NUTRITION

Centr Team

DIY sourdough: why is it so hot right now?

Walk like an Egyptian... who really likes bread.

To rise, sourdough needs a starter or a culture – that’s a fermented mixture of flour and water that activates the “wild yeast” and bacteria, getting it ready to do some heavy lifting. And the search for the oldest starter has become the stuff of myth and legend – a Canadian lady has one said to be 120 years old, while a San Francisco bakery is still making sourdough with a culture collected 160 years ago. In 2019, a baker extracted yeast from 4500-year-old piece of Egyptian pottery to bake a loaf, but that seems like a lot of effort.

No really, why is sourdough so hot right now?

Maybe because you just pulled it out of the oven? Boom tish! But seriously, baking was something we suddenly had a lot more time for during the pandemic. As sourdough requires more care, time and patience than the average bake, it was the perfect opportunity to give it a go. Of course, once everyone tried it, we got addicted.

It could also be that unique, tangy sourdough taste and extra chewiness that makes it so popular – you just can’t get that in a loaf straight off the supermarket shelf. Plus, if it gives us something to dunk into our Pumpkin, Leek & Apple Soup without leaving the house, all the better.

Why is sourdough good for me?

One of the big benefits of sourdough over commercially-baked bread is that, thanks to the fermentation process, it’s easier to digest. Advanced Sports Dietitian Lisa Middleton tells us that sourdough allows for “better digestibility of gluten – meaning those with gluten sensitivity (not coeliacs) can often tolerate sourdough better than other wheat-containing breads”.

It also has a lower glycemic index (low GI) than regular bread, meaning a more sustained release of energy instead of a blood sugar spike. And that slow fermentation process makes for better bioavailability – which means it’s easier for our bodies to absorb all the nutrients (including iron, zinc, magnesium, folic acid and B vitamins).

Is it easy to make?

If sourdough was a Centr workout, we’d class it as intermediate. It requires a moderate level of baking proficiency, plus a bit of practice and patience to get right. But even if it takes a few tries, don’t give up – because the end product (not to mention the sense of achievement) is worth it. Here’s an equation we came up with to illustrate just how worth it that superior sourdough taste and texture is:

Sourdough bread > regular homemade bread > store-bought packet bread = totally worth it.

Should I jump on this trend then, or what?

You’ve learned a little bit about sourdough’s history, vaguely remember something about bacteria (yum) and done the calculations – so now’s as good a time as any to jump on the bandwagon and try making your own starter.

We’ve got just the thing to get you started: our ancient(ish) Centr recipe for Sourdough Starter! All you need to kick the process off is a little all-purpose flour (organic preferred) and warm water. When you're ready to bake, check out our Easy No-knead Bread, which can also be used with regular yeast.

If you click through, you’ll see the recipe talks you through the first few days of fun with fermentation. Renowned sourdoughologist (it’s a thing) Dan Churchill also has 3 key tips to get your starter started:

1. Sourdough starter is alive! So care for it as if it's a loved one – loved ones need to be fed, they need to be in an environment where they can thrive, and they need to rest undisturbed (so store away from toddlers and cats).

2. It should generally take around 6-8 days for your starter to be ready, depending on the temperature and what you're feeding it. Use a transparent glass jar to grow your starter and place a rubber band around it to mark its growth. Once your starter grows to about double the size, it should be ready for baking!

3. If it has doubled in volume, there’s a thick layer of froth on top and some great bubbling action happening, put it to the float test: place a piece of the starter in a cup of water. If it floats, it's ready.

Not quite ready to walk like an Egyptian? Bring it back to beginner baking level with our Easy No-knead Bread.

You can work your way up the bread-making ladder with this recipe that only requires regular yeast (you can also use this recipe to make sourdough with your starter, too). You don’t even need to knead it, so save those knuckles for pounding the bag with Jorge.