Expert: Keith Patton - 3/7/2009

Question
Hi,
As a home brewer I've been experimenting with bread making and have been using the "spent" yeast from the bottom of my first fermentation. (I mix about 1/2 cup of yeast with 1 cup of unbleached flour, 1 TBLS. or more, of sugar and 3/4 cup water. Let this set at room temp for a few hours or overnight, covered then when good and bubbly I add it to 3 cups of flour, pinch of salt and 1 Tbls. oil and another cup of warm water).  
The first time, I used a Porter style ale and the bread came out smelling great, but very bitter.
Made another loaf but added 2 TBLS. sugar to the dough, a little bitter but better.
On a 3rd attempt I used the yeast from a golden ale that had a little Crystal 90. And then sweetened the dough with a couple TBLS. of honey.  Bingo!
Just wondering if you or any readers had tried to make bread using the left over yeast?


Answer
Actually, you have rediscovered something.

I just read a book by Peter Rhienhart called The Baker's Apprentice.  He recommends the same thing.  I use my beer yeast for both bread a pizza.  

What we call bread in the US is universally bland.  What Peter does and most artisan bakers do is let the bread yeast mature for up to three days, first making a poolish or starter, much like sour dough starter but using beer yeast (saccharomyces cervisiae) which is probably what the first sour dough in California was made with anyway.

What you should do to prevent the bitterness is culture a cleaner strain. If you used the sediment you had a lot of dead yeast, trub and hops in with the viable yeast.  Poor your sediment into a jar and add some distilled water or a light beer.  Shake and let the heavy stuff settle then poor off the liquid.  This you save.  Toss the heavy fraction.  Now let the liquid settle and poor off a little fo the clear liquid.  Add some high protein flour and some water, it should be a little dryer than pancake batter.  Let it ferment and you have your starter.  When you make bread use about 1/2 cup of your starter to 3/4 cup and adjust your bread dough recipe accordingly since you are adding flour and water in the form of your starter.
Mix and let sit for a day to let the glutten form.  You will have a more flavorful bread and it will have more substance, chewier, firmer.
You might have to add a 1/4 ounce of regular fast acting bakers yeast to the bread in addition to your starter, just to make sure you get enough rise.

Keith