What's so good about Sourdough anyway?
*Deep breath* Well...
I get asked this question many different ways everytime I make a "big deal" about sourdough-which is always BTW.
For starters (again, no pun intented), it's just freakin' delicious! Anyone who's every bitten into a freshly baked -soft on the inside, crusty on the outside-slice of homemade sourdough knows EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Heaven in your mouth!
Ok, but why is it so good for you and why if your "gluten free" can you *technically* eat sourdough? Isn't it still bread? Doesn't it still contain gluten? The answer is yes, and no. Confusing I know. But essentially, it all comes down to one thing: fermentation. This is where dough meets air, collecting bacteria and yeast naturally, and turning into something nutritionally dense and easier to digest. Think sauerkraut, kombucha, yogurt, kimchi, wine...getting the picture? Our digestive systems contain an army of bacteria (AKA microbes), millions in fact, so balancing them out with the good bacteria helps to keep your gut healthy. These microbes are with us from our first breath to our last and are key to our overall health. Microbes not only live in our bodies, but also in the air, our soil and water. So when you think about it, we're directly connected to our environment. The health of our environment, affects the health of our food, which affects the health of our gut, which affects our overall health. Now that's fascinating! In the fermentation process of sourdough, gluten is broken down and made more digestible. However it is the long, slow fermentation that causes it to become more digestible which is the key to tolerating sourdoughs and creating a healthier environment in our guts.
My "teacher" and author of my sourdough bible puts it this way when asked Why sourdough is good for gut health;
So as I said, it's all in the fermentation of the dough. When you stop to think about it, sourdough is simply FLOUR and WATER (and a little salt), that's it! The rest is air; and that's where the magic happens.
Since I'm a visual and textile learner primarily, I'm going to provide those of you who need that as well with a link to one of my all time favourite documentaries on Sourdoughs. I'm thinking most of us have some extra time these days (being couped up in our homes) to fit in an extra *educational* documentary;)
There's loads of information on the benefits of sourdoughs and why they are the healthier choice when it comes to breads so I encourage those of you who want to learn more to do a little research on your own. Otherwise, this blog is going to get long and boring fast!
One thing I often say to people is that I find it hard to call sourdough "bread." Honestly, what we think of as bread and what most of us know from eating bread is so far from what sourdough is, it's almost an insult to call it bread! Just my thoughts:)
I know that this seems like it's just the tip of the iceburg and that's because it is. It's so complex and so varied, yet so simple; which is why it's not for the faint of heart. As I write each blog post, I will try and explain in more detail the breakdown in the making of sourdough. Hopefully this will help to clarify some of the confusion around sourdoughs vs. bread (the conventional kind).
I'm just thinking that a little bio of my journey to health, which evidently lead me to sourdoughs, might be worth a post of it's own here too. I'll add it to the list:)
For now, I'll leave you with this quote from Cooked, which sums it up for me;
Episode on sourdough is AIR.
I get asked this question many different ways everytime I make a "big deal" about sourdough-which is always BTW.
For starters (again, no pun intented), it's just freakin' delicious! Anyone who's every bitten into a freshly baked -soft on the inside, crusty on the outside-slice of homemade sourdough knows EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Heaven in your mouth!
Ok, but why is it so good for you and why if your "gluten free" can you *technically* eat sourdough? Isn't it still bread? Doesn't it still contain gluten? The answer is yes, and no. Confusing I know. But essentially, it all comes down to one thing: fermentation. This is where dough meets air, collecting bacteria and yeast naturally, and turning into something nutritionally dense and easier to digest. Think sauerkraut, kombucha, yogurt, kimchi, wine...getting the picture? Our digestive systems contain an army of bacteria (AKA microbes), millions in fact, so balancing them out with the good bacteria helps to keep your gut healthy. These microbes are with us from our first breath to our last and are key to our overall health. Microbes not only live in our bodies, but also in the air, our soil and water. So when you think about it, we're directly connected to our environment. The health of our environment, affects the health of our food, which affects the health of our gut, which affects our overall health. Now that's fascinating! In the fermentation process of sourdough, gluten is broken down and made more digestible. However it is the long, slow fermentation that causes it to become more digestible which is the key to tolerating sourdoughs and creating a healthier environment in our guts.
My "teacher" and author of my sourdough bible puts it this way when asked Why sourdough is good for gut health;
"One of the key things I learned as I read study after study is that slow-fermentation bread was the missing piece of the puzzle. The fermentation facilities a remarkable change in the flour, which in turn transforms the bread, resulting not just in increased nutrients and nourishment for us but for our microbes too. The creation of an abundance of the specific kinds of fibre, food and nutrients means that sourdough is a prebiotic. Prebiotics feeds your friendly bacteria and help them proliferate on their own, nourishing and supporting the microbes that are absolutely key to our health-the same kind of microbes found in the soil and in our starters. To me, this is proof absolute that sourdough is the link that connects us. It is microbial magic."Microbial MAGIC! I just love that! And words like nourishing and supporting-who doesn't want that?
So as I said, it's all in the fermentation of the dough. When you stop to think about it, sourdough is simply FLOUR and WATER (and a little salt), that's it! The rest is air; and that's where the magic happens.
Since I'm a visual and textile learner primarily, I'm going to provide those of you who need that as well with a link to one of my all time favourite documentaries on Sourdoughs. I'm thinking most of us have some extra time these days (being couped up in our homes) to fit in an extra *educational* documentary;)
There's loads of information on the benefits of sourdoughs and why they are the healthier choice when it comes to breads so I encourage those of you who want to learn more to do a little research on your own. Otherwise, this blog is going to get long and boring fast!
One thing I often say to people is that I find it hard to call sourdough "bread." Honestly, what we think of as bread and what most of us know from eating bread is so far from what sourdough is, it's almost an insult to call it bread! Just my thoughts:)
I know that this seems like it's just the tip of the iceburg and that's because it is. It's so complex and so varied, yet so simple; which is why it's not for the faint of heart. As I write each blog post, I will try and explain in more detail the breakdown in the making of sourdough. Hopefully this will help to clarify some of the confusion around sourdoughs vs. bread (the conventional kind).
I'm just thinking that a little bio of my journey to health, which evidently lead me to sourdoughs, might be worth a post of it's own here too. I'll add it to the list:)
For now, I'll leave you with this quote from Cooked, which sums it up for me;
"Is there any practice less selfish, any time less wasted, than preparing something delicious and nourishing for the people you love?" Michael PollanHere's the link to view the trailer of my favourite Netflix doc on sourdough...and food;)
Episode on sourdough is AIR.
https://michaelpollan.com/uncategorized/netflix-documentary-series-cooked/
Stay safe, stay healthy
xoheather
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