Hello from India

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Devi on 15 Sep 2011 at 21:57

Hi,

I absolutely new to baking bread  and have just become a member here . I do want to start though and would like some  advise on a recipe for a yeast substitute that I came across in an old cook book. The recipe calls for 1 small potato, boiled and mashed well, to be mixed with 2 tsps sugar, 4 tsps flour,  1 cup water and two grains of sea salt. This has to be bottled and kept in a warm place for 24 hrs. by which time it would have fermented and can be used for baking bread. This can also be used as a starter for further batches. 

I would like to know if anybody has tried this before and any other tips.

Thank you.

Devi

eventually a sourdough starter. Welcome to TFL! I have not worked with this particular recipe but it can be done. I would use a flour with as much whole grain as possible so that the natural yeast numbers in the flour are high. If water is chlorinated, let it stand covered yet open for a day before using so the chlorine can dissipate. Let us know what happens. :)