Lesson Eleven: Sourdough - Wild Rose College of Natural ...€¦ · Lesson Eleven: Sourdough...

Fermentation For Life Lesson 11 By Terry Willard ClH, PhD; Malcolm Saunders Sourdough

©2017 Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 1 All Rights Reserved.

Lesson Eleven: Sourdough

Sourdough is a type of bread product (or donut, bagel, pizza or cake…) made from a long fermentation process that’s famous for its classic tang. The key ingredient to any sourdough product is the starter. The starter is a mixture of flour and warm water that ferments. The ferment can be wild from yeast in the air around us, or from specific starter material. There is also a combination of acids and bacteria in the colony. A starter can be around for hundreds of years if cared for properly. These starters take a fair amount of attention and care to cultivate properly. It was rumored that bakers in the past would sleep with the starter to prevent it from freezing in the night, since extreme temperatures can kill the yeast. Sourdough products are produced when the starter is combined with flour and water to make dough. This sourdough starter contains lactobacilli bacteria; the lactobacilli feed on the flour and produce gases that get trapped in the flour-water mixture and cause the bread to rise. As the gases are produced, so are acids –which are what give the bread its characteristic sour tang. One of the acids is lactic acid and the other is acetic acid. The acetic acid is responsible for the sour taste, while the lactic acid brings a unique richness. Interestingly, the container you pick to grow your starter in can make a big difference. Ideally, you would keep your starter in a



wide mouthed glass jar – like a Mason jar – with a hole or two poked in the clean lid. A plastic container (think Tupperware) is also acceptable. Do not use a metal container, as it will interfere with the natural reactions in the starter. The container will need enough room to allow the starter to at least double in size.

History

Sourdough has been made for thousands of years, but again we don’t have a definitive starting date. There are records of sourdough-like breads as far back as Mesopotamia, between 8000 and 6000 years BCE. Back then the breads were a further development of porridge. The breads were made only out of crushed grains and water, all mixed to a paste, which was ‘baked’ on embers or a hearthstone.

It is speculated that the Egyptians were the first to oven-bake sourdough bread. When the Egyptians discovered that flour and water, if given enough time, oxygen, and warmth, could “come alive” and expand what would otherwise be very dense and simple dough, they were off to the races when the ‘bake oven’ was invented in 2500 BCE. The first leavened bread was baked with beer as a leavening agent. It was then discovered that by keeping a bit of the dough for the next batch of sourdough bread, one could have a continuous supply of the bacteria and yeasts producing these lovely, risen loaves. Sourdough bread then became a symbolic food and, together with porridge and flour cakes, a common staple. All breads in this era were sourdough, as modern yeasted breads are just over 100 years old. Sourdough bread was

also popular in ancient Greece where it was made from barley. The making of bread spread further from Greece to the Roman Empire where it evolved in the monasteries. Sourdough takes on a regional flavor, as each starter contains very specific local yeasts and bacteria (native to that area), which in turn create various flavors and textures of bread only available in that region. The famous “San Francisco Sourdough” is just one example.



What Makes Sourdough Superior?

Breaks down Gluten

The longer rising/soaking time necessary to raise sourdough breads allows for the breakdown of some of the proteins (gluten in wheat) into amino acid pieces, making it easier to digest. This is why some people who have gluten sensitivity can tolerate sourdough wheat breads. This is not 100% the case, but I can easily say that 50% of my gluten-sensitive patients can tolerate moderate amounts of sourdough products, even though they can’t eat normal breads.

More Nutritious Because sourdough breads go through a fermentation process, many of the simple sugars present in the grain are eaten up in the process. This makes the bread easier on a person’s blood sugar levels. The glycemic index of sourdough bread is quite a bit lower than other bread products. The fermentation process also makes the bread higher in nutrients, especially B vitamins.

Naturally Preserves the Bread

The tangy lactic acid produced during the fermentation process helps to predigest the grain for you. The acetic acid helps the bread to store longer by inhibiting the growth of molds.

Neutralizes the Anti-Nutrients

The bacteria present in the sourdough help to activate phytase, an enzyme that breaks down phytic acid - an anti-nutrient found in all grains and seeds. This allows your body to better hold onto minerals, as phytic acid can bind with them and take them out of your body. Grains are rich in minerals essential for our body. However the phytic acid, even though it is an antioxidant, is unlike most other antioxidants because it is actually bad for our body. Phytic acid is also known as an absorption inhibitor. Phytic acid in normal bread prevents our body from absorbing minerals such as zinc, iron and magnesium and even some proteins. The beauty of sourdough breads is that the long fermenting process brakes down the phytic acid to such a degree that it barely affects the absorption of minerals.



