The benefits of consuming sourdough
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Most often when you think about Sourdough, the image of an Artisan bread comes to mind - round loaf, crusty top and full of holes.... though bread is likely the MOST common sourdough creation available commercially it is certainly NOT the only way to consume the incredible benefits of sourdough.
After realizing that commercially produced gluten products caused extreme discomfort for members of our family (my youngest boy and myself react negatively to gluten) and discovered that we could both tolerate sourdough I began my journey of making all of our favourite wheaty things from sourdough.
The process is quite simple for most baked goods, a simple addition of sourdough starter or discard (the starter leftover from "feeding" your starter daily to keep it active if you are baking with it frequently) mixed in, a few hours of fermentation time - usually 6-24 depending on the temperature of your kitchen, and possibly some adjustments to the quantity of dry and wet measurements within the recipe as you are adding MORE liquid than what it calls for.
By adding discard or starter to your recipe and giving it time to ferment your recipe will "consume" some or most of the gluten from the flour, making it easier to consume if you are gluten resistant. This process also creates a "pre-digested" product that is much easier on your gut health.
Lower on the GI (glycemic index) than conventional baked goods, sourdough doesn't spike the blood sugars like other baked goods do. The fibre and plant compounds also become more bio-available for your body to absorb.
Sourdough has a wild yeast element rather than a commercial yeast, and it contains less yeast as it is naturally occuring not added in the process. This can help people who have Candida or other issues with too much yeast in thier bodies.
It contains less perservatives than commercial bread - Sourdough bread contains acetic acid, which naturally prevent the growth of mold. It naturally preserves itself, meaning that toxic preservatives are not required to make it last.
Made from wheat, sourdough bread fuels the production of good bacteria in your gut – much like the inulin and oligosaccharides found in onions, leeks, bananas, garlic, asparagus, and so on. Our starters are made from Organic wheat flours, making it even better for your body as it has less chemical contamination than non organic products.
The nutritional value in sourdough is superior to other convential commercial breads. Sourdough contains a variety of vitamins and nutrients, making it super beneficial to your day-to-day health. Sourdough bread has small to moderate amounts of: iron, manganese, calcium, B1-B6, B12, folate, zinc, potassium, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, selenium, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamin E.
Overall it gives your body a better experience because it is less processed, more nutritious, contains less yeast and gluten in the final product and offers a variety of beneficial bacteria. The taste sightly differs with each loaf and ferment, making it a truly uique product each and every time.