Sourdough starter from Portland versus commercial yeast - which actually rises better?

I was up in Portland last month visiting a friend who runs a bakery, and he swore his 10-year-old starter made everything fluffier than any packet yeast could. But I've been using instant yeast for years and my sandwich loaves come out perfect every time, no fuss. He said the tang and texture from natural fermentation is worth the extra feedings, but I'm not convinced it's practical for a home baker with a 9-to-5. What do you all think - is the extra work for a starter actually worth it, or am I missing something?

3 comments

3 Comments

troy83215d ago

That 10-year-old starter sounds like a big commitment, but does your friend actually notice a real difference in how the bread holds up a couple days later compared to your instant yeast loaves?

robin_roberts8412d ago

Wait, you're actually asking if the bread stays fresher for 2 days versus a week? That 10 year old starter is basically a family heirloom at this point, lol. My buddy's bread with the ancient starter still feels a little softer on day 3, but honestly by day 5 both loaves are just toast material either way. The real difference is he gets to tell everyone at the party "this bread has a starter older than my marriage" which is way more fun than pulling out a yeast packet.

allen.ivan15d ago

Ha, a buddy of mine tried reviving some starter he got from a bakery in Denver and forgot to feed it for like a week. The thing grew mold and now he just sticks to the yeast packets too.

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