Thanks for submitting the "old bread recipes." It sparked my
interest too. I wondered if the old yeast was not very strong. I
think when they said "a cup of yeast" they really meant a full cup of
yeast. The yeast may have been more like a barm or the batch of sour
dough living in our fridges. But the difference was that they meant
something other than the yeast we are accustomed to picking up at the
store where a quarter teaspoon could easily raise several loaves of
bread, given enough time. While looking for references I saw a book
I had already borrowed from the local library: _English Bread and
Yeast Cookery_ by Elizabeth David. It has a section on home made yeasts.
"The basis being a mash of grain, malted barley or rye, sometimes
flour, sometimes boiled potatoes: anything that could give a good
ferment and covert into sugar and then alcohol".
I suspect we are spoiled by the easy acquisition of yeast at the
store and that we are missing the character the old style breads had
when made from the wide variety of things used to make them
rise. Just the thought of all the things I could try to make into my
own yeast stirs up my creative juices. If only I had enough time,
enough space, and a big enough appetite.
JD
Tumwater WA