Sourdough 101

Why Sourdough?
   
 Many of us know that whole grain flours are better for us than white flours. This is because the whole grain has the germ and bran still intact. These parts of the grain not only provide fiber but also many vitamins and minerals. What is less known is that the hulls of seeds (bran in the case of wheat) also have a substance called Phytic Acid.

     Phytic Acid is found in the hulls and outer layers of all kinds of seeds, grains, and nuts. The Phytic Acid helps the seed by binding with certain minerals and keeping them available for the seed so that it could use them to sprout and grow someday. While that is all good and well for the seed it doesn't work out so well for non-ruminant animals and humans who ingest whole grains. In order for our bodies to be able to absorb the minerals in grains we have to disable the Phytic Acid.

This can be done in a number of ways depending upon the seed, grain, or nut in question. If we have healthy flora in our intestines our bodies can break down some of this Phytic Acid.    But if we are lacking in key enzymes or eating large amounts of grain the Phytic Acid may actually be working as an anti-nutrient  and causing mineral deficiencies. 

 We can help our bodies out by doing some of the digesting before we actually eat certain seeds, nuts, or grains.   Simply cooking seeds can break down some of the Phytic Acid, but a soaking period prior to cooking renders grains and seed far more digestible.  Oatmeal for breakfast should be soaked overnight. I mix my oats, half of the water required to cook them, and for every cup of water I add 2 Tbs. of a healthy acid (apple cider vinegar, buttermilk, whey, kefir, plain yogurt, or lemon juice). In the morning I just add the rest of the water and cook for about 5 minutes.  For bread making I use a sourdough starter to break down the anti-nutrients in the whole wheat flour.

What Is Sourdough?

     A sourdough starter made from wild yeasts (not store-bought commercial yeasts) has bacteria called, Lactobacilli, which produce lactic acid which helps break down Phytic Acid.   A true sourdough starter is a symbiotic culture of yeast and lactobacilli bacteria growing together in a flour and water mixture. The yeast is wild, airborne yeast. It will metabolize the sugars in the flour and produce carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is what causes bread to rise. The lactobacilli will keep the environment acidic, which keeps harmful bacteria from growing and also makes the bread more nutritious by breaking down Phytic Acid.

How To Get Started.

     To get your own colony of yeast and lactobacilli growing all you need is flour, water and a quart jar. On the first day start off by mixing equal amounts of flour and water together in the jar. Start off small, 2Tbs. of each is plenty.   The jar should be left open if possible or cover with a cheese cloth to allow airborne yeast spores to find a home in the flour and water.   Don't worry if you have to put a lid on the jar do to flies etc... There should be yeast spores on the flour that will begin growing.   Whole wheat flour has more yeast spores in it than white flour and whole rye flour has ever greater amounts of yeast spores.   If you use flour that was stone ground as opposed to flour ground with steel burs it can have more yeast spores that survive the grinding process because of the lower temperatures achieved in stone grinding.   The second day you want to add 2 more tablespoons of water and flour and mix well.            

     Incorporating a lot of air in the mixture will help the yeast to grow better because in needs oxygen to thrive. There should be 1/4 cup of mixture in the jar.   The third day add a 1/4 cup of flour and water. There should be a 1/2 cup of mixture in the jar now.   On the third day you should start seeing air bubble forming in the starter. This is a good sign. It means you have yeast growing and producing carbon dioxide.   On the forth day add 1/2 cup of flour and water.   There should be 1 cup of mixture in your jar now.   On the fifth day you should pour off half of your starter. There will not be enough yeast to raise a loaf of bread yet but if you don't want to throw it away you can make a loaf of regular bread (with commercial yeast)  and add the 1/2 cup of starter to it just to use it up.   The reason you need to pour off half of your starter is so that it doesn't out grow it's jar.   After you pour off half there should be 1/2 cup left.    Feed it with 1/2 cup of flour and water.   Each time you feed your starter it should double in size.   So now there should be 1 cup of starter.   On the sixth and seventh days repeat the steps for the fifth day.

How To Make Bread With Your Starter.

      By day number eight the yeast should be concentrated enough to raise a loaf of bread.   By now it should be doubling up to twice it's size when you feed it and deflating by the time you need to feed it again.   There should be one cup of starter in your jar.   Feed it with 1 cup of flour and water.   Measure out one cup for your bread and put the rest that is left in the jar into the refrigerator.

    The cooler temperatures in the refrigerator will slow the yeast's growth down so that it won't need to be fed every day.    Starter kept in the refrigerator will need to be fed every week.   Check it frequently, though, if it develops a liquid on top you should feed right away.  The liquid is a sign that the bacteria has used all the food and is hungry.   The liquid is not harmful but does make the starter have a more sour flavor so you may want to pour it off.   To make bread dough combine 1 cup of starter, 1 cup of water, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and about 3 cups of flour.  This is a basic ratio.  You can also add 2-4 Tbs. of sweetener (honey, molasses, sugar, agave nectar, etc...), and 2 Tbs. of oil (olive oil, vegetable oil, melted butter, etc...).

     Sourdough bread should be mixed up in a non-reactive bowl.  Choose a glass or ceramic bowl.  Avoid bowls made out of metal or plastic.   Sourdough bread dough can take longer to absorb all of the liquid so it is a good ideal to mix in the ingredients together and then let the dough rest for 30 minutes before kneading.  

     The dough should be kneaded well 8-10 minutes.  You may need to incorporate extra flour to make the dough workable but you want it to stay on the sticky side.   Once the dough is kneaded cover it and allow it to rise in a warm place.  Sourdough can take any where from 6-12 hours to rise depending on the strain of yeast in your starter and the temperature of the surroundings.  The dough can be mixing up late in the day and let rise overnight.  When the dough is doubled in size shape it and put it in a greased loaf pan.   Cover and let rise until just about doubled, 2-4 hours. Bake at 375* for 50-55 minutes.  Sourdough bread should be moist and stay fresh longer than bread made with commercial yeast.  It should be eaten within a week or frozen for later.

I hope you have found this lengthy post to be informative.  I have enjoyed learning the benefits of baking with sourdough and thought I would share some of them with you all.  I started my own sourdough using the method described and use it to bake most of my family's bread.  If anyone has questions, please ask in the comments section and I will be happy to answer them!