Another Look at Sourdough

I love sourdough bread.  Actually I love bread.  All bread, but I have found that when it comes to breads my body loves sourdough and I don’t get the side effects that most breads give me.  Things like inflammation, rashes, congestion, and fatigue.  

I have done some research about that and have found that when we take the time to ferment the grain, it totally changes it and what it does to our bodies.  Somehow it changes the proteins and thus makes it easier to digest. Thus fewer side effects.  

When I eat breads I often bloat and gain weight.  But sourdough bread never does that to me and that really makes me happy.  Be carefull though, there are those labels that claim to be sourdough and are not.  They might have sourdough in them, but have not gone through the fermentation process, thus not achieving the end result of changes in protiens.    

Real sourdoughs ferment from 12 to 24 hours.  The longer the ferment the better the bread is for you.   On my wholegrain31 program we allow sourdough breads and those that have done it totally felt the difference.  Often times we are so anaware of what foods are doing to our bodies until we stop eating them and replace them with better options and then we see clearly the difference.  

Sourdough bread making is easy and fun with only a few minutes hands on.  The time is mostly raising the bread.  Sourdough works slower then the traditional fast rising yeast we use today.   What now takes twenty minutes takes sourdough hours and hours to rise.   

I actually spent a week at King Author’s in Vermont a few years ago.  It was amazing.   I learned so much about making bread.  Over the years I have learned more and more and just this past year I jumped to a new level of baking fast, easy, amazing sourdough breads.   

I have a 90 year old Alaskan starter.  It is the best one I have ever used.  It is so active.  I actually use it in all my yeasted bread also for a dough enhancer.  It is amazing.   But for sourdough breads it is fantastic.  So easy to use and it reacts so fast.  

Sourdoughs can be made with white flour or whole grains.  I like to do half and half.  I love the texture that a clean white flour adds and I also love the flavor and nuttyness of whole grains.  Spelt is my personal favorite grain to blend with a clean white flour.  

This recipe is my new and improved recipe.  Probably not the last one I will do because I am constantly moving forward and learning more.  So when I do learn something new I will pass it on to you.   

I hope you find joy in your sourdough baking.  I know I have. 

Chef Brad~America’s Grain Guy

Sourdough Bread 

To start Make your starter

1 cup sourdough starter   Chef Brad’s 90 year old Alaskan Sourdough

1 cup water

1 cup flour

1/4 cup rye flour

Mix together and let set on counter covered with plastic warp for two to three hours.    

Recipe for WholeGrain 31 Sourdough Bread

Prepared Sourdough Starter

2 cups warm water

1/4 cup agave  (this gives the yeast some food to work better)

1 tablespoon salt

Fresh Ground Spelt Flour,  about 6 cups   Adding one cup of fresh ground rye really works well with sourdough.   Also you can add White Flour or mix flours. 

Mix dough in mixer and knead for six minutes.   Remove from mixer and place in large white bucket with lid and let rise to double.  This could take a couple of hours.  Remove dough and divide into two loaves.    Place each loaf in a bantonne that is lightly floured.  Place in your refrigerator over night or for 12 hours.  Can can do it longer and it will be ok.   Remove from refrigorator dump bread out onto  on hot 400 degree pizza stone or place in hot dutch ovens and place in oven.  Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes.