There was a time, not too long ago, that all breads were sourdough, and that every cook kept a crock of yeasty flour and water bubbling away in her larder. It was fed daily – scraps of dough or more flour and water – and she would dip into the crock, and pull out starter to make breads, biscuits and even old-world sweets like Election Cake. By contrast, granulated commercial baking yeast has only been made available very recently.
The traditional process of sourdough fermentation not only yields beautiful breads, biscuits and pastries, but it also enhances the nutrient profile of grains – deactivating naturally occurring antinutrients while also increasing folate content and the availability of minerals which is why the grains I serve my family are, invariably, soaked, sprouted or soured.
And while grain-free everything seems to be the trend these days, let’s not forget that properly prepared grains, breads, porridges and even sourdough pancakes have nourished generations of healthy families across the globe just as the work of Dr. Weston Price illustrated in his landmark book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. It’s simply a matter of proper preparation techniques. As Sally Fallon, author of Nourishing Traditions, writes: Be kind to your grains, and they’ll be kind to you.