3 ms·

You are correct. This is also a prevalent myth in the bread making world with sourdough starters.

• em-bee 8y ago
  i think it's less of a myth but rather that knowing how to get yeast from scratch is a rather recent discovery, and before that keeping a starter from one generation to the next was probably the only way to make sure you always had some around
  • speedplane 8y ago
    Today you can buy yeast anywhere. But many hobbyist bakers take pride in their yeast and keep and maintain them in their fridge like pets. It may not be entirely logical, but I do understand the attraction, it's like having your own little buddy hanging around that helps you cook, personalizing all of your baked goods.
    • em-bee 8y ago
      exactly. i think once you are in the process of making it, keeping a starter around is also more convenient than buying a fresh one every time. it's like why even bother going to the store... the point was that a myth is something that hasn't been true for ages if it was true ever. but keeping starters alive was certainly true for a very long time until very recently.