You might be surprised to learn this, but… you know those yeast packets that are widely available in almost any grocery store nowadays? A hundred years ago, that wasn’t the case. Back in the day, people had to make their own yeast. So while it is totally convenient to be able to just pop down to the grocery for some yeast, and we love that, it’s also completely unnecessary. This is actually great news for all of us because it’s one less thing to be concerned about running out of. 

Turns out there are a ton of different ways to culture a wild yeast starter. Anything from dried apricots to beer to apples and pears. The one we’ve got for you today involves the wild yeast on boiled potatoes. If you’re wondering if this has something to do with vodka, you’re on the right track. Originally this same method was used in the process of making vodka too.

Potato Yeast Starter For Bread – How To

Potatoes are ideal for culturing yeast because they are very high in starch. They also contain a lot of micronutrients so they’re a little better for you than one from fruit. There are many different ways to go about this. Sugar is one option, a little flour is another, or you could even use the starchy water the potato was boiled in. 

The simplest method is the single potato and the water it was boiled in. This is also the original method used for vodka production. We’ll lay out the steps for you here.

1. First, peel your potato and put it in a pot of water. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 35-45 minutes. Test with a fork to make sure it’s completely soft, cooked all the way through to the center.
2. Reserve the cooking water in a container, allowing it to cool. 
3. Mash the potato and put it in a 1-quart Mason jar. Add the cooled starchy water to the jar. If you don’t have enough cooking water, clean drinking water is fine.
4. Set the jar on the counter. You can leave it open or cover it with a towel. In 1-3 days you’ll start to see a bubble or two on the surface. The potato sediment at the bottom should have some tiny bubbles too. 
5. Cap the jar and give it a good shake to distribute the contents evenly. Open it back up and put it back on the counter.
6. In another 1-3 days you should have a happily bubbling jar of active yeast. It’s ready to bake with, or you can give it another few days, your call.