How do I Make Yeast Starters With Sugar Water?

Yeast leavens bread and ferments beer.

Versatile yeast makes bread rise and beer turn to alcohol. To use yeast for either purpose, you need to create a starter. Starters activate the yeast. While the ingredients are slightly different for bread and beer, the process is the same. A pinch of sugar feeds the yeast, helping kick start your yeast activation. Using sugar water is one method of insurance that bakers and brewers use to get their yeast properly activated. This technique is easy, but working with yeast is never fail-proof.

Things You'll Need

• Bowl
• Flour (optional)
• Dry yeast
• Granulated sugar
• Water
• Liquid measuring cup
• Fork
• Dry towel

Instructions

1. Place your dry ingredients in a small bowl. For a bread starter, this would be flour, sugar and dry yeast. For a beer starter, place dry yeast and a pinch of sugar only into the bowl.

2. Turn on the water and run it until it's slightly warmer than lukewarm. You need warm but not hot water to activate yeast. Water that's too cold won't do the job, but water that's above 115 degrees F will kill the yeast. Stick your hand under the water. When the water feels at or just slightly above the temperature of your skin, it's an ideal temperature.

3. Measure the amount of water needed in your recipe into a measuring cup.

4. Pour the warm water over the dry ingredients. Then mix the water, sugar and yeast (or water, sugar, yeast and flour) using a fork. Continue to stir until you've worked all the yeast grains into the water. Bread yeast starters will look pasty; this is normal.

5. Leave the yeast starter alone to begin working. Cover the bowl with a clean towel to prevent debris from falling into the bowl and to insulate the yeast. Place the bowl on a warm spot, such as on top of your refrigerator or inside an unlit oven.

6. Check on the yeast starter after the recommended waiting time. You should see bubbles, evidence that the yeast is alive and your starter was properly made. If you don't see bubbles, something went wrong and you cannot use it. Start again.

Tips & Warnings

• If your starter failed to work, your water was probably the wrong temperature or the yeast was too old and did not activate. Avoid the latter by checking the expiration date on the packet of yeast and only purchasing as much yeast as you can use before it goes bad.

References

• How to Brew: Preparing Yeast and Yeast Starters
• What's Cooking America: Sourdough Starter