Sustainability

One of the best features of the sourdough process is that it allows you to make bread with the simplest of ingredients, ones that you can even produce yourself. Instead of having to buy a yeast packet for every loaf of bread, you just add a plop of your homemade starter made from flour, water, and the bacteria and yeasts that surround you.

Time Commitment

The hands-on time commitment is really very little. There are two aspects to the sourdough time commitment: the feeding of the culture and the rising/baking of the bread.

The time commitment dedicated to feeding the culture is only minutes per day or even per week, if you are storing your starter in the refrigerator. The time commitment in baking bread is primarily taken up in the long rising period needed for the yeasts in the culture to produce the gas and therefore raise the bread.

Your overall time commitment in baking the bread will be 30 to 40 minutes of prep along with a hands-off rising time of 4 to 24 hours.

Many like to use an established starter specific for the project they have at hand. You will most often do this. We will review these later, but it is always good to learn how to make your own Wild Starter from scratch.

Making your own Wild Starter

Most people use starters that are well established and have flavors they desire, but it is good to know how to make a wild starter. When making a new wild starter it is best not to use old flour. Fresh flour has more active yeast spores on them and thus produces a better starter. The starters can be somewhat grain-specific; it is best to have a rye starter for rye sourdough and wheat for wheat sourdough. Also, cold temperatures will make it harder to awaken the starter. Around 70-85°F (20-

30C) is best. Day 1: Stir together 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup warm water

until well combined. A few lumps are fine – like pancake batter – but ideally you want the mixture to be wet so the yeast and bacteria can get started. Then, pour the mixture into your



container and cover (but don’t seal) the top. Leave the mixture to sit in a warm spot for 24 hours. On a countertop or above the fridge are nice warm locations for your starter to live. The container should be at least twice the size of your initial starter and be clean, without soup residues. Glass is often best. Day 2: feed your starter with 1/2 cup of warm water and 1/2 cup of flour. You will first need to discard half the starter. The reason you throw it out is to:

a) avoid having too much starter and b) allow the organisms in the starter to have enough to eat and maintain a proper pH balance.

Stir the flour and water into the remaining starter, then cover it and let it sit for another 24 hours. Day 3-5: Repeat the actions from Day 2: discard half the starter and feed it 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup warm water. If any liquid (hooch) has formed on top, you can pour it off or stir it in. Day 5: the starter should be ready to use. The starter should smell sour or tangy, and easily doubles in size when you feed it, you can either use it in a recipe or keep it in the fridge. If you decide to store it in the fridge, you’ll just need to feed it once a week, and also the day before you need to use it in a recipe.

Keeping your Starter Healthy Keeping a sourdough starter is a little like caring for a pet. They need the right conditions to thrive, you have to feed them daily (or weekly if refrigerated). They will die on you if you neglect them.

Remember that sourdough needs a few things to thrive

• Warm temperatures between 65° and 85°F (18 – 30C),

• A space of several feet between the sourdough culture and

any other culture (yogurt, kombucha, kefir, etc.),

• A non-reactive (glass or plastic) vessel and a stirring spoon for storing and feeding, plus

• A consistent food supply.

Feeding Your Starter

A note on ingredients: Non-chlorinated water is best for a sourdough culture as chlorine can interfere with the organisms in the starter. A freshly milled flour of the



variety that your culture specifies is preferable.

A note on the flour-to-water ratio for feedings: When you feed your sourdough starter, feed it approximately equal weights of flour and water. You can measure the flour and water by weight with a kitchen scale or you can figure that for every cup of flour you will need about 1/2 cup of water. The measurement ratio can vary depending on how heavy or dense the flour is.

How frequently you feed your starter is dependent on how often you wish to bake with it. If you think you’ll be using your starter every couple of days or even more frequently, then you should feed it every day. If you will only be baking with it once a week then you may refrigerate it and feed and refresh it before baking.

It is important to maintain your sourdough starter even if it is being stored away in the refrigerator. If you bake with your sourdough starter during the week, part of that process will include feeding the starter. During weeks when you won't be baking with your sourdough culture, we do recommend feeding the culture to maintain its viability. To feed your sourdough culture: Remove the starter from the refrigerator. If a layer of liquid has developed on top of the starter culture, simply pour it off.

a. Discard all but about 1/4 cup of starter. Add equal amounts (by weight) of flour and water. (If using measuring cups, use 1/4 cup water and a scant 1/2 cup flour.) Mix vigorously to incorporate air.

b. Cover loosely and allow the starter to proof at room temperature for several hours. Return the starter to the refrigerator at the conclusion of the proofing process.

