Boil all ingredients together for one hour.

Remove from heat.

While still warm, bottle the mixture and cork it closed.

Let it sit for 24 hours.

After that time, the yeast is ready to use.

Yield:

One pint of this yeast mixture will make 18 pounds of bread.

Note:
This type of yeast is likely a wild or natural yeast starter, relying on airborne or flour-based yeasts to ferment. It’s not the same as modern active dry yeast, but it would’ve been a staple in kitchens long before commercial yeast became available.