Gluten and wheat intolerant? Yearning for the wonderful (but forbidden) taste and smell of freshly baked bread? Why not try the sourdough option, as some people with intolerance to commercial breads (either to the yeast or the wheat or both) may not have the same sensitivities to sourdough bread. Only when wheat gluten is properly fermented is it healthy for human consumption. When not, it can potentially be one of the highest allergenic foods that we eat.
What is sourdough bread? – Consisting of natural ingredients and following a long and slow fermentation process, initiated by a home cultured “starter”, sourdough bread is free of commercial yeast and other additives. The slow fermentation process predigests the wheat, making it easier digestible in the human body. The name “sourdough” does not describe the taste of the bread, but rather represents the smell during the fermentation process of the starter.
How does it work? – The sourdough bread process starts off by creating a starter or “mother plant” made from flour and water. This mixture, when left on its own, starts to ferment through natural yeast and bacteria from the air. More flour and water are added regularly to feed the starter. Once the starter is ready (it takes 5 – 7 days), it is mixed with more flour and water and a little salt to form the bread dough. This dough is then allowed to continue the fermentation process and to rise for 6 – 8 hours, before it is baked.
Why is it a healthy option? – The symbiotic interaction of airborne wild yeast and bacteria during the slow fermentation process, results in the following:
- It breaks down the protein into easier absorbable amino acids.
- The fermentation creates a variety of lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus, which predigests the phosphorus (called phytic acid) found in the bran part of wheat. Virtually all of the phytic acid in grain needs to be neutralized through natural bacterial action to enable the natural minerals, which are concentrated in the bran, to be absorbed in the body. Most of the phytic acid remains in commercially baked breads.
- The fermentation process utilizes carbohydrates, lowering the carbohydrate level in the dough as it is transformed to lactic acid.
- Wild yeast turns complex sugars and starches into the food that the bacteria and yeast need to survive and multiply.
- The complex carbohydrates in grains are broken down into more digestible simple sugars.
- The lactic acid bacteria consume sugar to form carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas, which aids the fermentation process. This helps with control of one’s blood glucose level.
- Acetic acid is formed, which inhibits the growth of mold and acts as a natural preservative.
- It predigests the starches in wheat, which means less digestion is required in the human body.
- It breaks down the bran in the flour, releasing nutrients into the dough.
Sourdough bread is best made with stone ground flour, which is a much healthier option than commercially available flour, as it is unbleached and contains no additives or preservatives. The stone grinding process generates no heat as the stones grind slowly. Excessive heat that is produced during commercial milling can result in the fat in the wheat germ oxidizing and becoming rancid, while vitamins are destroyed.
The ingredients of sourdough bread (wheat flour, water and a little salt) are all natural products, in sharp contrast with all the added ingredients found in pre-packed sliced bread (wheat flour, water, yeast, salt, sugar, soya flour, vegetable fat [palm fruit], preservative [calcium propionate], emulsifiers, flour improvers, mineral salts [electrolytic iron and zinc oxide] and vitamins.) Commercially baked bread is allowed to rise very quickly by a refined yeast strain, while the preservatives, emulsifiers and improvers speed up the preparation and baking processes. Some of these additives may also contribute to wheat and/or gluten intolerance. Baker’s yeast does not allow the interaction of bacteria and yeast found in sourdough, so it lacks the beneficial lactic acid and acetic acid.
It is claimed that sourdough bread, because of its inherent beneficial fermentation process, slowly recreates the population of friendly lactobacillus digestive bacteria in the gastro intestinal tract. On the other hand, undigested gluten from commercially fast baked bread is claimed to weaken the intestinal wall, having a damaging “sandpaper” effect on the tiny absorption villi in the small intestine.
Making a sourdough starter:
Ingredients:
- Flour – Use unbleached organic whole wheat stone ground flour which contains no additives or preservatives. This flour keeps the endosperm, bran and germ in its natural proportions.
- Water – Use spring based bottled water and not tap water that contains chlorine.
Mix one cup flour with half a cup of water in a glass jar to form a smooth batter (use a canned fruit bottle). Place the lid loosely on top, do not tighten. When bubbles start to form on top of the mixture after a day or two, it is time to “feed” the starter with a repeat of the original ingredients stirred into the mixture. The next day the starter should have grown in volume and filled with bubbles. Repeat the feeding process daily and the fermentation increases exponentially! By day 5 the glass jar should be overflowing. (The starter develops a strong smell during this process, which is probably where the name “sour dough” originates from.) Use most of the starter as the yeast for the first loaf of bread. Feed the starter again to re-start the process.
Baking a sourdough bread:
Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best: Mix two cups of starter with four cups of flour and about two cups of water in a mixing bowl. Be careful not to add too much water, it should be a sticky thick batter. Add a teaspoon (or two) of salt to the mixture. Cover the bowl loosely with cling wrap (air should get in) and leave to rise for 6 – 8 hours.
Sprinkle flour liberally on the working surface (or tray for ease of cleaning afterwards) and scoop out the dough. Sprinkle flour on top of the dough and gently fold in the corners to form a round loaf. Cover the loaf.
Preheat a large oven dish with lid at the highest setting in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove and rub sides, bottom and inside of lid with olive oil. Place loaf in dish.
Put lid on and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake for a further 15 minutes until loaf is brown.
Remove and cool on wire rack.
