7 Reasons to Use Sourdough in your Baking

There is a lot of hype around sourdough -- and for good reason! Sourdough is so beneficial for your body.

1. Sourdough is easy to digest and actually improves digestion.

Most conventional bread often leads to bloating due to the incomplete breakdown of carbohydrates. This leads to the irritation of the intestinal lining which leads to gas and bloating.

The sourdough fermentation process alters the enzymes in the wheat and pre-digests the flour by consuming its sugar. This means that the food is partially digested before it arrives. Ultimately improving the digestion time and effectiveness.

2. Sourdough helps your body absorb key vitamins and minerals.

This is because when you eat fermented foods it becomes easier for your digestive system to absorb important minerals (like zinc, magnesium, etc.) While fermenting, the phytate present is broken down and the phytate impairs mineral absorption. Studies have suggested that this mineral absorption bioavailability increased after consumption of sourdough bread specifically!

3. Sourdough has a superior nutritional profile.

Although sourdough can be made with the same flour as most conventional bread, the fermentation process is really what enhances the nutritional profile.

Sourdough made from whole grains contain minerals such as magnesium and zinc and vitamins like folate. Also, the probiotics (good gut bacteria) during the fermentation process really reduces phytic acid in the wheat.

4. Sourdough ingredients are few, fresh, simple, and likely already stocked in your kitchen.

A sourdough loaf is typically made up of filtered water, flour, sourdough starter, salt, and olive oil. Conventional bread at the store are full of preservatives and a long list on the ingredient label. Not to mention, the fresh ingredients make your homemade baking taste devine. Our family definitely prefers homemade versus store bought! We've gotten a little picky.

5. Like learning any new skill, baking with sourdough is very easy once you get the hang of it!

It does take some trial + error learning all the terminology that goes into a new skill and also observing your loaves, dough, rise time, etc. but that is to be expected!

We have gotten into a rhythm of making sourdough tortillas, pizza crust, sandwich loaves, cookies, bagels, and more and it is so nice to not have to add these items to our weekly grocery run list! Not to mention, this is way less expensive for our family than stocking up on these pricier high quality products.

6. Sourdough directly improves our immune system.

Sourdough is considered a fermented food and the good gut bacteria found in the fermentation has a lot of benefits! One of the benefits being the fact that it lowers inflammation and boosts your immune system.

It also allows for your digestive system to absorb nutrients and vitamins while strengthening your immune response and protecting it from harmful pathogens.

Sourdough is an amazing source of selenium! Selenium an antioxidant that lowers oxidative stress and helps reduce inflammation which means improving your immune system!

7. Sourdough helps regulate your blood sugars.

Breads are known for causing our blood glucose to spike and drop sharply. Short term this can cause mood irritability but long term it can increase our risk for chronic diseases.

However, sourdough typically doesn't spike blood sugar! This is because it changes the carbs and produces a resistant starch. A resistant starch takes longer to digest meaning the glucose entering the bloodstream is regulated. Sourdough also has a lower amount of sugar as the yeast and bacteria feed off the sugars during the fermentation process.

Can I let you in on a little secret?! Someday I want to sell our own dehydrated sourdough starters + have a whole course on how to start baking with sourdough ... because let me tell you -- it's not for the faint of heart! It's actually kind of an art, haha.

Have you ever baked with sourdough? Would you be interested in a start up course walking you through the basics?