Lately there’s a whole lot of hoarding going on. Not exactly the most becoming of human behaviors. Toilet paper might have been the thing that started the ball rolling, but it’s far from the last thing to be hoarded these days. Supermarkets all across the US are experiencing shortages on a variety of staple foods. It’s a tough situation because while some people have pantries stocked with all the goodies, others are going hungry, or are worried they soon will be. It’s unfair, unnecessary, and it might end up being truly wasteful too. Even shelf-stable foods expire eventually.
When news of the pandemic began to spread, along with the TP went the bread. Soon after the bread was gone, people figured they’d get crafty and make their own. So the yeast began disappearing. But that’s where the madness can stop, because it turns out there never needs to be a shortage of yeast. You can just make your own! As with anything these days, pretty much all you need is a whole lot of patience and time. And a little dried fruit.
What Yeast Shortage?
One night Twitter user Sudeep Agarwala was doing the right thing, enjoying a socially-distanced happy hour online with friends, when he caught wind of the yeast shortage. The rest is explained in a series of tweets he sent out.
He told his followers: ‘Friends, I learned last night over Zoom drinks that ya’ll’re baking so much that there’s a shortage of yeast?! I, your local frumpy yeast geneticist have come here to tell you this: THERE IS NEVER A SHORTAGE OF YEAST.’
“Scour your kitchen for any dried fruit: grapes, raisins, prunes, apricots. Fresh works too but it’s best to leave it unwashed, and given our current situation this is probably not a wise thing to do unless you’ve grown the fruit yourself and trust it. “
‘Take your fruit (or, if using fresh fruit skins – please use your judgement), pop it into a jar, and add a little bit of water to it. 2 or 3 tablespoons (30-40 mL) is more than enough. If you stir the fruit around, you’ll notice the water gets slightly cloudy. That’s the yeast!’
“You’re well on your way. Add an equal mass of flour to this mixture. If you don’t have a scale, add enough flour to make a loose, wet dough. DON’T GET FANCY. Old flour is fine, white flour is perfect (it’s what I prefer). Doesn’t have to be organic, doesn’t have to be high gluten.”
“And then you wait. You’ll want to keep this warm (but not hot). Hug it while you binge Netflix. Cuddle it when you yearn for human touch once again. Or put it on the counter while your dishwasher is running. Do it right, and after 12 hours you’ll see bubbles. These will grow. “
“YOUR YEAST ARE MAKING THESE BUBBLES! Once the flour paste loosens up (24? 48 hours?) take a tiny bit of the fruit/flour/water mix and add it to 30-40 mL of water, add flour and repeat. This time it should come right to life and those bubbles should pop up much quicker. “
“It’s the closest I’ve come to witnessing spontaneous generation; it always feels like there is a little bit of magic around whenever it works. And if it doesn’t work the first time: 1) be patient and 2) try it with something different.”
So now you know, and there will never again be a shortage of yeast in your world. You’re welcome. Now go forth and bake.
