Does package yeast inhibit wild fermentation?

Does package yeast inhibit wild fermentation? - Brown Deer

I baked my first “sourdough” boules today and there was zero detectable sour or tartness.

After about day four of zero activity in my baby starter I added a packet of packaged yeast I bloomed bloomed with a tiny bit of honey.

Ever since then it has been happy and healthy. I made my levain on day 7.

I’m concerned that the package yeast has beat out any wild fermentation that could have been happening and now I will never get any sourness from the starter. Is that true?

Should I start over and be more patient or keep feeding my current starter and hope deeper flavors will develop over time?

I’ve been feeding twice a day with 90 degree F filtered water. My house is cold but it’s in the warmest room and it has some towels for insulation.

Sourdough boule Pic of my first attempt for funsies



Best Answer

If started from packaged yeast, over time, your local wild strains will probably take over. The same is true if you start with a starter from someone else or the dried sourdough starter packages. But, it takes longer even than starting from scratch more than likely for them to slowly replace the current strains.

I would suggest following the link Spagirl gave and some others you can get here and starting again from scratch. Maybe use what you have in the mean time to help stave off the impatience (which I share ;) )

Mine, I was very impatient, so I found that adding some whole rye flour gave the starter a huge boost and got it going much quicker. The theory at least is the bran had a lot of wild yeasts in it and reduced how much the starter had to capture. The somewhat downside was they were not really my local ones, but local will slowly replace those and take over as you starter matures. Long ago though, I made a start as you did, by adding commercial yeast. For months, I was disappointed by the lack of sourness but just before I gave up it turned the corner and the wild strains finally overpowered the domesticated little buggers, so it is possible. I personally though would probably do the restart rather than waiting for that to happen.




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Is wild yeast different from packaged yeast?

The wild yeasts bakers talk about are 'wild' because they are in the air of the bakery and present on the grain. Commercial yeast, by contrast, is a single strain of yeast which was isolated because it proved to be a particularly excellent rising agent.

Are there different types of wild yeast?

Most wild yeast is truly wild. However, there are some species that have become so popular that they are cultivated on their own. The best known species of wild yeast is called Brettanomyces. Sometimes simply called \u201cbrett\u201d this yeast has become popular for brewing certain beers.

How do you collect wild yeast?

How to Capture Wild Yeast
  • Place some dried fruits into a jar. The easiest way to capture wild yeast is to put some dried fruits inside a jar. ...
  • Fill the container with filtered water. Yeast thrives in moist and carbohydrate-rich environments. ...
  • Seal the jar and store it. ...
  • Use the yeast water.


  • Is there yeast in the air?

    It turns out that there is yeast floating in the air all around us all the time, and some of this yeast will make its way to your flour/water mixture.



    Is Wild Yeast Easier to Ferment?




    Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

    Images: Jim Fawns, Anthony, Pixabay, Aaron Brewer