A lifetime supply of FREE yeast!! How to feed your yeast starter

My favorite part of making bread, gooey cinnamon rolls, or any other carbo-licious treat is seeing the yeast work to fluff up the dough.

Bread dough before rising with natural yeast

Bread dough after rising with natural yeast

Store bought (lab created) yeast is not good for you AND expensive!  A good natural yeast starter will last you generations ... and it's FREE.  (Click here if you need to start one from scratch)

As long as you feed your starter you will have free yeast.  If you keep your yeast starter in the refrigerator this will be every 2-3 days.  Here is how:

Once you pull out what you need for your recipe (1/2 cup for every 4-5 cups of flour) you will need to feed your starter.  It is an equal ratio of one part starter, one part filtered water, and one part flour.

I find it easier to put the starter in a measuring cup, then add an equal amount of filtered water and stir until combined.

Then pour the mixture back into the jar an add the flour.  Then stir to combine.   Move your market to mark where your starter is.   When it has bubbled and risen it is ready for use again.  When my yeast was running low I just feed it without using it for a recipe.

Here I had 1/4 cup of yeast left after I took out what I needed.  I added the 1/4 cup of water then poured it back into the jar.

I then added a 1/4 cup of flour.   And remarked my jar.

A few days later when my yeast was ready to feed again I added 3/4 cup water, then 3/4 cup flour.  I moved half of the starter to a clean jar and gave it to a friend :)

How to make a SWEET yeast starter!!

After many MANY failures I finally have an active yeast starter that makes fluffy slightly sweet bread.  We started making our own bread a few years ago but have always purchased the yeast.  This yeast starter will make bread indefinitely as long as we keep feeding it!  (Some have been around since the 1800s!)

This starter was made by fermenting organic unsweetened raisins.  You will need THREE ingredients. Filtered water, flour, and organic unsweetened raisins ...

Firmented raisin water:
▪ Mix 3 parts water to one part raisins in a mason jar for one day (at room temperature).
▪ Every morning open the lid, gently swirl the liquid and replace lid.
▪ Throughout the day shake the jar 2 more times with a lid on.
▪ After 6-7 days all the raisins will float to the top and you should hear the raisins and water mixture fizing (like a can of soda).

Yeast starter:
▪ In a clean mason jar stir 4 tablespoons of the fermented rasin water with 4 tablespoons of flour.
▪ When the mixture doubles in size stir in 8 tablespoons of filtered water and 8 tablespoon of flour.
▪ When the mixture doubles in size again you now have an active starter!!

To learn how to feed, use and store your yeast click HERE!

For the perfect natural yeast bread recipe click HERE!

An incredibly delicious gooey cinnamon roll recipe using natural yeast is posted HERE!

**3/1/2016 Update!!!**
I recently helped a reader work through her first starter too.  Here is the link, she has pictures of her process in the comments as we worked through it together :)

Hi there I was using your recipe for making my own bread starter and have a few questions. I've fermented the raisin...
Posted on Friday, February 26, 2016

Quick Refrigerator Pickle Recipe

Quick Refrigerator Pickle Recipe

I've gotten lots of requests for the refrigerator pickle recipe on the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/MiniSliceOfFarm)  ... So here it is!  Enjoy!!

3/4 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar (or honey)
1 teaspoons celery seed
1 teaspoon salt

4 medium sliced cucumber
1 small onion, thinly sliced

Place sliced cucumber, onions and celery seed in a large container. In a separate bowl, stir vinegar, sugar, water and salt together until dissolved. Pour liquid over cucumber and onions.  I put a small glass (like a shot glass) on the top to push the cucumbers and onions down before closing the lid.  Refrigerate for 5 to 7 days - lasts about 3 months.

It almost seems too easy doesn't it? :)  Trust me those 5 to 7 days of waiting will be torture lol!!  But the longer you wait the yummier they get.