Yes… sourdough bread is delicious! no doubt about it, but is it healthy? and healthier than normal bread? or is it just a different textured and flavored type of bread?
We all saw how sourdough bread became a trend and something everyone wanted to attempt doing during the pandemic… and I’m so glad it did, because it probably opened a lot of eyes in terms of understanding how baaaaaaaaaaad was the bread you were eating before.
We will dive into all of it now, but first let me say I’m so glad you are here! and that you want to understand a little bit more about sourdough bread baking.
The truth is that only REAL SOURDOUGH BREAD (and I will explain what do I mean when I say “real” at the end) has 3 main health benefits when comparing it to normal bread.
3 Reasons Why Eating
Real Sourdough Bread is Healthy
| Reason # | The Sourdough Starter… | Benefit: |
| 1 | Breaks down the Sugars | Bread turns into a low glycemic index food |
| 2 | Breaks down the Gluten | Easier to digest and people with gluten sensitivities can have sourdough bread |
| 3 | Breaks down the Phytic Acid | Releasing the grains’ nutrition, and only now our bodies are able to absorb those nutrients |
Most importantly, these 3 health benefits don’t happen if you don’t let your dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
Time is everything, and it’s what allows the sourdough starter to work on the dough and perform its magic!
How much time does it take to make healthy and real sourdough bread?
It takes at least 3-4 hours to make the dough, and then the fermentation process in which the health benefits happen need to be performed in a cold environment – therefore the refrigerator! for at least 12 additional hours and max 24 (depending on the recipe you are doing).
The above means that your dough will sit in the cold for those 12 hours in order to have the sugars, gluten and phytic acid broken down.
That said… real and healthy sourdough bread takes TIME!
What happens if I don’t put my bread in the refrigerator for those additional 12 hours?
If you decide to bake your sourdough bread after the 3-4 hours of making the dough… you will have a delicious bread, probably a little sour in flavor but you WON’T GET THE 3 MAIN HEALTH BENEFITS of a sourdough bread.
What do I mean when I say “REAL” sourdough bread?
When I say real sourdough bread, I am only referring to bread that has been made respecting the sourodugh starter’s time to work and perform its work.
Any bread made using a sourdough starter and using any method to rush it, won’t give you the health benefits.
So, if you skip the cold part of the process that happens in the refrigerator – it’s not a real sourdough bread.
Why is it difficult to find real sourdough bread?
It is really reaaaally hard to find real sourdough bread, because TIME and REFRIGERATION are MONEY!
So, bakeries can’t afford making real sourdough bread and taking the time and space to make it properly.
How do bakeries cut corners?
All bakeries want to sell sourdough bread because it’s a product that can be sold at a higher price. That of course is completely ok, but what is not ok is that they don’t want or can’t take the time to make it properly.
So what do bakeries do?
1) They add SOURDOUGH FLAVORING to the dough and then they sell that bread as a sourdough bread.
Would you think our 3 main health benefits are there? Absolutely NOT!
And you probably didn’t know that bakery supply stores, sell sourdough flavoring! even King Arthur does – click here to check out!
*It’s fine if you want to add a tang to your bake goods – but just know that by adding the flavoring you are not getting any of the health benefits.
2) Bakeries add a sourdough starter to their bread mix in combination with commercial yeast. Which is actually not a bad idea… the problem arises when they only let the bread rise and bake it immediately.
Why is that wrong? Because they are not performing the MOST IMPORTANT part of the process that happens in the refrigerator which is where the magic happens!
Conclusion
If you are eating sourdough bread because you are looking to eat bread in a healthier way, have all the above in mind and I highly recommend to:
1) Read the bread labels – look for a starter, and hopefully know if the cold part of the process was performed.
2) Know your baker and how the bread you are buying was made.
3) Learn how to make sourdough bread on your own! It’s fun, easy and a life skill you’ll love having.
Do you want to learn how to make sourdough bread?
Check out my online sourdough class here. It includes a kit with all you will need and I ship nationwide!
Have in mind that I only offer my online class once a month as I’m fully dedicated to it and making sure you succeed.
If you prefer and in-person baking experience check out my in-person classes here. I teach my Sourdough Master Class at the Studio once or twice a month and you will find all dates on the link provided.
My in-person sourodugh class is a full day with me! and the kit is also included. We go through the entire process together, bake sourdough bread, have sourdough pizza for lunch and learn a lot!
Last, if you want to make the Sourdough Class a Private Class or as an In-Home Demo at your place, it’s a really fun activity too! Please email me to contact@vituperio.com to check my availability and options.
Javi
Head Baker