Sourdough- the way bread should be.

Bread has been a hot topic lately.

Reading about gluten and grains and flour these days would make you think it's out to get you. And it's true that a lot of the ways we're using grains now are far from nourishing, but what if that's just because we aren't using traditional wisdom?

Breads would have traditionally been made in most cultures throughout history using some version of this "souring" or fermentation process. Grains would be ground, likely with heavy stones or something similar, and then mixed into the ongoing dough or combined with water or another liquid and allowed to soak.

Whether they knew it or not, this process does a couple of beneficial things. Grains, beans, nuts, seeds and other legumes all need to be soaked or fermented in order to break down the phytic acid inhibits our ability to access the nutrients in those foods. More on that in another post.

Fermentation also breaks down the protein structures, including the gluten, and makes them more easily digestible. Fermentation is essentially "pre-digestion" with the microbes doing what your body would otherwise be responsible for working on. The exciting part for us is that all of the parts of the wheat that seem to cause digestive and immune problems, also seem to be countered by fermenting them first! So... it really is bread as it should be.

It also happens to be really easy to do. While it takes a little more time and planning than just picking up a wonderloaf or throwing things in a bread maker, or even whipping up some pancake mix- it's definitely worth the extra effort.

So... check the video for the how-to part, then give it a try! Let us know how it goes. We love seeing your successes and your flops!