The 1901 Cookbook Archive
No. 3673 — Homemade Dry Yeast
English historical translation of Molokhovets recipe No. 3673 from the 1901 Russian cookbook, retaining original methods and measures.
Take yeast left after brewing fresh beer and pour it into a piece of linen or clean napkin. The original says to surround it thickly with a drying material to absorb moisture.
It then attributes the drying action to ash; after about a day the yeast is said to become a thick dough.
Form this paste into thin cakes and dry on sieves in sunlight or an oven with moderate residual heat.
Crush the dried cakes to powder and store in bags where air can circulate.
Historical editorial note: The Russian source contains inconsistent wording: it first says a thick layer of 'water' and next explains that 'ash' draws out moisture, suggesting a transcription error. The drying material is not silently assumed food-safe, and the historic fermentation method is not validated.
Original source: Read Russian recipe No. 3673. Historical quantities and terminology are retained. See the measurements guide. Period preparation and storage methods are not modern safety guidance.