Why Sourdough Bread Is Useful And How To Make It At Home

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Today bread with yeast has become the most popular variety of pasta. It is most often offered by artisanal bakeries in countless varieties - wholemeal bread, bread with olives, spices, dried tomatoes. Its useful properties today are rather a fact that few people question, and rightly so. However, few know exactly what the benefits of eating sourdough bread.

For centuries, bread has been made with only three ingredients - water, salt and flour. Today, popular breads in supermarkets contain dozens of other ingredients that increasingly distance bread from natural human food. And more and more there are those whose organisms fail to process it well due to the many artificial leavening agents, preservatives, etc.

In fact the original way of making bread was through slowly fermented flour with water, which is practically its basis - or an alternative to today's yeast, which makes bread rise. Unlike yeast, however, this yeast has all the useful properties that other fermented foods are famous for, but also gives the leavened bread its specific slightly sour taste.

The benefits of sourdough bread

Yeast bread is made by fermentation instead of ready-made yeast. This means that when the mixture of flour and water is left at room temperature for a few days, good bacteria and other microorganisms, such as lactobacilli, naturally appear during the fermentation process. In this way, lactic acid is produced, which gives a sour but thicker and better taste.

Due to this, the gluten content in it is lower - some microorganisms are contained naturally in the flour. When combined with water and the fermentation process begins, the good bacteria break down the starch in the wheat into sugars that are metabolized by the yeast. Some of these sugars are food for bacteria, thus reducing their amount in the dough during fermentation.

As we have already said, bread contains beneficial microorganisms and bacteria, including many probiotic ones. It is also believed that sourdough bread is suitable for people who have difficulty tolerating gluten - fermentation releases enzymes that manage to digest proteins (such as gluten). It is also suitable for diabetics and people with insulin resistance due to its lower glycemic index, especially when using wholemeal flours and seeds in its preparation.

Making bread with yeast

If you are a fan of bread with yeast, the good news is that you can easily get it prepare at home. Starting with yourself kvass. All you need is water and flour, and the fermentation process usually takes between 5 and 10 days. Occurs at room temperature as needed keep the yeast alive - You need to feed the bacteria daily with small amounts of water and flour. You will recognize the live leaven by the bubbles and by the specific slightly milky and sour aroma.

Before making bread, it is important that you "feed" your yeast between 4 and 12 hours in advance. For 1 loaf of bread you need about 90 grams of yeast and nearly 2 cups and a half of water. Then add flour - about 4 cups or as long as it takes to form a dough. Once it is ready, let the dough rest between 9 and 12 hours at room temperature.

In the morning, knead again and bake in a preheated oven for about an hour. It is important to use a dish with a lid - keep it closed for the first 20-25 minutes, and the rest of the time bake the bread without it.

If you add olives and other wet products when kneading, do it in the morning - during the last kneading before baking. Make sure you remove excess water from them.