YEAST

James Russell Lowell, “No man is born into the world whose work is not born with him.”

I am not exactly a fan of sandwiches but outside of that, I like bread. I like sweet bread, multigrain bread, rolls, pita, lavash – I like bread. I eat bread maybe once or twice a week. Bread loves me and sticks on to body parts to show its love. I like baking bread which brings me to the topic, yeast.

All bread starts with basically the same ingredients, flour, salt, butter or oil, water, or something else to provide moisture. It is from this foundation that additions like yeast determine the end results. Yeast is a live single cell organism which packs a wallop of power when it needs are met, warmth and moisture. Yeast is grown. It is never manufactured. While there are more than a thousand known species of yeast, my focus is baker’s yeast because I like bread.

There is an exciting scientific story behind yeast which you should read if you don’t know it.

Because yeast is a living organism, it can be killed. I know that for a fact. In my first attempt to make yeast rolls, I killed the yeast with water that was too warm.

We all – ALL - HAVE WITHIN, the basic foundational ingredients for living life as fully baked, tasteful loaves of delicious bread. Lives that provide nourishment and pleasure to those around us. It is our choice as to whether we are flat bread, a beautiful succulent risen loaf or something in between (french bread or pizza dough), lack of yeast, little yeast or more.

Traditional flat bread, bread of haste – think pita, not much flavor, when left exposed to the elements quickly becomes dry and hard. It is quick and easy to make. It lacks yeast so no time is needed for rising. Pizza dough is also bland, but yeast is added but only allowed to rise once before it is shaped and baked. A little effort and little patience but still a rush to the finish product. Both are made more flavorful by what goes on it rather than in it. Traditional loaves of bread start with the same ingredients but require a lot more preplanning and thought, warm water to awaken the yeast, kneading to awaken the flavor and texture and a warm and moist environment. Good homemade bread requires hours of hands-on participation. Who doesn’t love biting into a warm slice of homemade bread?

We all - ALL - hold the key (YEAST) to becoming the bread that we want to be.

Galatians 5:9

PONDER THIS THOUGHT---My yeast lies within waiting to be activated.