Long Term Storage of Starter

If you desire to store your sourdough for an extended period of time, you will need to prepare a dried version of your starter to be used as the inoculant for a new sourdough mother culture to be started, fed and proofed as is customary.

Simply spoon two or three tablespoons of your favorite proofed and activated sourdough starter onto a sheet of parchment paper. Spread the starter thinly and allow it to air dry or dry at



room temperature or at a low temperature in a dehydrator. Store in a zip lock plastic bag or a small air-tight jar for storage. This dehydrated starter culture can be kept for twelve to eighteen months at room temperature or longer in the freezer and can be used with water and flour as above.

Make a Kefir Sourdough Starter

Because kefir has many of the components of sourdough, you can make a type of sourdough starter directly from kefir! The cultures in the starter will be the same as in the kefir so you will know you are getting a wonderful fermented food.

To make a kefir sourdough starter:

1. Combine 1 cup each freshly ground flour and milk kefir in a quart jar.

2. Stir well to combine. 3. Place a breathable lid, such as a towel or coffee filter, over

the jar and secure it tightly. 4. Allow it to culture 2 to 3 days at room temperature or until it

is bubbling and active. 5. Use in your favorite sourdough recipes.

Use Milk Kefir Directly as the “Sourdough Starter”

Milk kefir can be a direct replacement for a sourdough starter if you don’t have a sourdough starter going, or if you don’t have the time to create the kefir sourdough starter above.

Simply replace the liquid in your favorite sourdough bread recipe with kefir. For the flour, use the amount of flour in the recipe plus the amount of starter given. So if your recipe calls for 2 cups of starter, 3 cups of flour, and 1 cup of water, use 5 cups of flour and 1 cup of kefir. You may need to adjust the amount of kefir to get the right consistency in the dough.

Mix and knead as usual. Allow to ferment in an oiled bowl for about 24 hours, or until doubled in size. Punch down and place in a buttered loaf pan. Allow to rise until it reaches the top of the pan, then bake as usual.



Benefits of Using Kefir as Leavening

Keeping it simple. If you are already making milk kefir on a daily basis then you’ve got leavening on hand. Furthermore, if you can use something you’re already making as a sourdough starter then you don’t have to create and maintain a separate sourdough culture.

Better keeping qualities. Because of the acids and bacteria naturally present in kefir, many find that kefir-leavened breads, much like sourdough, tend to keep longer than their commercial yeast-based counterparts.

Starting with a Reliable Culture

If you have ever tried to create a sourdough starter by catching wild yeasts then you know that it can be hit or miss. Some wild yeasts produce great bread, others not so much. Starting with kefir can give you the peace of mind that only truly established cultures can bring.

So, definitely give kefir-leavened bread a try. You can create truly great bread with three simple ingredients: flour, salt, and kefir.



Recipes

As is usual these days, one of the best sources for recipes is to do a Google search and follow the recipes that attract you. We will just put in a few ideas that we have found to be nice. There is a simple approach that many follow to bake breads that turn out close to perfection:

1. Set the temperature on your oven to maximum (usually 525°F, 270°C) and let it heat up. This takes about 30 minutes for most ovens.

2. Shovel the bread into the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 480°F. (250°C)

3. After 15 minutes open the door to the oven and let out some air. Reduce the temperature to 390°F (200°C).

4. After another 15-20 minutes turn off the oven and take out your bread.

5. For an optimal taste experience, let your bread cool down for an hour or two before you cut out your first slice of bread.

Note! This short instruction is only a rough guideline. When baking to particular recipes you might see that time and temperature is different. Also, the oven itself can have a major impact on the baking time.



Sourdough Bread

Difficulty: easy | yield: 1 loaf | time: 45 mins (oven)

Ingredients

• 1 cup proofed and bubbly sourdough starter

• 1 1/2 cups warm water

• 1 tbsp. honey, optional

• 2 1/2 tsps. unrefined sea salt

• 5 cups sifted whole wheat or spelt flour

Equipment

• mixing bowl

• spoon

• baking dish or stone

• sharp knife

Method

1. Combine all ingredients together, then knead into a smooth dough.

2. Allow the dough to rise, covered, until doubled in bulk. 3. Divide the dough in half.

4. Shape each half of the dough into an oval loaf, cover and let rise for one to two hours.

5. Preheat the oven to 525° Fahrenheit. (follow above guide temperature lines)

6. Spritz loaves with water. 7. With a very sharp knife, slash the loaves diagonally about 1/4

to 1/2 inch deep.

