Question to think about a moment.... Where did bread come from? It's so easy to NOT think about the things that have always been a part of our lives! Well, like bread for instance and the things in bread that make it what it is. I want to perk your interest.... there is great information on the
Internet. I'm just giving a little bit here and what I'm doing currently. I figure on writing enough to let you know if it may be something you want to try or not. Though I highly recommend it! It's not meant to be the greatest thing written on the subject for sure!
Where did our current form of bread come from? It all started sometime during the time B.C. When someone perhaps noticed something they were making was changing..... maybe they wanted to
experiment? Maybe they only knew they had left something sit out a while and baked it not really knowing until the end? Who knows for sure how they first discovered true bread, wild yeast bread.
What is wild yeast? It is a process to say the least. Not nearly as quick as we like our
conveniences in the world today! It takes time.. some more, some less. You can even catch your own and get to know the
micro world around you a little better. Wild yeast differs from place to place, country to country. Someone has to catch it, to start it. You don't have to catch it every time you want to make a loaf like it's store bought counter part. Wild Yeast produces a sour dough taste, yeasts from different places taste different, some stronger some more subtle. Different yeasts grow better in different flours depending on how they're fed.
Bakers yeast is a single species called
Saccharmomyces cerevisiae containing way more of these single yeast cells, while Wild Yeast dough is usually leavened by one or more species in the same dough containing far fewer cells. I believe the more
yeasted single cells in bakers yeast coupled with the fact it is devoid of the
lactobaccili can make for an overgrowth within our bodies of yeast. Bakers yeast came about when Microbiologists learned to isolate single yeast cells and select pure cultures. Artificially produced to make what most people call "bread" though I don't know how it can be called that. A small number of large company's make all the "breads" we see in the average supermarket. These being bleached, chemicals and additive laden, with a small number of vitamins added back in to try and compensate. Kind of sad really.
My biggest reason for loving things that are more unique, natural, real and as close to their natural state (meaning not too processed) is for the major health benefits you can
achieve. This REAL sourdough bread is much healthier than anything you buy or make with commercial yeast. Their are actually 2
microorganisms at work to make it what it is. Wild yeasts are what make the bread rise and
lactobaccili which are beneficial bacteria provide the flavor and help increase the natural flora living in our bodies.
Lactobaccili produce an antibiotic that prevents the contamination and proliferation of harmful bacterias, in the bread, in our bodies. The bacteria involved is primarily
lactobaccili. It takes about 12 hours to produce the sourdough flavor by fermentation. These 2
microorganisms work together for each to do their job. For instance maltose is a carbohydrate found in the flour that is unable to be broken down by the yeasts, however is needed unused by the
lactobaccili.
You can buy cultures on the
Internet or you can catch your own. I bought mine at
http://www.sourdo.com/ there are many different tastes, fermentation times, which flours they work best with. It was nice to choose which ones sounded best. Also you only have to buy them once if all goes well as you keep making bread from it, saving some out for the next batch of bread and so on. I also have the book which explains everything in rich detail and is wonderful!! I still want to catch my own wild yeast, I just haven't made the time to yet.
A bit about what I do.... I got the book, a couple cultures and have made lots of bread so far and a batch of pancakes (yes! you can use it to add health and flavor to just about anything you make with flour!) I use spelt and barley flour mixed, though
kamut would be great too. My breads are not light and
pillowy because I don't use wheat dough but they are very delicious! I choose not to use wheat dough because I am trying to avoid genetically modified foods. Pretty much anything that is used in great
abundance food wise, is genetically modified, even the organic versions. Which is why I avoid wheat. I believe that genetic modification has health consequences and I encourage you to search for the sake of your health and that of your families and friends.
If this you find it's not for you, I encourage you to take a deeper look at everything you put in your body... maybe start with things you use or consume the most. Is it bread? There are better alternatives even if not wild yeast such as:
- homemade regular bread will contain fewer chemicals and additives
- sprouted grain bread is a great store bought alternative, the Healthy Way brand is good
- Ezekiel Bread is another awesome one
- check your health food store and read labels
- Specialty stores that grind there own flour and make it with simple ingredients are popping up now and these are all still a far cry from Wonder Bread (which by the way.. you should definitely be wondering about!!)
A fun and delicious recipe that isn't bread, yet has to do with fermentation and healthy nutrients and enzymes......
Homemade So Good Sauerkraut!!
1 large head cabbage
2 T sea salt (not that iodized junk)
If you want to live in the purple realm... add some purple cabbage or all purple!
- Rinse, Remove outer leaves of cabbage, reserving them
- Remove core
- Slice cabbage very thinly
- Toss with salt
- pound with a sturdy wooden spoon 5-10 min till juices are released and cabbage is wilty and greatly reduced
- Transfer to a quart jar
- Roll reserved leaves and place on top of cabbage in jar, pushing down till the juice rises above it
- Cover tightly and place somewhere out of the sun 3-5 days. Taste it periodically. When it's tangy remove leaves and place in the fridge. It will last months and tastes better with age.
- Rinse with cold filtered water before eating as it will be very salty.
