[greglepore]

Red Star fresh yeast cakes are available in many supermarkets, and larger quantities from Fleichman and others are available thru various web sources.
Starter is really easy to grow if you want that. Use one of the recipes that includes some pineapple juice as it prevents off flavors. Its not hard to maintain, I keep mine in the fridge and only feed it prior to baking. It literally will keep for months without feeding if in the fridge. And if you use it to make a poolish, there's not a strong flavor.