How to Make Yeast at Home With Three Simple Ingredients

By Franklyn Holder - February 4, 2020

If you too are staying at home and turning to baked goodies for solace, you might try DIY yeast. Here’s how!

How to Make Yeast at Home With Three Simple Ingredients

The Ingredients You Will Need

Although many recipes on how to make yeast say you need juice or fruit, it is much simpler than that. All you need is water and flour. It’s best to work with whole wheat flour because it contains more micronutrients like iron and zinc, but white flour will also do the trick. The third, and most important ingredient, is time. Yes, you need to plan in advance, as it will take several days for your starter to get ready.

How to Make Yeast at Home

Step 1: In a small bowl, mix equal parts of water and flour. You can start with ¼ cup of each. You need to stir well so the water can activate the enzyme amylase. Amylase’s job is to break down the starch into basic sugars which the bacteria and yeast can eat.

Yeast at Home - mixing in a bowl — How to Make Yeast at Home With Three Simple Ingredients

Step 2: Cover the bowl with a towel or a lid, and leave it at room temperature. If you keep it somewhere warmer, but not hot, the yeast can develop faster.

Step 3: Twice a day, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water and flour to the batter. You need to do this to feed the yeast. In about three to five days, your batter will begin to bubble. That’s what is meant to happen, and it proves your yeast is developing well. After the fifth day, the starter should have doubled in size or more. To check whether it is ready, take a bit and put it in a glass of water. If it floats on the service, you have yourself a ready starter.

Yeast Floating on Surface — How to Make Yeast at Home With Three Simple Ingredients

Keep in mind that the yeast you made and the one from the store don’t exactly match. When looking for baking recipes, be sure to search for ones with sourdough starters.