Serious question, is adding commercial yeast to sourdough really cheating?

I keep seeing people in forums say they add a pinch of commercial yeast to their sourdough loaves to get a better rise. Then other folks get really angry about it, say it defeats the whole purpose of natural fermentation. I started my starter from scratch about 6 months ago and it took like 3 weeks to get active enough to bake with. My first few loaves were flat bricks with almost no oven spring. But I stuck with the natural method because I wanted that pure tangy flavor. So when I read about people using commercial yeast to help things along, part of me thinks that's just not real sourdough anymore. On the other hand, if it makes a better loaf and you still get some of that sour flavor, maybe it's fine? Has anyone here tried both ways and noticed a big difference in taste or texture?

2 comments

2 Comments

lee.casey1d ago

Wait, hold on. You had a starter that took THREE WEEKS to get active? That's brutal, man. I don't blame you for sticking it out with the pure natural method, but I'm honestly surprised you didn't just dump it and start over after two weeks. I've tried both ways, and here's the deal. Adding a tiny pinch of commercial yeast makes a huge difference in the rise, especially if your starter isn't a beast yet. The crumb gets way more open and airy, and you don't lose all the sour tang. It's not like it turns into regular bread, you're just giving nature a little helping hand. That said, I get why purists get bent out of shape about it. It kind of feels like cheating, like using training wheels on a bike. But honestly, if your loaf comes out tasting great and you're happy with it, who really cares about the rule book? I'd rather have a good loaf than a flat gatekeeper badge of honor.

wren_brown1d ago

Agree with you @lee.casey, three weeks of waiting is rough but sometimes nature just takes her sweet time.