Wild Yeast, fermenting doughs and Hokey Pokey

Eighteen loaves of bread are sitting in my kitchen looking glorious with charred crusts dusted with flour. Long, airy Ciabattas, Rye, Spelt, and Wholemeal Sourdoughs, and small tin loaves. We have been baking this week under guidance from Emmanuel Hadjiandreou, head baker from Judges bakery in Hastings. Emmanuel baked at Daylesford, the Savoy and Flour Power, practicing the art of slow fermented doughs and wild yeast breads. That is breads made with little or no added yeast, relying on natural organisms from both the atmosphere and the flour to create fermentation.
To start a wild yeast bread, a teaspoon of organic rye flour is mixed with a little water and left overnight. this is then fed equal parts water and flour for a week until tiny bubbles are produced, little bubbles of Carbon dioxide suspended in the mix. These are being given off by the microorganisms in the mix as they go about there business. It is alive, you have nurtured life. This is the rising agent for your bread. look after it, feed it and keep it warm and it will  stay alive and give you fantastically complex and interesting breads.

Fruits of labour; Malthouse sourdoughs.