Bread is one of the basic foods that is mostly consumed for replenishing energy and satisfying hunger. The creation of this food in 8,000 BC has fed hundreds of civilizations up until now which led to the development of more than 100 varieties of bread in different corners of the world. According to the Federation of Bakers, bread, particularly sandwiches, is the most purchased household product in 2017 and 2018 with a selling rate of approximately 12 million loaves sold per day. The reason why people cannot get over it is that its taste has great compatibility with different foods. The right proportioning of the ingredients, preparation, and baking temperature unlocks a new world of flavor and texture.
Types of Bread
Bread is primarily made of flour, water, yeast, salt, sugar, milk, egg, oil/fat, and bread improvers. Almost all of these ingredients are combined in varying amounts to create different types of bread. Currently, there are more than 100 varieties of bread around the world, and they can be typified into three main kinds: slow, medium, and high riser. Yeast plays an important role in enhancing the size of the bread as well as its tactility. Bread is not complicated to make, but they are time-consuming. The type of bread that takes too long to prepare is sourdough.
Things You Need to Know About Sourdough
Sourdough plays the same role as baker’s yeast and that is to double the size of your dough. The only difference between them is the health benefits that sourdough could give to its consumers compared to the bread that is risen using baker’s yeast. Sourdough is made by fermenting equal parts of flour and water with a little bit of salt in an airtight container for a couple of days. The fermentation will happen when the sugar in the flour reacts with the wild yeasts and microbes like lactic acid bacteria which are naturally found in your environment, hands, and the flour you are using. The reaction between these living organisms and compounds will produce carbon dioxide, B vitamins (folate, niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin), minerals (iron, manganese, and selenium), and alcohol which makes the sourdough packed with good nutrition. Aside from that, the sourdough improves nutrient absorption by breaking phytic acid, an absorption blocker, during fermentation. The main criteria if the sourdough is active is that it starts to develop more bubbles and will emit a certain smell. If the hooch (gray, brown, or black liquid) is oozing on top, then it needs more feeding. To make flavorful and chewy bread, you knead sourdough along with the bread mixture to create a crispy crust and fluffy texture on the inside.