Did you really reduce or cut bread out of your diet? Think again. Here are ten reasons to love bread, especially sourdough.
What is Sourdough Bread?
Bread is bread, right? Wrong! Not all bread is the same.
Sourdough bread is the traditional levain bread that was common centuries ago before yeast was developed. Yeast was developed to make bread rise faster and produce an even, predictable texture. So bread became industrialized and massed produced. Yeast also makes quick and easy bread at home, but it is not the same texture and taste as sourdough.
Sourdough bread uses fermentation with naturally occurring bacteria and fungi. The baker maintains a live culture and feeds it flour daily. It takes much longer to ferment and rise sourdough compared to yeast. So it is labour and time intensive. But the taste and texture are unbeatable. As the name says, sourdough bread has the sour taste of fermentation, like the sour taste of plain yogourt, and the sour taste of a good fermented beer. Secondly, the fermentation and the kneading give structure to the gluten in the flour, producing an elastic chewy texture.
Read more here...
Watch for genuine sourdough! The word sourdough is gaining in popularity. So some bread makers are taking shortcuts. The big thing is yeast. A baker could start the dough with a sourdough culture, but also add yeast to finish the rising more quickly and more evenly. The result may resemble sourdough bread, but it still falls short of the unique taste and texture of genuine sourdough. Read more here...
Sourdough bread is the traditional levain bread that was common centuries ago before yeast was developed. Yeast was developed to make bread rise faster and produce an even, predictable texture. So bread became industrialized and massed produced. Yeast also makes quick and easy bread at home, but it is not the same texture and taste as sourdough.
Sourdough bread uses fermentation with naturally occurring bacteria and fungi. The baker maintains a live culture and feeds it flour daily. It takes much longer to ferment and rise sourdough compared to yeast. So it is labour and time intensive. But the taste and texture are unbeatable. As the name says, sourdough bread has the sour taste of fermentation, like the sour taste of plain yogourt, and the sour taste of a good fermented beer. Secondly, the fermentation and the kneading give structure to the gluten in the flour, producing an elastic chewy texture.
Read more here...
Watch for genuine sourdough! The word sourdough is gaining in popularity. So some bread makers are taking shortcuts. The big thing is yeast. A baker could start the dough with a sourdough culture, but also add yeast to finish the rising more quickly and more evenly. The result may resemble sourdough bread, but it still falls short of the unique taste and texture of genuine sourdough. Read more here...
Why Sourdough Bread?
Sourdough bread has so many advantages.
- The taste is great, compared to the plain sweet taste of commercial bread with yeast.
- The texture is chewy elastic, and does not fall apart, making it great for sandwiches and dips.
- Not only does live culture improve the flavour, but the bread stays fresh after baking, much longer than factory bread and doesn’t require any extra preservatives to ward off mould.
- Sourdough is a fermented food, similar to sauerkraut, kefir, pickles, and kombucha, by using Lactobacillus cultures (a probiotic, aka bacteria that benefits your gut).
- The fermentation produces lactic acid, and that does the body a whole lot of good. Lactic acid helps decrease the levels of phytic acid in bread (phytic acid interferes with the absorption of certain nutrients, which is a bad thing). This, in turn, helps other nutrients become more readily available, digestible and absorbable.
- The carbohydrates and the starches in commercial breads are quickly digested. This produces a high glycemic response, meaning that your blood sugar spikes quickly after eating. But the fermentation process in sourdough lowers the glycemic index and makes it a great low GI bread.
Any Shape |
Different breads are produced in different shape, but the recipe, taste, and texture do not change:
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More Questions?
How do I preserve my loaf of sourdough bread?
Can I freeze the bread?
What about consistency?
Is sourdough bread gluten free?
What if I am sensitive to wheat?
Is Tom's Pantry an inspected kitchen?
What allergies should I be concerned with?
- Sourdough bread keeps very well thanks to the fermentation process, the low PH of the dough, the high cooking temperature, and the freshness. Keep the loaf in the plastic bag for up to a week. As the days pass, the loaf may dry out slightly or become stiff. Just drop a slice in the toaster briefly and bring out the crispness, the elastic texture, and the flavour.
Can I freeze the bread?
- Sourdough bread freezes very well and keeps its texture and taste. Freeze a whole or half loaf, or cut your slices before freezing. Thaw it out on the counter in the bag, drop a slice in the toaster briefly.
What about consistency?
- I understand that many people like consistency in a product from one batch to the next. But the beauty of artisanal sourdough bread is the artisanal character. It is not supposed to be overly consistent. Yes, I try to be consistent, but there are many variables that I cannot completely control in a home environment and they all affect the end result: ambient temperature, humidity in the air, air flow in the oven, distractions, the activity level in the culture.
- Furthermore, I will make some small mistakes and the details will affect the result. I am not inclined to throw out good bread that is not consistent. So I lump it in with the concept of artisanal. With time and practice, I improve my methods, learn from mistakes, try new ideas, and become progressively more consistent.
Is sourdough bread gluten free?
- No. We still use glutenous grains: wheat, Kamut, spelt, rye. The fermentation does not remove the gluten. So a celiac person must still avoid sourdough bread.
What if I am sensitive to wheat?
- Sensitivity to wheat is a digestion problem, not an allergy. Fermented foods help with digestion - read more here. I have heard people tell me (no guarantees) that they are fine with sourdough bread, whereas they have problems digesting commercial breads.
Is Tom's Pantry an inspected kitchen?
- Tom's Pantry moves to a commercial kitchen in Alexandria on July 18th 2022. A food safety inspection is planned for early August.
What allergies should I be concerned with?
- Each loaf is packaged with a label, so please read the list of ingredients for possible allergens.
- As my kitchen is in the house, we have to deal with our home environment. We have a dog in the house. We eat other foods, so there are allergens in the house. But I apply good sanitation and segregation to reduce the risk of cross contamination.
- Some of our breads contain almonds, flax, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, oregano, cinnamon, cheese, thyme, raisins, olives, olive oil, dairy, rice flour.
- Dairy products are present in the Keto bread, the Pumpernickel, the French Baguette, and the cheese flavoured breads.
- Eggs are present in the Keto bread.
- We do not use seafood, shellfish, soy, or peanuts, but they are present in the house.
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PO Box 1161
1 Main Street South Alexandria ON K0C 1G0 Tel: 613-642-2024 |