If you are currently tending to a sourdough starter, you might have wondered how to increase the wild yeast in your sourdough starter, and if it really even matters how much yeast is actually in your jar?
Over the many years of tending to a sourdough starter and conducting sourdough experiments, I have cultivated and baked with a lot of wild yeast!
So if you're looking to strengthen your sourdough starter by increasing the yeast in your sourdough starter and improve your sourdough baking, grab a coffee and let's learn how to increase the yeast in your sourdough starter jar.
How do you capture wild yeast for sourdough starter?
You don't so much capture wild yeast for sourdough starter, you cultivate it. While we are surrounded by wild yeast, it's in the air all around us, most of the yeast in your sourdough starter actually comes from the flour you use. Some of it even comes from your very own hands.
I've written a post explaining where the yeast in your sourdough starter jar actually comes from.
So How Do You Increase The Yeast Colonies In Your Sourdough Starter Jar?
Now that we know where the yeast inside your sourdough jar come from, let's talk about the ways in which we can bolster these wild yeast colonies to give our sourdough bread the best chance at rising.
The easiest ways to increase the wild yeast colonies in your jar are to feed regularly and consistently, use whole grain flour, adjust the feeding ratio to slightly thicker, keep your sourdough starter warm and use unchlorinated water.
Regular Feeding - Maintain a consistent feeding schedule, refreshing your starter with flour and water regularly (ideally twice a day). This encourages yeast growth. You can read more about how to feed a sourdough starter here.
Use Whole Grain Flour - Whole grain flours, such as whole wheat or rye flour, contain more natural yeast and bacteria, which can help boost fermentation. You don't have to use only rye flour or whole wheat, but adding even half whole grain flours, or using them a few times a week can increase the yeast colonies in your sourdough starter.
Adjust Feeding Ratio - Increase the ratio of flour to water when feeding your starter. A thicker consistency can create a more favorable environment for yeast growth.
A lower hydration starter will give you bigger bubbles in your sourdough starter. So you could feed your 50g of starter with 75g of flour and 50g of water. This will give you a thick consistency which can often help to increase the yeast and give you a better rise.
Warmer Environment - Keep your starter in a slightly warmer environment, around 75-82°F (24-28°C), to promote yeast activity. Avoid increasing the temperature above 28C if you can help it. You can find over 20 ideas for keeping your sourdough starter warm here.
Use Unchlorinated Water - Chlorinated water can inhibit yeast growth, so using filtered or bottled water can help create a better environment for wild yeast. You can read more about the best water for sourdough starter here.
By implementing these strategies, you can encourage the proliferation of wild yeast in your sourdough starter, leading to a more active and flavorful fermentation process. And this will of course lead to baking better sourdough bread, something we are all striving for, right?
Does Taking Your Jar of Sourdough Starter Outside Increase The Wild Yeast In Your Jar?
You might have heard of people taking their sourdough starter on holidays or even sitting it outside with the lid off to capture different strains of wild yeast.
There's no real evidence that this will actually increase the amount of wild yeast in their jars. While some of the yeast in your sourdough starter does come from the air around you, a lot of it also comes from the flour you use and your own hands.
Can I Just Add Different Sourdough Starters To The One Jar?
If you've known me a while, you'll know I always say you only need one jar of sourdough starter. There's no point wasting flour feeding a myriad of starters. You can always build levains and sourdough experiments from this one sourdough starter.
There's nothing saying you can't add a sourdough starter you purchased or one you get from a friend to your own sourdough starter. It certainly won't harm your starter in any way. It may introduce some new or different wild yeast strains to your jar, but chances are that eventually they will all become one happy starter.
Is yeast water the same as a sourdough starter?
Yeast water is created by allowing fruit to ferment in water for around a week. The result is fizzy, yeasty water which will generally rise bread if used correctly.
Through experimenting with yeast water, I've found that the bread comes out looking quite under fermented. However, you can use the yeast water to add some wild yeast strains to your sourdough starter.
This can be a fun experiment to try with your sourdough starter. I recommend using a portion of your discard to try this first (or at least ensure you have some dried sourdough starter or frozen sourdough starter as a backup, just in case).
I've written about how to make yeast water and create a sourdough starter from it here.
Does Adding Fruit To Your Starter Increase The Yeast?
There are some people who believe adding pieces of fruit to your sourdough starter will result in a stronger sourdough starter (it's kind of like using yeast water). Grated apple and pineapple juice are among the most common, as well as grapes. I have added apple juice to a portion of sourdough starter to create a sweeter apple sourdough starter which can create more diverse flavors in your sourdough baked goods.
For this to work, you do need to make sure that the fruit you use is organic and hasn't been sprayed or waxed, as this will upset the natural yeasts living on the skin of the fruit.
Like most things with sourdough, it's something you can experiment with (as long as you have a dried or frozen sourdough starter as back up).
Will Honey Increase The Yeast In Your Jar?
Many people add honey to their sourdough starter to increase the wild yeast in the jar. There is nothing wrong with adding honey (and in fact I use it when converting sourdough starter to pasta madre).
Upon researching the addition of honey to a sourdough starter, I found a few ideas for and some against. I believe the issue with adding honey is that it provides additional sugar for the yeast to feed off, which may actually encourage the yeast too much and then put the lactic acid bacteria at a disadvantage.
Like most things with sourdough, adding honey to your sourdough starter can be a fun experiment, but one that you should do only if you already have a sourdough starter back up. You can definitely add honey to sourdough bread!