*This produces a flat, crusty loaf with a gummy crumb. For a lighter bread, substitute half of the whole grain flour for un- bleached bread flour.



No-knead Sourdough bread

Difficulty: easy | yield: 1 loaf | time: 45 mins (oven)

Ingredients

• 1 cup proofed sourdough starter

• 3 cups whole wheat or spelt flour

• 1 cup water

• 2 tsps. unrefined sea salt

Equipment

• mixing bowl

• spoon

• baking dish or stone

• sharp knife

Method

1. Combine all ingredients together, then mix into a smooth dough. 2. Allow the dough to rise, covered, until doubled in bulk. 3. Divide the dough in half. 4. Shape each half of the dough into an oval loaf, cover and let rise

for one to two hours. 5. Preheat the oven to 525° Fahrenheit. (follow above temperature

guidelines) 6. Spritz loaves with water. 7. With a very sharp knife, slash the loaves diagonally about 1/4 to

1/2 inch deep.



Artisan-style gluten-free sourdough bread

Difficulty: easy | yield: 1 loaf; time: 45 mins (oven)

Ingredients

• 2 cups brown rice flour - 3.5

• ½ cup sorghum flour - 1

• 1/2 cup tapioca flour - 1

• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour - 1

• 2 tsps. unrefined sea salt

• 2 tsps. xanthan gum, optional

• 3 1/2 cups proofed sourdough starter – 2 cup room temp Kefir

• 3/4 cup water

• olive oil, for greasing the bowl

Equipment

• mixing bowl

• parchment paper

• spoon

• dutch oven

• sharp knife

Method

1. Combine flours with salt and xanthan gum, if using, until well-mixed. Stir in sourdough starter and water, beating until smooth.

2. Line a bowl with parchment paper and grease it gently with olive oil.

3. Spoon your bread batter into the paper-lined mixing bowl, cover it, and allow it to rest for six to eight hours at room temperature or until doubled in bulk.

4. Preheat the oven and the Dutch oven to 425° Fahrenheit. 5. Remove the preheated Dutch oven from the oven and, taking

very gentle hold of the parchment paper, transfer the batter and the parchment paper to the Dutch oven, cover, and bake for forty-five minutes. Allow it to cool completely before cutting.



Green olives and sun dried tomatoes bread Preparing the dough – evening of day 1:

• 250 grams from an active starter

• 700 grams of wheat flour

• 450 grams of water

• 1 tablespoon of salt

• 100 grams of sun dried tomatoes cut in pieces (preferable dry tomatoes, not in oil)

• 300 grams of green olives

• 2 tablespoons of dried rosemary Tip! Don’t be cheap when it comes to the olives. Buy real ones with the pit left. To remove the pit from an olive use a cherry pitter, or simply place the olive on a cutting board. Place a big knife with its side against the olive. Press firmly with your free hand on the knife, which in turn crushes the olive so that the pit comes lose.

Method

1. Mix the wheat flour, the rosemary and water with the starter in a big bowl. Adjust with water or wheat flour if necessary.

2. Knead until the dough has a nice consistency. 3. Add the olives, the tomatoes and the salt. 4. Knead until well mixed. 5. Leave it to rest somewhere during the night.

Baking – morning Day 2 Bake for approximately 20 minutes in 250°C (482°F). Reduce the heat to 200°C (392°F) and bake for additional 20-25 minutes.



Whole Wheat Pitas

Yields 8 pitas Ingredients

• 8 oz (weight, not volume) sourdough starter

• 2 - 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tbsp. olive oil

• 1/3 cup warm water

Method 1. In the bowl combine the starter, flour, salt, oil, and water. 2. Knead until it forms a ball. If needed, add more flour or water. 3. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 2-4 hours. 4. It should at least double in size. 5. Punch the dough, and divide it into 8 pieces. 6. Cover and let it rise an additional 30 minutes.

7. Preheat the oven to 475F and place a baking stone (or baking pan) in the oven.

8. Roll each piece of dough out to 1/4 inch thick. 9. Place the pita dough on the baking stone or pan, but do not

overlap them. 10. Bake for 2-3 minutes on each side, until puffy and golden brown. 11. Repeat until they're all baked. 12. Remove from oven and let cool before eating.



