I love the smell of sourdough bread just out of the oven. The crunch of the bread as you take your first taste. The warm feeling of success, when after several days, I have created the perfect bread (plenty of flops, so I celebrate the successes!) Baking Sourdough bread is one of my favorite pastimes. Really, it has become a passion of mine because of the health benefits of eating sourdough bread. Two years ago we had a Cooking Class at Chefs Outlet Store in Colorado Springs. I assist the classes and I absorb anything I can learn about baking and cooking. Chef Tom Schaefer taught a class on how to make your own starter. I was hooked. So my adventures began. I discovered when I started playing with sourdough that my nails and hair started to grow like crazy. Doing a bit of research, I found out sourdough has many health benefits, from breaking down glucose and gluten in the flour (which is great if you have hypoglycemia or problems with ingesting gluten) to helping to release minerals in your body.
The health benefits are varied:
For Glucose Intolerant people the SD will break down the gluten (protein) into more digestible amino acids
For Sugar Sensitive people the SD breaks down the carbohydrates in flour making it more digestible without causing a drastic rise in blood sugar (especially if you use whole wheat flour or other high fiber flours like rye)
Anyone can benefit from the breaking down of glutens and sugars in your bread making it more easily digested
SD’s Lactobacillus (bacteria) helps your body ward off E. Coli
The SD helps your body to connect with more minerals, the SD activates an enzyme known as phytase, which binds an anti-nutrient called phytic acid found in the hulls of grains, which in turn releases minerals: zinc, iron, magnesium, copper, and phosphorus
The 5 Minerals Sourdough releases and what they can do:
Zinc is an antioxidant and it helps support your immune system and can fight cancer, also it has been tied to Men’s virility
Iron is needful for blood production and muscles and a lack of it can cause fatigue
Magnesium is suspected to reverse osteoporosis, help regulate your blood sugar, and help with diabetes control
Copper can affect your hair, eyes, heart and even how you age
Phosphorus helps Menopausal women by regulating your hormone levels and for everyone it helps create healthy bones and teeth and can give you more energy and help brain function
Now, sourdough and other fermented foods are the new “in” foods. And, ironically, they are just foods which past generations considered part of their daily diets and we’ve gotten disconnected with the process of preparing potentially very healthy foods. Dan Buettner identified 13 “lifestyle factors” in a 2009 study of Ikaria, a Greek island with people who have longer than average life spans, Sourdough bread was identified as one of these. Wild Yeasts blog on Buettner’s study, NY Times- The Island Where People Forget To Die, and Dan Buettner's Blue Zones
Sourdough is actually a general term for two substances found in a fermented dough- wild yeast and lactobacilli (a friendly bacteria called Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis). These two work together in a codependent relationship. They need each other and the chemical bi-products of this dance between the two give us the sourdough taste and rise the bread. The sourdough tang comes from the lactic acid produced from the bacteria eating up the glucose and the bubbles in your starter are carbon dioxide gases which the yeast produces as it digests the sugar.
Perhaps I’ve caught your interest by now, hopefully your eyes haven’t glazed over from facts. Bottom line, the making of sourdough is worth your effort. Trying to buy authentic sourdough might be tricky, many American companies use artificial sourdough flavoring. So you would need to find a German bakery or live in San Francisco to really know if your bread has been made with the actual sourdough bacteria and hasn’t just been leavened by ordinary yeast and flavors added. So, if you’re up for a bit of work, I’ll tell you how to get started in creating your own starter. I jokingly tell everyone willing to keep sourdough, that you might as well name it, it requires a twice daily feeding like any pet! If you’re not a DIY type you can order a starter in dried form from Carls Carlsfriends- Source for an Antique Starter or buy one already done for you by King Arthur King Arthur's Crock & Sourdough Starter set. Personally, I have enjoyed creating my own starter. It’s fun knowing you’ve captured live wild yeast from the air in your home and in the flour.
So, join me in my sourdough adventures. I think my co-workers sometimes think I’ve gone a little overboard, but you get over 50 and anything which can improve your health and have noticeable results is a good thing. Here are some simplified steps in creating a sourdough starter:
Supplies-
-glass mason jar
-large non-porous container, glass jar or canister
-cheesecloth and/or coffee filter
-rubber bands to fit top of containers used
-pineapple juice (unsweetened), room temperature
( The Pineapple juice is used at the beginning to keep a false sourdough-like bacteria from forming, it’s too acidic for it and the SD loves it, see Peter Reinhart’s Primer below)
-whole wheat flour (not freshly ground)
-bread flour (I like King Arthur’s Bread Flour)
-filtered or spring water
-non-reactive utensils, large spoons and/or silicone spatulas
Before you start wash your containers and utensils. If you use a dishwasher, rinse thoroughly so that there is no residue of soap left.
