Find out What Sourdough is and How to Prepare it at Home

 

Flour, water and salt – that’s all it takes to make a loaf of sourdough bread. So if you have these ingredients on hand (and some free time), you can make your own bread at home.

Although taking bread out of the supermarket shelf requires minimal effort, there are benefits to making your own bread at home, especially when it comes to sourdough.

What Sourdough is and How to Prepare it at Home

First, baking can help relieve stress, and baking stress – a loaf of bread will probably serve you better nutritionally than a plate of brownies. It’s also fun, inexpensive, and can be healthier than typical store-bought breads. Also, it tastes good, especially hot out of the oven.

What is sourdough exactly?

The sourdough bread lives up to its name. The “sour” flavor comes from the fermentation process and the lactic acid bacteria that naturally occur in flour.

To make sourdough, generally, start with an “initiator”, either by making your own at home or by someone you know gives you. A starter is really just flour and water that has been fermented (when natural bacteria grow on the beans) over the course of a few days; in some cases it can take up to 10.

The sourdough fermentation process is more effective in reducing the level of phytic acid than the typical baking process, which adds yeast to ferment the bread.

What benefits does this bread provide?

Sourdough is not just delicious white bread, it also has some unique health benefits.

You will get better absorption of nutrients

Phytic acid occurs naturally in plant foods like beans, seeds, and whole grains. Some groups give it a bad reputation as an “antinutrient” because it limits the absorption of certain minerals like iron and zinc. Soaking, cooking, and fermenting can reduce phytic acid in these foods.

This is where sourdough comes in. Part of the sourdough fermentation process reduces phytic acid, which helps increase the availability of specific minerals such as magnesium and phosphorous, according to a previous May 2001 article published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. In this study, phytic acid was reduced by 62 percent in wholemeal sourdough bread compared to 38 percent in regular whole-grain bread.

It is easier to digest due to its low gluten and FODMAP content

Compared to other breads, sourdough is less gluten-free, making it a potential choice for those with gluten sensitivities or intolerances.

It’s not gluten-free , but science shows that the longer fermentation process (compared to traditional bread) helps the starches and proteins in bread break down further. Probiotics and the fermentation process were shown to significantly reduce gluten content in sourdough in this earlier May 2007 study published in Applied and Environmental Biology.

Sourdough is also lower on FODMAPs, an acronym representing a group of fermentable carbohydrates that can cause gastrointestinal problems, especially in those with irritable bowel syndrome. Just like yeast and bacteria break down gluten in the fermentation process, carbohydrates (including FODMAPs) also break down, reducing overall content, according to Monash University.

It is a source of prebiotics

Because the sourdough undergoes a fermentation process, there is a misconception that it is a source of probiotics. Unfortunately, any beneficial bacteria present in the dough are killed during the cooking process.

The good news is that sourdough is a source of prebiotics, which are responsible for helping feed probiotics in our intestines.

May be better for blood sugar control

The yeast process of sourdough bread compared to traditional bread can help improve the way carbohydrates are digested in your bread, according to a May 2009 study in the Journal of Cereal Science.

The study found that, compared to normal bread (both wheat and white), sourdough bread had a significantly lower glycemic response compared to normal bread. There is more resistant starch in the sourdough (compared to traditional bread), which helps reduce spikes in blood sugar. It also has a lower glycemic index.

While sourdough has a lower glycemic index, newer research shows that the effect this has on blood sugar can vary from person to person. Some people experienced a higher increase in blood sugar after eating sourdough bread, and others saw a higher increase after eating white bread.

What are the differences between white bread and sourdough bread?

There are many differences between sourdough bread and traditional bread, apart from reduced phytic acid, prebiotics, and lower amounts of FODMAPS and gluten.

 

Sourdough bread

White bread

Calories

130

130

Total carbohydrates

25 grams

25 grams

Fiber

1 gram

1 gram

Protein

5 grams

4 grams

Folate

15% daily value

3% DV

Iron

8% DV

3% DV

Sourdough bread recipe to try at home

How to make a sourdough starter

Ingredients:

  • Whole wheat flour
  • All-purpose flour
  • Water

Steps to follow:

  • Add flour and water in a glass or ceramic container (1 liter or larger) and mix until there are no dry lumps. Cover loosely and leave at room temperature for 24 hours.
  • The next day, remove half of the flour and water mixture. Add 1 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of warm water (if your house has a cold environment) or cold water (if your house is lukewarm). Mix well, cover lightly again and let rest for another 24 hours.
  • On day 3, you should definitely start to see bubbles in the container and it should increase in size.
  • Remove about 100 grams of the initial mixture (discard the rest), add 1 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of water, mix well and cover. Let it sit for 12 hours this time and then repeat. The goal is to do this twice in one day.
  • Repeat what you did in step 3.
  • On day 5, repeat step 3. You are looking for a starter that smells strong, has almost doubled in size, and has lots of little bubbles. If your initiator has not yet reached this point, continue repeating step 3.
  • If your entree is ready, give it one more feeding keeping 100 grams (discarding the rest) and adding a cup of flour and 1/2 cup of water. This time, just let it sit for 8 hours before using it.

How to make bread?

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups sourdough starter (uses 454 grams)
  • 5 cups of flour
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 3/4 cup of water
  • 2 teaspoons of salt

Instructions:

  • Combine sourdough starter, flour, whole flour, and water in large bowl until well blended.
  • Cover with a towel and let sit for 25 minutes.
  • Add salt and knead the dough until smooth but sticky. Put back in the bowl and cover with a towel for 1 hour.
  • Place the dough on a floured surface and fold the dough by flattening it slightly and folding it, repeat and fold again. Put it back in the bowl.
  • Divide the dough in half, slice it with a floured cloth, and place it in a bowl. Let stand for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place the two loaves in the pan.
  • Bake 30 to 40 minutes until golden.