What is the origin of sourdough bread? A brief history of sourdough

Baking and devouring bread after sourdough is all good. But do you know where sourdough came from? Sit back and absorb the brief history of sourdough bread and its beloved tang!

Table of Contents

What is sourdough bread?

Sourdough bread is a type of naturally leavened bread made from natural bacteria and wild yeast, otherwise known as sourdough starter. The sourdough starter is fed and kept alive for at least a week before it is used to make sourdough bread.

Each piece of sourdough yields one distinctly sour tasteaccompanied by a fresh crust and incredibly soft interior.

Where does sourdough originate?

The true origin of sourdough bread is super ancient. We are unable to make a proven claim as to where this delicious bread originally originated.

However, the first recorded civilization that we can confidently say made sourdough bread was the Egyptians around 1500 BC.

With countless theories surrounding this possibility, many assume that this form of bread baking was discovered purely by chance. It is thought that the Egyptians accidentally washed a mixture of flour and water. Some of the wild yeast in the atmosphere joined the dough, causing it to rise and create sourdough bread.

The best food discoveries are often made by accident. It seems that the ancient Egyptians were no strangers to this.

Some also assume that the Egyptians loved beer and brewing. He often had both in the same place, as a result of which the flour would accidentally mix with the beer and produce a light loaf of bread.

This discovery was tried and perfected before the Egyptians learned that some sourdough cultures tasted better than others, especially when kept alive.

Where did Sourdough travel to next?

From Egypt, news of the brilliant fermented sourdough spread north to ancient Greece. Here it was first baked at home by women, then in bakeries.

Interestingly, there are sourdough recipes that originate from 17th century France, where they also used the same sourdough culture that we know today!

France's master bakers then took their sourdough baking formula to the days of the Northern California gold rush of 1848. In fact, it remains a part of San Francisco culture today! These bakers understood that sourdough cultures in san francisco were very unique, therefore they became famous among miners. They rushed to their local bakery every morning in search of their sourdough bread.

Since then, San Francisco Sourdough Bakers used the same sourdough culture which they later called “mother's dough. This sourdough culture was identical to our sourdough bread recipes as we know them today: flour, water, a pinch of salt and “mother dough”.

Mother's dough was so beloved that it was heroically rescued by Louise Boudin during the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906.

Where else has Sourdough been?

Sourdough baking then went to Alaska and Canada's Yukon territories during the Klondike gold rush days of 1898. The extreme conditions encountered by experienced miners made it impossible to rely on conventional yeasts as commercial yeasts and baking soda, as a result, the miners were led to wear a bag of sour money around their necks!

If that wasn't crazy enough, miners were known to sleep with their engine in an effort to keep the culture alive and prevent it from freezing during extreme weather conditions.

The benefits of sourdough bread

There is a big difference between traditional and modern sourdough bread baking. For starters – no pun intended – the sourdough bread you buy from the grocery store doesn't even come close to the bread you bake in your own kitchen!

Sourdough bread that has been allowed to ferment using wild yeast in the atmosphere has an incredible variety health benefits. You will not get from commercially produced bread doughs. Sourdough bread is very easy to digest, has very low gluten content, retains more nutrients and helps to avoid certain health problems such as diabetes.

This is why the art of making sourdough bread has grown so much in popularity since its first origins. We simply couldn't ignore the wonderful lighter texture of our loaves, resulting in nothing but the best loaves that remain popular among home bakers to this day!

How to cook sourdough starter?

Making a sourdough starter is incredibly easy. Once you get the hang of it, you'll love the results so much you'll have a new loaf of bread in your kitchen every day!

Here's how to do it:

Ingredients

• 60 g unbleached wheat flour
• 300 g warm non-chlorinated water (divided)
• 360 g unbleached all-purpose flour (separated)

GUIDELINES

1. Using a clean glass jar, add 60g of whole wheat flour and 60g of warm non-chlorine water. The mixture will seem very thick and lumpy at first, but don't worry, this is completely normal. Cover the jar loosely and leave in a warm place.
2. The next day, check the starter for any bubbles, if there are none, don't stir, just let the mixture sit for another 24 hours.
3. On the third day, you will need to feed your starter, no matter what it looks like. Remove the engine half and throw it away. Then add 60 grams of all-purpose flour and 60 grams of warm water. Mix and cover loosely.
4. On the fourth, fifth and sixth day, discard half of the starter and feed as you did on the third day. You will notice a natural rise and fall in your engine, which is important to note as it indicates that your engine is ready to roast. You can even track your engine growth using a rubber band or marker pen to note where your engine started and how much it grows with each feed.
5. By day seven, your starter should be very bubbly and almost ready to bake. it should give off a delicately sweet and luscious aroma, looking light and airy. If your starter does not look like this, then continue to feed it for a few days before using it.

What is Sourbough Discard?

Casting the sourdough is a part of the beginning of the sourdough that is cast before each feeding. The drop is often kept in a special jar because of its exceptional aroma and flavor. This can be used in a variety of ways sourdough tossing recipe.

From sweet to savory, sourdough tossing does not disappoint! The only thing to note is that a batch of sourdough does not make bread dough in any way. This is simply because it is a non-nutritious part of the sourdough starter. Because of this, you will need some form of commercial yeast to help your dough rise.

Mouth-watering sourdough recipes

Sourdough bread isn't the only type of baked good you can bake with a sourdough starter!

You can use the same recipe to create a variety of really delicious desserts, and some of them might include:

The history of sourdough

Baking sourdough bread with a natural or starter sourdough yeast produces wonderful, flavorful bread. They delight the taste buds with every bite.

And we have the Egyptians to thank for discovering this blessed leavened bread, if only by accident!

The Origin of Sourdough Bread – FAQ

Print

• 60 g unbleached wheat flour
• 300 gr warm non-chlorinated water (split)
• 360 g unbleached all-purpose flour (separated)

1. Using a clean glass jar, add 60g of whole wheat flour and 60g of warm non-chlorine water. The mixture will seem very thick and lumpy at first, but don't worry, this is completely normal. Cover the jar loosely and leave in a warm place.
2. The next day, check the starter for any bubbles, if there are none, don't stir, just let the mixture sit for another 24 hours.
3. On the third day, you will need to feed your starter, no matter what it looks like. Remove the engine half and throw it away. Then add 60 grams of all-purpose flour and 60 grams of warm water. Mix and cover loosely.
4. On the fourth, fifth and sixth day, discard half of the starter and feed as you did on the third day. You will notice a natural rise and fall in your engine, which is important to note as it indicates that your engine is ready to roast. You can even track your engine growth using a rubber band or marker pen to note where your engine started and how much it grows with each feed.
5. By day seven, your starter should be very bubbly and almost ready to bake. it should give off a delicately sweet and luscious aroma, looking light and airy. If your starter doesn't look like this, then continue to feed it for a few days before using it.