Comparing Red Start Yeast and Sourdough put into soaked whole wheat flour to begin bread baking process.
A sticky wet dough was made (not a batter) with water and raw apple cider vinegar and whole wheat flour on October 23, 2006 in the evening. Next morning 2 cups of the soaked dough had a large serving spoon of sourdough starter added to it and another 2 cups had the same serving spoon used as a measure of water with 1/2 teaspoon of Red Star dry yeast and enough whole wheat flour to make the same consistency of starter (so both doughs would be equal in wetness).
I put the Red Star dough in a 90 degree place so it could grow best, and the sourdough in about 75 degree place so it could grow best.
This was at 7:45 AM. Then at 12:30 I made the drier bread dough out of the now very spongy Red Star wet dough by adding
Whole wheat flour and olive oil, 1 teas. honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon white vinegar (to allow for some extra soaking acid since I personally can not eat unsoaked whole wheat without gas and bloating problems.) At 12:45 I added whole wheat flour, olive oil, 1 teas. honey and 1/2 teas salt to the sourdough wet batter which had plenty of bubbles and a few mounds of sponge starting. At 3:10 the Red Star dough had definitely doubled and was soon to touch my glass lid so I had to punch down and make the loaves. (one loaf and one small round one). At 4:30 I made the sourdough loaves same sizes. 5:20 I baked the Red Star Loaves. These turned out very light and full of air - not dense at all. At 8:15, I put the sourdough loaves into the oven. The larger loaf's top, before going into the oven, was about 1/2 inch above the pan sides, but it seemed to be growing well at that point with no flattening evident yet. I think I could have let it grow longer if it had not been so late and I had to get my 6 year old to bed. This bread baked nicely too, and was light with air. When given a choice of breads the next day, my 6 year old asked for the sourdough instead of the Red Star "because it smells better." I agree.