Here is a pic of one of my best loaves of sourdough.
This round tasted great, however, I have not had consistent success. One of my main problems has been that I do not have an active enough starter. I made one batch with mixed in dry yeast and it rose much better. Also, another problem is that I am sure I would have better results with a higher protein flour or by adding gluten to the flour. I have been using an organic whole wheat flour and I have also used King Arthur (it’s nice) white whole wheat. I want to make a loaf with King Arthur all-purpose flour and maybe try a loaf with real whole grain flour (like stoneground) which would be really heavy.
I just read an interesting article about the health effects of different types of bread. Sourdough won the day over them all. This was of course as I expected, however sprouted grain breads were not tested and the whole wheat bread that was tested was not traditional whole grain. In many of the whole wheat varieties (both flour and bread) that can be bought in the store, the whole germ and bran is added and mixed back in with white flour after it has been extracted (which is too much processing).
The best breads are either sprouted whole grains or naturally fermented sourdough. Of course, different people are sensitive to different grains and therefore you should find which are the best for you. I tolerate sprouted wheat and sourdough wheat just fine, but I have noticed that I digest spelt and buckwheat much better. Sometimes I just want an airy, crusty sourdough loaf though and spelt and buckwheat just can’t cut it… but healthwise, there is a noted difference as it all comes back to digestion.
Tim is a health researcher and educator based out of Nashville, TN. Connect with him on Instagram @eattodaytolivetomorrow.
