What is Sourdough?
We have all heard of sourdough, especially since 2020 when we were all stuck at home without any yeast packets!
But what is sourdough, anyway?
Sourdough is very similar to your standard bread made with yeast: it contains flour, salt, water, and a leavening agent. The main difference is the source of the leavening agent.
Today, the standard bread is made with manufactured baker’s yeast, which is typically the strain saccharomyces cerevisiae. Yeast is grown in a facility and then packaged and sold to professional and home bakers.
However, yeast is a microorganism that is found everywhere. You do not need a special facility to grow it. In fact, all you need is a jar, water, and flour (you can learn how to grow your own sourdough starter here)! And if you grow yeast this way and make bread with it, tada! You have made sourdough.
Tim, my first sourdough starter. The bubbles let you know that the wild yeast is active
So, sourdough is made with yeast that is not manufactured in a facility but grown naturally. Often termed “wild” yeast, the yeasties found in your sourdough starter are from multiple strains of yeast, and every sourdough starter will have a different yeast composition.
Since sourdough is grown with wild yeast, it takes longer to ferment. The manufactured yeast is much stronger and more active, which is a plus for those in a rush. You can often finish making bread in 2-3 hours using manufactured yeast!
However, sourdough takes hours to ferment (some recipes require all day fermentation). Even though it might seem time consuming, this longer process has added benefits.
The longer fermentation leads to a greater depth of flavor. As the yeasties break down the bread, they release acetic and lactic acids which give the bread a tangy flavor. This is what makes sourdough “sour.”
This longer process also makes sourdough bread easier to digest for some people with gluten intolerance. However, if you have celiac or a severe allergy, be aware that sourdough bread still contains gluten.
To summarize, sourdough is very similar to the standard loaf of bread made with flour, water, salt, and yeast. Nevertheless, sourdough is so sought after for a reason: the longer fermentation process creates a greater depth of flavor and better digestibility.
As an added bonus, you will never be out of bread, even in a yeast shortage!
Happy baking!