Berry and Lime Scones Yields 12-18 scones

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups flour

• 2 cups mixed berries, fresh or frozen

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed

• 1 cup sourdough starter

• 1/3 cup milk

• 1 tablespoon lime zest

Method 1. Line an 8 or 9 inch baking pan with plastic wrap, and fill the

bottom with the berries. 2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking

soda, sugar, and lime zest. 3. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. 4. Stir in the milk and starter until the mixture just forms a dough. 5. Press the dough into the cake pan, and freeze for several hours. 6. Preheat oven to 400°F, and cut the frozen scone dough into 8-12

pieces. 7. Place on a lined baking sheet, and bake for 18-20 minutes.



Gluten-Free Wild Sourdough

Making the Wild Gluten Free Starter:

• 1 cup Teff flour

• 1 cup room temperature spring water (or non-chlorinated filtered water)

• Subsequently ... 4 cups more Teff flour Note: you may use other gluten-free flours if you like - either as your mother starter or for feeding. Each flour offers unique flavours and textures, but Teff works very well for a first batch.

Optional but helpful starter boosting options: Add 1 cabbage leaf, skin from 1/2 an apple, or grapes (make sure they are organic or they may not contain the necessary cultures) or 2 TBSP water kefir or milk kefir Mix 1 cup Teff flour with 1 cup water in a non-metal bowl (ceramic or glass are best). Whisk together until smooth and add any optional ingredients to encourage the wild yeasts. Leave it in the bowl uncovered (unless its fruit fly season, in which case cover with a thin layer of cheese cloth or tea towel) in a warm spot in your kitchen - the back top of the fridge, on top of a dehydrator that is in use, or a cabinet near the stove . . . Every day for 3 days feed you starter with 1/4 cup Teff and 1/4 cup water 1-3 times a day - the more often, the sooner it will get going. You can add 1 TBSP of water kefir or milk kefir once a day as well for boosting yeast activity. Each time, whisk everything together until the batter is smooth. If you used the cabbage leaves, apple or grape skins remove these as soon as the batter becomes bubbly (appx 2-3 days into the process) otherwise they will start to bring in off-flavours. Once its full of life (i.e. bubbly) you starter is ready to use!



Maintaining your Wild Starter Now that you have a happy starter it is beneficial and handy to keep it going - your method will vary depending on whether you want to bake daily, weekly or less often. If you feed it daily or weekly, try to be consistent with days and times as the wild yeasts thrive better with consistency.

Weekly Baking The starter can be kept in the refrigerator and fed once a week merely to sustain life of the yeast in your starter. To do this, let your starter warm up to room temperature, and then throw away, or use in sourdough pancakes or muffins, about 1/3 of your starter (at least 1/4 cup) and then replace with fresh gluten free flour (Teff, Sorghum, etc. . .) and 1/4 water. You may also add in 1-2 Tbsp of water or milk kefir. Whisk until smooth. Once is bubbly and active again in a few hours, return to the fridge. Daily Feedings for Regular Baking You can continue to feed your wild starter daily as you have been, and thus use a portion of starter whenever you need it. To do this, add 1 Tbsp each of flour and water, 2-3 times a day plus more kefir liquid if it needs a boost. When your starter is bubbly a few hours later, it is ready to use in a recipe. Irregular Baking: You can also freeze your starter in 1/4 cup portions in an ice cube tray. When you want to bake, simply remove and bring to room temp the cube and beginning feeding as per daily maintenance until your starter is lively again.



Ingera (injera) - Ethiopian flatbread This is a lovely soft, sour flatbread traditionally eaten in Ethiopia - however its great with all soups, curries and stews and well as making a quick and easy wrap.

• 1/4 cup wild mother starter

• 1 1/2 cups Teff flour

• 1 3/4 cup water

• 1/2 tsp salt In a glass bowl, mix together the starter culture, water and flour. Let it sit for 4-5 hours in a warm spot until bubbly. Mix the salt in the batter - if you want a more bubbly or less sour bread you may add 1/2 tsp baking soda as well. Lightly oil with a paper towel a large heavy skillet, and warm to medium heat. Pour in 1/2 to 1 cup of batter depending on the size of bread you want. Move and tilt in the pan just as you would with a crepe to get a large thin pancake-like shape. Allow to cook until the top side is bubbly and the edges curl up a bit (approx. 5 mins) - there is no need to flip. Just like pancakes, the first one often doesn't work out! Continue with the remaining batter.

Lesson Eleven: Sourdough - Wild Rose College of Natural ...€¦ · Lesson Eleven: Sourdough...

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