Making Sourdough Starter-
Day 1- Using your smaller mason jar, put in ¾ cp of pineapple juice (plus 1 - 3 Tbls. to create a thick batter-like consistency when you add the flour).Then add 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour (you don’t want freshly ground because it doesn't have as many wild yeasts in it, just WW Flour from the store will do).
- Stir together and make sure you always scrape the sides down so the SD will stay fresh. Cover with either cheesecloth (several thicknesses) or a coffee filter, use a rubber band to fasten. Place your starter in a warm spot if it’s cool inside or shine a light on it. (Please note: I am in Colorado, at High Altitude and it’s very dry, I needed to add 2 Tbsp. of filtered water or pineapple juice to day #1 - #3, adjust accordingly, you want a thick mixture, yet not too watery, about the thickness of pancake dough.)
- Day 2- Add ¾ cup pineapple juice (plus the Tbls. or two if needed) and 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour. Stir like crazy, the SD needs oxygen to form. Try and stir it at least 3x a day for a minute. Everyday. Again clean off the sides, a silicone spatula works well ( Le Creuset medium spatula) dipped in water.
- Day 3- Repeat day 2, but use ¾ cup filtered or spring water (and a bit more if necessary) and 1 cup WW Flour. You might see bubbles by now. Remember to stir!
Day 4- Today we will divide your starter. Kind of like gardening, it comes a point where dividing what you have is necessary for healthy growth. Too much sourdough requires more of the flour & water and it will starve if not given enough. So halve what you have (use it or toss it, not usually my recommendation but it is a bit funky and not "there" yet) and proceed with your feeding, but today we will use Bread Flour instead, the reason for this is it will be a more stable starter (later you might want to have a whole wheat starter or rye, but for now we’ll keep it simple). So, feed your starter now with ½ cup - ¾ cup Filtered or Spring water and 1 cup bread Flour (the reason why I have given you a varied measurement is I live in a high altitude and dry state- and I will probably use more water than you. You want a thick pancake-like batter and not a thin crepe-like batter consistency. I’m guessing, but probably 2/3 of a cup will work out best.)
Day 5 Repeat day 4. At this point be aware that your sourdough can take off. Mine did. I walked out of the room thinking it needs another container and by the time I came back a few moments later it was ready to overflow. If it goes wild, you need to either give it more room, or divide it.
Day 6 Repeat day 4.
By now you have a viable starter and can use it for baking if the SD starter is doubling in size within 12 hours after feeding. Today I would divide it again and give half away to a friend or make something simple like Joy the Baker's Sourdough pancakes.
Start giving it daily feedings:
Everyday you need to feed your starter.
Two times a day. Morning and evening.
-¼ cup Filtered or Spring water
-⅓ cup Bread Flour.
Always stir when you feed it from the bottom up and scrape down the sides to keep it clean.
I know this is when you name it. Skipping a feeding gives it an “off” scent. If this happens just get back on schedule. Stir often. Clean it’s home when too dirty, and when you know you won’t use it, refrigerate it and feed it once a week, and then leave out overnight. Then refrigerate again or use it. Don’t forget to divide it, ditch some, or re-use in a creative recipe like pancakes or muffins. If left too long in the refrigerator, skim off the blackish liquid on top (an alcohol by-product) and feed it till you have a clean scent (be aware what your fresh SD smells like, you can tell when it’s “off”, usually it just needs to be fed on schedule).. If it grows you’re good and it produces a good loaf.
Future blogs will introduce you to the world of Sourdough baking and what to do with all that “discarded” starter. I have been accused of making almost everything out of leftover SD starter. One day my teenage son made a face at his chocolate birthday cake, “Oh Mom, that isn't made with Sourdough is it?” Little does he know I do now have a recipe for a Sourdough Chocolate Cake - perhaps next birthday I’ll surprise him:) If you are impatient to wait for my next blog, check out King Arthur’s Rustic Sourdough bread King Arthur's Rustic Sourdough Bread.
Happy Baking :)
Elise
References for further study-
-Nourished Kitchen- How to Make a Sourdough Starter
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