If you’ve ever gone through a breadmaking phase, you’ve likely dabbled in creating your own sourdough using either a starter of your own or one given to you.
However, if you weren’t familiar, BBC Good Food has a pretty explanation of what it is: “Sourdough is naturally leavened bread, which means it doesn’t use commercial yeast to rise. Instead, it uses a ‘starter’ – a fermented flour and water mixture that contains wild yeast and good bacteria – to rise.
“This also produces the tangy flavour and slightly chewy texture you’ll find in sourdough.”
It’s also delicious. Perfect for sandwiches, toasting, dipping in soup, on the side of salads... you name it, sourdough is the perfect accompaniment.
However, the hidden benefit of sourdough isn’t its taste or how easy it is to create. It turns out that sourdough is actually very good for your health, too.
The health benefits of sourdough
According to Web MD, sourdough is rich in nutrients that make the bread overall good for our bodies, disease prevention and lowering blood sugar.
However, it’s our gut health that sees the most benefits, especially in comparison with other breads.
The health experts said: “Sourdough bread may be easier to digest than white bread for some people.
“According to some studies, sourdough bread acts as a prebiotic, which means that the fibre in the bread helps feed the “good” bacteria in your intestines. These bacteria are important for maintaining a stable, healthy digestive system.”
How to make a sourdough starter
If you want to try your hand at making sourdough, you’ll first need to make a starter.
For a starter, according to Jamie Oliver, you’ll need 100g strong white bread flour, 100g dark rye flour, 200ml of water and a container that can be sealed — around 1L is ideal.
View Jamie’s recipe full here, and good luck!