Have you ever wanted to make sourdough bread, but thought it was going to be too complicated?
Sourdough is special because it is a traditional preparation that properly breaks down the phytic acid found in most grains. Traditional cultures across the world would soak, sprout or ferment their grains before eating because their ancestral wisdom and traditions taught them that these preparations facilitated better digestion and overall health.
Modern nutritional science shows that these cultures were right…soaking, souring, sprouting, fermenting, etc. are all processes that break down or neutralize phytic acid found in grains and legumes that is responsible for stealing minerals and vitamins from our bodies and contributing to all sorts of health problems from tooth decay to heart disease.
I’ve always recommended sourdough as the nutritional bread of choice (for those who want to eat bread) because it is sort of “pre-digested” , but I’ve never actually made it myself…or at least made it well….UNTIL NOW!
Recently I’ve made sourdough part of the family, because that’s kind of what happens. At first you have to “raise” your starter, then have to get used to feeding your little starter at least once a week. On top of that you have to get used to using your starter for recipes.
It may sound like a lot of work, but it really isn’t! The hard part is getting into the habit of it all. It is totally worth the reward of making your own delicious recipes and being in even more control of what goes into your family’s bodies! That’s why I’ve decided to start a little “club” here at Real Food Family. Will you join me?
This “Sourdough Club” will simply be about all of my sourdough creations- bread, pancakes, biscuits, and more.
Stay tuned simply by following me (facebook, pinterest, twitter, instagram and email). I’ll be using the hashtags: #realfoodfamily and #sourdoughclub.
Are you ready to join me and start baking with sourdough?
This is what you’ll need:
- Sourdough Culture from Cultures for Health (I like the San Francisco culture)
- White flour- for feeding the starter (I use King Arthur’s Unbleached White Flour)
- large jars with lids (like these)
- linen kitchen towels and/or cheesecloth
- kitchen twine
- Einkorn flour– this is optional, but after using the white flour to feed the starter, I use Einkorn flour for all my baking recipes. You have to order online, so you’ll want to have it ready when you’re ready to bake! Click here to learn why I use Einkorn flour.
When you get your sourdough culture from Cultures for Health, you will need to follow the directions in the packet to get your sourdough starter activated and ready for recipes. This will take about a week, but here’s the breakdown of how it works:
- Open your starter and put it in a large jar with the recommended amount of warm water and flour
- Loosely cover the jar with the lid or a towel tied with twine and ut the mixture in a warm place for 12-24 hours (I put mine in my turned-off gas oven).
- After 12-24 hours, remove all but 1/2 cup of the starter and feed it with 1/2 cup water and 1 cup flour. (You can use the discarded starter to make sourdough pancakes. The recipe for this is below but also comes in the package that your starter comes with.)
- Repeat this process for several days until your starter is happy- growing and filled with bubbles after a few hours.
- Use some of your starter for a recipe, or put it in the refrigerator to keep it alive but in a dormant state.
- Feed and/or use your starter at least once per week by taking it out, discarding all but 1/2 cup of it, feeding it with 1/2 cup water and 1 cup flour, letting is “proof” for 12-24 hours, then using some of it for a recipe and returning the rest to the refrigerator.
This last step is where the “Sourdough Club” comes in. I think this is the part where planning becomes tricky and I want to help you keep using your little starter in delicious recipes. There are SO many different things you can make with sourdough…more than just bread, although I think the bread is good enough!
I’m excited to share my sourdough baking adventures with you.
Real Food Family’s Sourdough Recipes
View a list of all my Sourdough Club recipes here.