My experiments with sourdough bread

It started some years back, specifically during Covid, when the trend to bake our own bread became a cool thing to do. And it was also during that time that I was introduced to Sourdough bread, via Instagram, as so many of whom I followed began baking this variety at home. What I love the most about sourdough? It is the simplest bread variety to make at home - flour, salt and water are all one needs. An increased shelf life of sourdough bread and its reduced susceptibility to spoilage contribute greatly to its use, especially in my household. 

 

The best I have heard is the sourdough culture prevalent in Germany where there are sourdough starters, a vibrant mix of bacteria passed along to a friend to help them start their own culture, bake the bread and pass on the set of bacteria to others, thereby continuing the sourdough culture.

 

Lots have been said in praise of the humble Sourdough - Who can keep herself from falling in love with the distinctive, tangy flavour of a Sourdough! Its "better digestibility," especially for those with gluten sensitivity, and its high nutrient content in comparison to traditional breads due to the longer fermentation time, and lower glycemic index that makes it ideal for those with diabetes. Sourdough also helps with a slower and more gradual increase in blood sugar levels than a sudden spike.

 

And so, ever since, I have baked this bread a couple of times at home, I must confess that the enthusiasm with which I used to do it earlier, has waned, not because I don't like the flavour, in fact, I like it better than most other varieties of bread we get in the market, but because there seems to be no consensus among "experts" on whether this variety is any more "healthier" than the ones available in stores or more specifically, non-sourdough bread. 

 

While all along, I had several nutritional benefits of this variety, right from higher nutrient content to better digestibility, lower glycemic index etc, there have been plenty of papers in the past several months that are dissing this variety as being "only marginally" better than its other counterparts. Depressing, really. 

 

A paper titled, 'Does Sourdough bread provide clinically relevant health benefits?' published in 2023 in the Frontiers of Nutrition, noted: "significant health effects on well-defined clinical endpoints such as diabetes risk reduction, improved weight management, reduction of gluten intolerances and improved bone mineral density as a result of sourdough bread consumption have not been clearly shown." 

 

It further added, "health authorities such as EFSA (EU) or FDA (United States) have thus so far not approved the use of any sourdough health benefit claim." The paper concluded that although a broad range of sourdough-related health benefits is praised in publications, social media and by bakers, a sound evidence base for measurable effects on health-related clinical endpoints has not been established. 

 

And so, I list down the negatives about the Sourdough, completely based on my personal experience and preferences -  

 

1. Time-consuming: No matter how much I love making it, there is no denying that sourdough consumes plenty of time. Creating and maintaining a sourdough starter can be time-consuming, as it requires regular feeding and attention.

 

2. Unpredictable results: Every time I have made it, the taste has been slightly different. It is never the same. This could be because the natural fermentation process can be affected by factors like temperature, humidity, and the type of flour used.

 

3. Stronger flavour: While some people enjoy the tangy flavour of sourdough bread, others find it too strong or overpowering.

 

4. Denser texture: At times, I have had guests who did not take to the Sourdough due to its denser texture than traditional bread.

 

5. More expensive: Yes, it is more expensive to make this one, given the high-quality, artisanal ingredients required. Better to purchase it, I guess.

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