Up close and personal

Hi, Some people like their dogs or cats. Me, I like to keep a nice liquid levain or a friendly stiff textured spelt levain. I have even been known to maintain a deep and satisfying relationship with a whole rye sourdough. These are my pets, and for the minimal attention I give them; water and flour on a regular basis- they, in return, help me to leaven the bread I bake. Imagine, millions- no billions of tiny wild yeast fungi, "eukaryotic microorganisms" milling around in a small container of flour and water, kept at room temperature, sometimes a little cooler. They live, reproduce, consume delicious meals of starch from the flour I have fed them, they belch up carbon dioxide and finally die. While they do all of this the bread slowly rises...

1. A mature liquid levain made of all purpose flour

Note the large bubbles and the wispy tiny bubbles- a good sign
of a healthy levain.

2. A stiff textured levain made of 100% whole grain spelt flour

This levain is both responsive and flavourful, what more
could you ask for in a "pet"?

3. Liquid Rye Sourdough

Ready to build into healthy, delicious rye bread-naturally.

All of these levains have a very nice earthy, not too sour smell.
When I'm arrive home after work I remove the lids off their respective containers, take a deep whiff, smile and mutter a few endearments to them and revel in the wonderment of nature.