The Untold Truth Of Sourdough Bread

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The tangy taste of sourdough, with its chewy texture, originates from thousands of years ago. Sourdough was baked by the ancient Egyptians, and unlike other early flour-and-water breads, sourdough had a somewhat lighter texture. These early bakers also realized that by keeping back some of the dough, they could easily produce more dough, and so on. The first sourdough likely came to be by accident; it's thought that wild yeast came into contact with bread mixture that was left out, leading to the discovery of sourdough.

The public's love for sourdough is rising — pun intended! One Nielsen report showed that sourdough sales in the U.S. reached $325.9 million in 2019 (via CNBC). Meanwhile, home-made sourdough has become a big deal too. While many home bakers gave sourdough a try during pandemic lockdowns, some people took it a step further. Seamus Blackley, creator of the Xbox, combined his interests in Egyptology and baking by extracting yeast from an ancient pot and using a 4,5000-year-old recipe to recreate the bread of the ancient Egyptians. 

But sourdough's come a long way since ancient times. It was the food of the gold prospectors in the U.S. during the Gold Rush, and became a meditative practice during the challenging pandemic lockdown periods. Keep reading to find out more about this bread that's rich in history — and health benefits!

A sourdough starter is the mix used to make this unique leavened bread. In effect, a starter is made in order to make sourdough bread, and the science behind this is that it's a culture of microbes that are created by yeasts and bacteria. A starter jar is usually wide-mouthed and made from glass so that the ingredients inside can be easily seen. Flour and water in equal amounts are mixed in the jar to create the sourdough starter. This will create the right environment for fermentation. 

The next step is to remove some of the starter each day and get rid of it, while re-feeding it daily with more flour and water. Over time, the carbon dioxide that is released enables the dough to rise before it is baked, and this process is what gives sourdough its distinctive taste and texture. A starter takes time to mature, so how do you know if a sourdough starter is ready to be made into bread? First, the starter will start to bubble more and make a popping sound when it's fed, while a liquid may start to appear at the surface. At the same time, if the volume of the starter doubles in a matter of hours, then this is a real sign it's ready to go. There's also a simple test whereby a spoonful of starter is dropped in water — if it floats, it's ready to use. Any remaining starter can be stored in the fridge. 

It was the during the California Gold Rush of the late 1840s and early 1850s that miners flocked to San Francisco, bringing their sourdough starters with them. While some legends claim it was Christopher Columbus who brought the first sourdough to the Americas, and others say it was the Basque immigrants during the Spanish wars, one thing that is certain is that the miners in California loved their sourdough starters. In fact, it became associated with the miners so much that their nickname was "sourdoughs." It is said that the miners would cuddle up to their starters at night to keep them active, and get a loaf baking in a pot on the coals during the day, ready for their return after a hard day's mining. 

In 1849, the famed Boudin Bakery was established in San Francisco, and still bakes sourdough to this day, using its own wild yeast. Meanwhile, the miners noticed that San Francisco sourdough tasted tangier and chewier than loaves made elsewhere. This led to two researchers discovering what was at the time, during the 1970s, a microbe that had not been catalogued, and this lactobacillus was subsequently named sanfranciscensis after the city. While it was later discovered the microbe is not actually unique to San Francisco, it still contributes to the city's reputation for incredible sourdough. 

The Klondike Gold Rush in the 1890s saw over 100,000 miners flock to Canada and Alaska in search of riches. Braving the cold and harsh conditions of these wild frontiers, Ruth Allman wrote in her book, "Alaska Sourdough," that sourdough was a life-saver during these days. She notes that those seeking gold who wanted to pass the Chilkoot Pass had to show the Canadian Mounted Police that they had the sustenance to survive for 12 months. A sourdough starter and flour would accompany them, as a means to supply them with food over the year (via Atlas Obscura).

After the Gold Rush, roads were built heading into Alaska. The Sourdough Lodge was a stopping off place along the way to provide food, warmth and shelter against the harsh Alaskan elements. Before it was destroyed in the early 1990s, it was designated a National Historic Landmark. Meanwhile, Alaskan residents are often called sourdoughs, as long as they've lived in Alaska for a good few winters. The word is often used in the names of businesses to denote that they've been around a long time, too. It is this incredible history that really shows the resilience and pioneering spirit of the American people. It also highlights the potential longevity of a sourdough starter, and how a pot and some flour could be so important to so many lives.

Sourdough is regarded by many health experts and researchers as healthier than many other types of bread. Sourdough contains less gluten to start with, which is great news for those who want to lower their gluten intake. It is also regarded as being easier to digest. Clean Plates reports that the natural yeast in sourdough, unlike that used in other leavened breads, "unlocks the nutrients in wheat." It does this by breaking down phytic acid, which is naturally found in wheat and blocks the body from absorbing wheat's nutrients. Sourdough, though, enables the body to absorb the zinc, magnesium, potassium, and folate found in wheat. 

Sourdough is also a good source of niacin and calcium, while studies suggest sourdough lactic acid bacteria releases peptides which demonstrate antioxidant behavior, with research ongoing about how peptides can help in the fight against cancer. Other positive benefits of this type of bread include its lower glycemic index, which has a positive impact on blood glucose levels. In addition, sufferers of irritable bowel syndrome can benefit because of the lower gluten levels and FODMAP carbohydrates in sourdough, which are often a cause of symptoms. Another advantage is that while sourdough has a salty taste, its salt content is lower than that of many other breads, which is ideal for those with blood-pressure issues who are following a low-sodium diet.