Crusty, fresh home-made bread straight from the oven. YUM!! And if you have a gluten intolerance, this could be the answer.
After making a Beehive Oven this spring, I decided to start using fire to cook with.
I started to cook pizza, chicken and fish and then I made some bread. The results were totally amazing. Everything just tasted so good. Moist, succulent chicken, flaky soft fish. And the bread!! Not only does home made bread beat anything you can buy in the store, but cook it in a wood fired oven and you have a slice of heaven.
I have had a wheat intolerance for many years now. The only thing I really miss is fresh, crusty, crunchy bread. Since I was making bread in my oven, I wanted to be able to have a little myself.
So I made a sour dough starter and 4 days later, I had my first sourdough loaf. You are meant to leave it to cool before you cut into it, but this was all that was left 5 minutes after I had taken it out of the oven.
Why is Sour Dough Better for People with a Wheat Intolerance?
Sourdough bread is often tolerated by people who can’t usually eat bread and have a wheat intolerance.
Sourdough bread does not require yeast because it uses the natural yeasts that are present in the atmosphere. The wild yeast pre-digest the phytic acid in the long slow fermentation process. Phytic acid inhibits the enzymes that help breakdown proteins and starch in the stomach. The sourdough bacteria predigests the flour which releases micro nutrients. The lack of enzymes in commercially processed bread causes digestive difficulties for many people.
Update: Although the reaction I had to this bread was not as severe as usual, my bread eating days are once again over. Bread is just not a good food to consume. Even for people who don’t react to the gluten, it will play havoc with your blood sugar levels. Much better to eat some protein and vegetables.
Once you make your sourdough starter, you never need to make it again. It can go on providing you with sourdough bread for years and you never have to buy that expensive, commercial yeast again.
Fun Fact: Recent studies have shown that adding rye flour to sourdough can help regulate blood sugar levels which helps fight diabetes.
- 2 Cups Potato Water
- 2 Cups Flour
- 2 Tsp Salt
- 2 Tbs Honey
- Boil potatoes in water until tender. Use the potato for another dish.
- Add remaining ingredients to the water, stir and cover with a cloth. Secure cloth with string.
- Leave to ferment for 4 days. When it smells fermented and has bubbles, it is ready.
- 6 Cups Artisan Flour
- 2 Cups Starter
- 1 Tbs Salt
- 2 Tbs Honey
- ¼ Cup Ghee or Oil
- Mix the salt and honey and melted ghee or oil into half of the starter.
- Put the flour into a bowl and mix the starter into the flour.
- Stir in the liquids and when liquid has incorporated into the flour, turn the dough out onto the surface and knead for 10 minutes.
- Pour a little oil into a bowl and put the dough into the bowl. Shake the dough until it is covered with a layer of oil. Cover and let sit for 1.5 hours.
- Turn the dough out again and knead for another 5 minutes. Cut dough in half and place into greased bread tins or on a greased baking tray.
- Let dough rise for another 30 minutes.
- Cook on 350 until browned, about 40-50 minutes.