What is the difference between commercial yeast and the wild yeast that occurs naturally in A Bread Affair bread?
Commercial yeast is efficient and fast acting. With it, you can produce instant, fool-proof bread. But the bread you get will have neither the depth of flavours, nor the texture — the character — of true sourdough. In the production of commercial yeast, almost all lactic acid bacteria are eliminated before the yeast is packaged for sale. While the yeast causes the dough to rise, it does so without the help of the organic reactions of acidic bacteria. Wild yeasts are unpredictable and take a long time to develop, but with them you will never get a bland loaf of bread. It is the presence of the acidic bacteria in our long fermentation process that gives our bread its signature complex flavor and texture. We believe there is no shortcut to creating naturally leavened, hearth-baked bread.
