Benefits of Sourdough Bread

Benefits of Sourdough Bread

At what point did bread start getting a bad reputation?

Perhaps it was when grocery store bread became the predominant representation of bread in the average American household.

You know what type of bread we are talking about, right? That soft bread that is perfectly sliced but has little flavor and nutrition?

Hundreds of loaves stacked up in the grocery store aisles waiting to be taken home. Yup, not quite the rustic loaf of sourdough bread we crave.

Even if you bake bread at home, once you try sourdough baking you may never want to go back.

Sourdough is a bit of a misnomer and should really be called natural yeast because it draws in yeasts and good bacteria that are naturally in the air.

It doesn’t necessarily have to be sour but you can make it more sour with a longer proofing time and other tricks- more on that in a future email.

Why is sourdough bread better for you and more nutritious?

  • For starters, sourdough bread is easier to digest. It’s a fermented product and the longer it ferments the better the flavor and digestibility. Good bacteria break down the starches and your gut has less work to do.
  • Sourdough bread has a lower glycemic index. It eats the naturally occurring sugars that cause blood sugar to rise.
  • Sourdough bread contains acetic acid, a natural preservative so bread stays fresh longer.
  • Sourdough bread contains many nutrients and micronutrients that are processed out of other breads. These include: iron, manganese, phosphorus, vitamin E, magnesium, calcium, vitamins B1-B6, B12,folate, zinc, potassium, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, and selenium.
  • The taste!!! Once you’re hooked, no other bread will taste the same.

Sunrise Flour Mill now sells our 100-year-old sourdough starter for those of you who are looking to embark on an adventure into the wonderful world of sourdough baking! It comes dehydrated with detailed instructions on how to activate your starter, maintain it, and make sourdough bread. It is the simplest way to get started (pun intended) with sourdough.


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