The Sourdough Experiment

“Do over” has been my battle-cry as I attempt to master the craft of naturally leavened bread, also known as “sourdough”.

I became intrigued and inspired to try my hand at this age-old technique in September 2011 after investing in a $7 loaf of locally made yumminess. The list of ingredients was small: water, flour, salt. This fact alone makes it a healthier alternative, yet when I did a little research, I found the following:

Health Benefits of Sourdough
by Shannon on February 9, 2011 in Bakeshop

Sourdough breads are leavened by a starter that contains natural yeasts and acids. The airborne yeast creates the enzymes needed to eat up or predigest some of the toughest-on-your-belly parts of the grain. This action creates carbon dioxide, which gets trapped in tiny pockets of dough, resulting in a natural rising of the bread.

Breaks Down Gluten
The longer soaking/rising time breaks the proteins (gluten) down into amino acids, making it more easily digested. This is why some who have a gluten sensitivity can tolerate sourdough wheat breads.

Better Nutrient Profile
Like all other fermentation processes, the bacteria present in the sourdough starter eat the starch and sugars present in the grain. This results in a lowering of the starch or carbohydrate content of the bread, which is helpful for keeping blood sugar levels regulated. It also increases some of the vitamin and mineral content of the grain.

Naturally Preserves the Bread
The lactic acid in the bread creates a lovely tang and predigests the grain for you. The acetic acid produced in the souring process helps the bread to store longer, inhibiting the growth of molds.

Neutralizes Anti-Nutrients
Finally, the bacteria present in the sourdough help to activate phytase, an enzyme that breaks down an anti-nutrient present in all grains, beans, and seeds – phytic acid. This may seem minor, but phytic acid is known to strip your body of minerals and can be hard on your digestion.

None of this can be said of the quick action of commercial yeast.

No wonder I felt better when I made the choice to eat sourdough bread!

With my most determined “I can do that!” attitude, I created my “starter”, allowing it to ferment over the course of a few days. Over the weekend, I set up to bake. My first loaves were small and dense. I retarded the starter (also known as the “mother”) by storing it in the fridge during the week, bringing it out to bring to room temperature to “feed” on subsequent weekends. Over the course of 3 or 4 weeks, the loaves became bigger- wider, yet never very tall. I decided that my starter must be bad and I backburnered my efforts, once again resorting to the purchase of commercially manufactured whole grain bread.

In early December; I saw an ad for a Natural Leavening classes at local Pleasanton Brick-Oven Bakery (http://www.pleasantbakery.com/) My heart cried out with joy! This is just what I needed to increase my odds of success at home. I casually mentioned the class to one of my children, then emailed the link to her (subtle hint…Christmas for Momma!) Knowing she would benefit from her investment, Bridget took the bait.

The class was held on January 17; it was everything I had hoped for and more! Our teachers Hannah and Nic had “staged” the dough in different phases of the baking process in order to allow us to move through each step within the three hour time frame. My head reeling a bit from the math, I was able to take in most of the information- thankfully we were given handouts to refer to at home. Each student left the class with a loaf fresh from the oven, a shaped loaf ready to bake, as well as fermented dough ready to shape and bake at a later time. We were also gifted with a few ounces of the Pleasanton starter which has been used for almost two decades. On my way out the door, Hannah delightfully dropped additional samples in my bag; my daughters were gleeful when I walked through the door that snowy winter night!

The at-home baking of the shaped loaf was a bit of an adventure. My thought was that the smell of fresh baked bread first thing in the morning would be a wonderful gift for my family. Up at 6am Wednesday, I turned on the oven to preheat. Instructions read to preheat at 500 degrees for 1 hour. At 6:30 the first smoke alarm went off, and as if like dominoes, the second and third alarms followed closely. So much for a gift, right? Eighteen year olds just don't like getting up any earlier than they need to. Nonetheless, I persevered; after all the alarm batteries were dislodged, I sprinkled flour on the bottom of the Dutch oven I planned to bake in and set about coaxing the dough out of the basket. It took some effort, one end of the dough hanging on which ended in quite an elongated loaf once the dough was released. After plopping the loaf into the Dutch oven, I tried to reshape it a bit, then went about slashing with a kitchen knife. Yup. Couldn't find the utility knife. And I won't do that again. The loaf ended up quite flat- the cuts not even close to deep enough. But you know what? No matter what the bread looked like, the taste was fabulous!

The fermented in-a-bag dough was transformed into a fabulous pizza crust. Being a "no sauce" kind of pizza gal, I used sliced tomatoes, fresh spinach and basil as well as caramelized onions with a hint of balsamic vinegar to create my masterpiece. Two handfuls of mozzarella kept the veggies from sliding off the crust. YUM.

Last night I started to feed the mother, which I kept in the fridge. I also located the utility knife and found extra blades. Baking will commence after my 4pm yoga class. We'll see how if goes. Luckily there's always tomorrow if today's efforts are in need of a "do over".

New Year 2012

It’s a new year, a new beginning, full of possibilities…so, what if we consider that every day, albeit every moment is a new beginning? A bit of radical thinking, I know.

Somehow, the idea of setting up New Year’s Resolutions strikes me as a bit negative. We spend time examining ourselves, looking at what we may see as “faults” or even “areas for growth”, and then we set out to improve ourselves over the course of the next 365 days. What if, this year, we look at ourselves as whole and complete humans?

Now, this does not mean that there isn’t room for improvement. Essentially the whole idea of being human speaks of flaws. This does not make us bad people, nor inherently evil. (Okay, there is room for controversy in that statement…please keep reading before you react). However if we continue to act from a place of deficiency, when are we ever good enough?

Yup, I’m changing it up a bit this year. No New Year’s Resolutions for me; no goals, no lists, no “must haves” or “must dos”.  Instead 2012 will have a theme- “Go BIG!”  It’s a simple, yet effective statement that can be applied to every area of my life EVERY DAY; in essence, the message to me is Live Life to its Fullest and Don’t Hold Back.

Admittedly, I’m a recovering Type-A person who makes lists, and lists of lists. When I’m completely honest with myself, I can admit that this is a way to attempt to control my life and my environment; I also tend to use this technique as a way to beat myself for non-compliance. I’ve decided that there’s no longer a need for any of that. Things will get done, with or without a list. “Going BIG” doesn’t allow for procrastination; things get done in the moment. Tasks and people get my full attention- Life is Lived in the Moment.

As I type this, the other side of my brain is hedging….”but, but, but…” It is what it is. Faith. Hope. Trust. In God. In me. Knowing that I’ve been given everything I need to live life right now today. And I’ve been given a whole lot more- to share. So it’s time to get on with that sharing piece. No holding back. “Go BIG!”