Sourdough 101
Updated Guide to Everything Sourdough: Why Sourdough, Starter from Scratch & Recipes
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Sourdough, is a labor of love. It is a labor that I have truly fallen in love with, no matter how messy my counters get, my T-shirts stain, and how many large jars I soak and scrape for hours till the sourdough residue doesn’t remain.
I didn’t eat gluten for 7+ years, and over time I developed a fear of gluten because of how many times it was hammered into my brain that it was one of the worst things for me and my health.
The learning process of baking bread and seeing the labor and love that is put into it has truly helped to healed my relationship with eating gluten and bread in general.
Is gluten really that bad for us?
Personally I believe that it is the PROCESS gluten is made that makes it harmful to our health, rather than the gluten itself. Of course, this depends on the context - someone who has a true allergy to gluten or is celiac is a different story.
The way in which wheat has been processed has been severely altered over time. Gluten used to be much easier to process and digest, and over the years it has turned out to be more inflammatory to our bodies.
There are a few reasons why this may be, over the years the composition of the proteins in the gluten have altered. This may be due to modern agriculture and even decreased soil health. Also, the way in which wheat is created now commonly has interference. Whether that is genetic modification, or it is highly sprayed with chemicals, pesticides & herbicides (commonly glyphosate).
A lot of people say that gluten in the US is much harder to digest than gluten in somewhere like Italy. In the US, glyphosate use is not regulated as it is in 32 other countries. Glyphosate, also known as Round Up, is a herbicide which has been directly linked to cancer. I have noticed a lot of transparent brands now use the stamp “Glyphosate Residue Free” to ensure that their products and ingredients are free of it, which is great to see.
Even in most products that contain gluten now adays, you rarely see the main ingredients that create a quality pure product. For example, sourdough should only contain THREE ingredients: Flour, Water, Salt. However, so many sourdoughs sold at the store have a laundry list of excess ingredients that aren’t necessary. If your body is reacting negatively to that bread, it may be because of the excess ingredients and process used, rather than the simple gluten itself.
So, to answer the question, no I don’t think gluten is inherently bad for us. I think the way in which it is processed is what causes the inflammation. What are your thoughts?
What You Will Get in this Guide:
Sourdough Benefits + Deeper Dive
Sourdough Starter Tips & Tricks
Sourdough Starter Recipe
Sourdough Discard Ideas
Sourdough Bread Recipe (WITH STEP BY STEP PHOTOS)
WHY SOURDOUGH
Sourdough is special. In my opinion, it is the most superior of breads. In flavor yes, texture yes, but also in health.
Sourdough gets its name because it is, well, sour. The fermentation process of the sourdough starter + then the bread itself gives it that unique and delicious sour taste.
The fermentation process of sourdough eats away at the gluten, making it about 600x less gluten content than typical bread (source). Because of this, it is much easier to digest for people who typically have a sensitivity to gluten….aka me.
Sourdough also has a lower glycemic index due to the fermentation process and is more nutrient dense. The nutrients and minerals in sourdough become more bioavailable throughout the fermentation process.
Sourdough Benefits:
Lower Gluten Content
Naturally Fermented (containing pre & probiotics that can benefit gut health)
Lower Glycemic Index
Bioavailable Mineral and Nutrient Content
More Easily Digestible
In the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, she talks about how fermented foods used to be consumed daily in humans, since they were abundant and easily digestible. She says how that sour taste was widely used in all aspects of culinary tradition, so when we eat it it satisfies our palate and fulfills a real physiological need within us (p.478). I can speak from experience when I say I truly feel happy inside when I eat anything fermented and sour…saurkraut, sourdough, pickles… literally all my favorite things hahaha.
MAKING SOURDOUGH STARTER
Making sourdough starter from scratch is the most difficult feat of it all… and it requires a lot of patience.
It can take anywhere from 6 days to 2 weeks to create an active and lively starter if you are beginning from scratch. However, once you have that active starter, you can keep it alive for a lifetime! Seriously… people pass their starters down through generations.
I personally recommend if you are starting out, setting your ego aside and just picking up an active starter from a local sourdough bakery or asking a friend. I wish I initially started this way so I could master the art of bread baking quickly… but I can be quite stubborn so I was dedicated to making a successful starter from scratch. Because of that, I have picked up a lot of good tips along the way.
TIPS & TRICKS
Make sure you are using warm, filtered water. I find that around 110 Degrees F works best. Unfiltered water can contain chlorine which impacts proper fermentation.
Use a clean, sanitized jar.
Keep your starter in a warm environment. I usually keep mine in the oven (oven off) with the light turned on, OR, on top of the oven with the oven turned on. You can also pour boiling hot water into the jar that you plan on using for the starter prior to adding it into the jar. Dry it out, then add in your starter.
Be patient and give it time. If your starter has no movement, then give it time. Only feed it when it is showing active signs of hunger.
How-To Know if Your Starter is Hungry
HOOCH: Hooch is the dark layer of liquid formed at the top of starter with a soury/tangy smell. It is different from mold, and it is not dangerous. It is a signal that your starter is hungry. Simply throw away the hooch on the top, and then give your starter a feeding.
RISE N FALL: When your starter rises and then falls, that is a signal that it is hungry. As you can see in the photo, it began at where the rubber band is, and overnight as your can see on the markings of the jar, it doubled in size and then fell back down. Signaling that it is time to feed.
Sourdough Starter Recipe
What You Need: