I wonder if using the fragrant, yeast-rich lees from the primary fermentation would make a good bread? I have retained and used lees to start up a new batch of wine. I have some lees from my most recent persimmon wine waiting in the fridge. I'm thinking that they would be great in raisin bread. Any thoughts, opinions, advice.......?
Thanks!
Cathy
Kathy, i dont know much about Baking Bread, but i can tell you a couple of issues.
Lees at the end of fermentation usually dont contain much yeasts, the yeasts have died because of the level of alcohol and specially because of the lack of food (sugar).
Innoculations to products as bread you need a large ammount of yeast to produce a big ammount of CO2 in a short time, and the high temperature is to make the CO2 expand and make bigger bubbles. (fermentation like Champagne traditional method are made under low temperatures to make the bubbles smaller and more delicate)
When you try to preserve living organisms, you usually use dry ice to freeze faster the samples. Slow freeseng, makes the water cristals smaller and that helps braking the celular membrane of the yeasts. Obviously you are not going to kill all the yeasts but you will loose a large number.
My recomendation if you want wine yeasts to make bread is to add a little of wine in the middle of fermentation to rise the bread and see what happens, in that way you will have the largest ammount of yeasts you can have, and a particular taste of wine. The alcohol will evaporate in the oven.
Recommendation...use those lees to cook. add them to a steak while you bakeit or make a sauce adding a little of flour and butter.
cheers
Jose
