! Then when I take it out, I pour off the hooch (black liquid on top), and feed it a couple of times before baking with it to re-activate the yeasties:). This method works great for me, produces light, not sour bread products and doesn’t require me to have to bake more bread than we need!