The Four Golden Rules to Sourdough
One of our most frequently asked questions is “why Sourdough.” Why is Aidan so passionately committed to his quest of all loaves baked by us being organic and sourdough. The health benefits are endless, and within this post, we are about to share a few. Our top four thoughts are:
- Organic Flour
It’s no secret we adore Gilchester Organics Flour. We have been ranting and raving about the sheer quality of their grain since we began baking. If you do one thing as a budding baker, explore organic flour it will make all the difference to how your sourdough taste. Get to know your flour, all flours react differently.
Lockdown may be full of heartache, unprecedented challenges, and on the flip side, it gifted us a meaningful opportunity to go 100% organic with the grains that we use. This goal had been on our wish list for way too long; the new far slower pace of life with no wholesale customers to serve, meant that we could really concentrate on working beautiful new flours into our recipes, on refining our craft. This was a shining light in a window of time that initially felt rather glum.
Many beliefs drove Aidan’s determination.
Wheat crops grown in pesticide-free fields are more robust, allowing the grains to draw more minerals from the soil’s qualities.
Food for thought – did you know that conventionally farmed grain and flour, may have up to 100 different chemicals applied from growing to baking. The number of chemicals contained in the dough triggered, for many bakers in the food industry, skin allergies brought about by the ingredients that they work with daily.
And the consumers? You’re digesting all these chemicals. Admittedly they won’t kill you, but they accumulate in your body, and as they continue to do so this, without question, will affect your health. Don’t forget, none of these chemicals contribute to your health or the flavour of the loaves you eat; the chemicals only benefited the manufacturing processes.
Stone Milled Flour
The wheatgerm in flour is rich in essential oils. When the entire grain is milled, it retains all the vitamins, enzymes, amino acids and fibre. The friction from the stones during the milling process, heats the flour gradually without compromising flavour and flour integrity.
2.Hydration – lots of Lake District Water
Your sourdough loves water, lots of water. The hydration in your recipe has a significant impact on sourdoughs keeping and longevity. The volume of water will have a positive influence on the sourdoughs texture and structure, contributing to a more open crumb, those adored holes!
What’s not to like about a crusty Sourdough loaf?
Sourdough bread crusts can be slightly thicker and chewy. That’s why with increasing hydration, sourdough can have a thinner crust which will stay crispy for longer.
3.Naturally slow fermentation – Slow is best
If you seek a much more complex flavour, your bread preference will be sourdough, and even better organic sourdough. The slow fermentation process is fundamental and has such a positive impact on your digestive health.
Sourdough you can trust – will be made from 3 simple ingredients.
Organic flour
Water
Salt
and one more #love
Naturally, fermented sourdough produces its own cultures which creates the rise and flavours. Making bread slowly with fermentation cultures can be traced as far back as 10,000 years ago.
Why Sour?
The “sour” flavour comes from lactobacilli fermentation, a ‘good for you bacteria’ that’s a critical part of our health and well-being. This bacteria has a positive impact on the dough, breaking down the phytate bonds in the flour during the 24 hours of fermentation. We believe this is the key and the secret to why sourdough is good for YOU.
Good to know
- Lactobacilli break down the maltose sugars contained in the flour. The lactic and acetic acids, which slow the rate of sugars in our tummies.
- Recent studies demonstrate the glycaemic impact of sourdough equates to that of beans and whole grains. Make note, that the wholegrain used in our Wholemeal & Scalded Bran sourdough supports those with Type 2 Diabetes.
4.Steam – Sourdough needs to be well-baked
This is not just about appearance, though it is matters significantly. It’s about a good crust. Ensuring that yum appeal, colour and most importantly flavour. That legendary keeping quality of our sourdoughs is also helped by the steam. Many who visit the bakeries will have witnessed the volume of steam, drifting through the open doors of our Alty Bakery, like a steam engine cooling down. Alarming as this may appear it’s good news!
Oven Steam – will positively enhance the expansion of the dough during baking, producing a fabulous oven spring.
You can imagine my list and love for sourdough is long! If we can hypnotise you to adore sourdough as much as we do, let us. The best test of course, is in the eating.
We have a fabulous shop, take a sneaky peek. Visit our NEW online shop today.
Additional reading and research – https://weatherburyfarm.com/organic-flours-milled-products/health-benefits/
Previous blog post that might inspire https://lovinglyartisan.com/the-goodness-of-gilchesters-organic-wholemeal/
Happy sourdough eating!
Aidan
