Kitchen Garden Forum

I'm really looking for moral support on this one. We went into a local artisan bakery recently, and on display was a rye loaf with the printed description "Rye Levain - made without yeast, just flour, water, salt and starter". I told the assistant that I didn't think they could say that, as the starter surely contained natural yeast out of the atmosphere. She wouldn't have it, saying that the starter was "just flour and water, which ferments". What causes the fermentation if it's not yeast?

You are right Ken, the starter ferments due to natural yeasts, natural yeasts give it a great flavour. The only breads made without yeast as far as I am aware are soda breads or unleavened breads.

http://johndlee.hubpages.com/hub/how_to ... ke_and_use

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=9917&hilit=soda+bread+recipes

Thanks, NB. I was sure I was right. But you would expect a serious bread shop to know that, too...

I guess it's the natural yeasts that ferment fallen apples too, did you see the drunken elk in the news, it was stuck in a tree p......sd as a newt after eating fallen apples.

Hi Ken

Maybe she she was French

Levure is bread/beer yeast

Levain is sourdough starter (as in leaven/leavened bread)

Both from lever - to raise

Hi Alan - yes, she was foreign, possibly French. All the more reason to understand what makes the bread rise. But I don't think she had written the descriptive note.