Yeast Water

A natural leaven made by letting fruit such as raisins, apples, or other fruit ferment in water until it's bubbly and full of wild yeast. The strained liquid can be used to build a levain or mixed straight into dough. Yeast water usually brings less sourness than a sourdough starter, so it's popular for soft, sweet, and enriched breads.

By Henry Hunter · Updated October 1, 2026

Henry's notes from the bench

• I wrote The Yeast Water Handbook because yeast water gets overlooked. Start with raisins, keep the jar somewhere warm, and give it a swirl each day. When it fizzes like soda when you open it, it's ready to work.

Watch it at the bench