I am so excited to talk to you about something I have been completely obsessed with the past few months… my sourdough starter!! First of all, her name is Mabel. (Yes, she has a name. She is a living, eating, and contributing member of the family!) At first, my husband joked that we had a science experiment in our fridge but now he loves anything I make with it.
It wasn’t until about a year ago that I learned what a sourdough starter was and the benefits of having one. Starters have been used for years and are even passed down through generations. So cool, right? I had no idea how sourdough worked but as I researched more I knew I needed to have one!
What is a Sourdough Starter?
A sourdough starter is what you use to create anything sourdough. From pancakes, to bread, to pizza crust you can use it to make so many things! It is a mixture of flour, water, and colonies of wild yeast and bacteria found in your home. Now I will tell you, making a starter from scratch takes time, effort and a lot of flour. But once you get one started, it is pretty easy to maintain. It would take a whole post and possibly a video to show you how to make a starter so let me know in the comments below if that is something you would like to see.
Why I have a Sourdough Starter
Gut health is a main priority for me. If you know a little bit about me, I have had stomach problems for years. I , for the most part, do not eat gluten, wheat or dairy. I have found that limiting these things helps me feel my best.
Gluten free flour is totally fine but I would prefer to have more natural, less-refined/processed options. That is when I came across sourdough. The natural process the yeasts use for feeding breaks down the flour to make it more easily digestible. Now don’t get me wrong, sourdough does contain gluten. The fermentation process breaks down gluten and complex carbs such as fructan making it easier for you body to digest. The longer your starter ferments the flour, the less gluten it will contain. The yeast also breaks down the phytic acid, an anti-nutrient found in whole grains, allowing more nutrients to be absorbed when you eat it. This is a win-win for me! I get to enjoy foods like pizza and pancakes all while knowing I will feel good after eating them too!
Besides all of the health benefits of sourdough, I thought it was the coolest thing to be able to provide homemade, from scratch bread for my friends and family. I imagine my future kids being so excited for pancake day or mom’s homemade bread!
Now not all sourdough is created equal. Some places make sourdough bread using active dry yeast instead of the traditional fermentation process. This method negates all of the health benefits we talked about earlier. If you buy sourdough bread at the store, make sure to check that it is made without active dry yeast.
I could talk about sourdough forever so let me know what questions you have or if you want to see some of my favorite recipes! If you haven’t already given sourdough a try, I highly recommend it! Do you or anyone in your family have a sourdough starter? What are your favorite recipes? I’d love to hear in the comments below!
I’d like to see a video on how to use it once you have it.
I would be very interested in how to start one, or even the resources you used to start your own. Also curious as to what size jar you store it in.
I will definitely be sharing how I made and maintain mine! I use a gallon jar because we use it so often but it isn’t necessary to have one that big.
I would love to learn more about this. My poor son has so many stomach issues.
I’m right there with him! Sourdough can be a great option if you have a sensitive stomach. Be on the lookout for more posts coming soon!