Hops Yeast No. 3

Hops Yeast No. 3

This traditional hops yeast starter creates a robust leavening agent essential for authentic Parsi breads and buns. By boiling hops flowers to extract their preservative qualities and mixing them with high-quality wheat flour and sugar, this recipe produces a vigorous liquid yeast with a distinct, slightly earthy aroma. The fermentation process yields a reliable starter that adds depth of flavor and excellent rise to baked goods, perfect for use in traditional recipes requiring a strong rise.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Dried hops flowers (Originally '1 handful'. Estimated modern quantity.)
  • 9 cups Water (Originally '3 bottles'. Converted based on historical bottle size (~750ml/bottle).)
  • 2 cups Wheat flour (Originally '1 pint'. Use high quality all-purpose or bread flour.)
  • 3/4 cup Granulated sugar (Originally '1 tea cup'. Used to feed the yeast.)
  • 3/4 cup Active liquid yeast starter (Originally '1 tea cup of other yeast'. Use a previous batch of yeast or dissolved active dry yeast as a starter.)

Instructions

  1. 1Place the hops flowers in a stainless steel pot (originally tinned vessel) with the cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 2 hours.
  2. 2Remove the pot from the heat. Strain the liquid through a clean cloth or fine mesh sieve to remove the hops flowers. Discard the flowers.
  3. 3Place the wheat flour in a large mixing bowl. Gradually pour the hot hops water into the flour, stirring constantly to ensure it mixes thoroughly without lumps. Stir in the sugar.
  4. 4Allow the mixture to cool until it is lukewarm (tepid). Once cooled, add the starter yeast (or previous batch yeast) and stir continuously while mixing to incorporate it fully.
  5. 5Let the mixture sit undisturbed for 24 hours to ferment. After 24 hours, transfer it into jars or bottles. This yeast is now ready to be used for baking bread (use approximately 1 pint of this yeast for every 16 bottles/quarts of flour).
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