Nothing like the smell of natural yeast bread baking

[Major Nikon]

It's very different from the smell you get from commercial yeast.

This is my 3rd pair of loaves from this levain. The first two were hybrid, meaning they used both natural and commercial yeast. These two are made with all natural yeast.

[Betsy Ross]

1. what is natural yeast? nt

[canoeist52]

2. I think it's sourdough?

[Major Nikon]

3. Sourdough is what most people in America are going to call it

The French call it levain. It's nothing more than bread leavened with naturally occurring yeast and bacteria spores, rather than commercial yeast. It requires a culture or starter that you feed on a regular basis.

What I make is in the French style rather than the San Francisco style. There's not much sour taste other than a slightly acidic tang which is not all that perceptible.

[LancetChick]

4. How right you are. Best smell in the world.

Those are gorgeous loaves!