Starting a Sourdough

At the moment, fresh food is in short supply and it looks like we will have to find alternate methods of ensuring we have access to the wonderful array and choices of food that we have all grown accustomed to having in our pantry. Such as basics like bread, pasta and toilet paper…

D.i.Y is on the rise! Hopefully not with toilet paper but D.I.Y bread is very popular.

I have an idea to make my own bread, but I never had much luck with using dried Yeast.

Many years ago, I use to cook my own bread -it was a blend of whole wheat and white bread, something that you could not obtain in the shops in the 1980’s. It was delicious, albeit with large airholes in the bread but the taste was fantastic when it was just out of the oven!

I made this bread using compressed yeast. This method worked really well and I often made whole wheat fruit buns and fruit loaves and they all turned out fine. They looked a bit like this.

I don’t have any photos of mine to show. Clearly I wasn’t the shutterbug that I am now!

It seems you can no longer get compressed yeast – trust me I have asked around. Even the Bakers themselves, do not seem to use it any longer, so a sourdough starter maybe an alternative bread raising agent.

Plus sourdough is good for your gut biome as the information below indicates. (I know M-R will totally disagree if she reads this!)

Vitamin and Mineral-Rich

Sourdough is a great source of several minerals such as iron and selenium. Iron and selenium helps protect our immune system, cells, and tissue. Sourdough is also a great source of many B vitamins, which assist in proper nervous system function and help regulate our metabolisms.

https://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/nutrition-101/is-sourdough-bread-healthy

Prebiotics & Probiotic-like Benefits

Prebiotics are a type of indigestible fibre that keep your gut healthy by feeding the good bacteria, called probiotics, that live there. The presence of prebiotics in sourdough is thought to make it easier to digest than many other breads and the presence of probiotic cultures have shown to increase vitamin and mineral absorption. The probiotics themselves don’t survive the baking process, but the lactic acid bacteria produced during fermentation remains and provides the benefits. The presence of lactic acid bacteria in sourdough has shown to also contain antioxidant benefits, safeguarding your body against illness.

https://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/nutrition-101/is-sourdough-bread-healthy

I have researched the YouTube videos and I’m ready to begin making a starter.

It may be a complete failure but let’s see how we go.

This is day one – April 19

Sour Dough Starter

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup White Plain Flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat Plain Flour
• 1/3 cup water – leave tap water to sit for an hour to remove any chlorine

That is it.

Now it is left to sit for two days in a warm place in a container with a loose lid.

I simply have to stir it tomorrow.