In a trend that’s sweeping the nation since strict coronavirus lockdown restrictions were put in place, Sourdough people not only across Australia, but across the world. Seemingly simple, this social media sensation has generated a community of novice bakers looking to make their own sourdough at home, but why?

What is sourdough?

Dating back to 1500 B.C. sourdough was believed to be discovered by accident when a baker from Egypt left out dough long enough for the yeast in the air to fester. This process made the dough strong enough to leaven the bread – making it sourdough by nature.

Sourdough is a traditional style bread. Yeast takes form when a mixture of flour and water are left out for an extended period of time, attracting
yeast in the environment, it starts to nibble on naturally occurring sugars. This mixture acts as a starter creating a thick crust, soft interior and a delicious tangy flavour, signature to sourdough bread.

Is it healthy?

While no health professional would classify carbohydrates as ‘healthy’, sourdoughs complexion does aid in digestion. The time it takes to make sourdough allows the natural yeasts and bacteria to slowly break down starches that may be difficult for our bodies to digest. This allows the gluten to break down further into amino acids, providing additional aid in digestion. This means if you have a mild intolerance to gluten, you may be able to consume small amounts of sourdough because the starchy glutens that make you sick have already been broken down.

How to bake it

Before you begin you’ll need a sourdough starter, which is a live culture made from flour and water. This starter must be kept alive with regular feedings or it will die. Once you have perfected the sourdough starter and it is bubbly and active, you can begin mixing the dough.

After mixing, the dough can take anywhere from 3-12 hours to rise, depending on the temperature of your ingredients and their surroundings. Then it can be cut and shaped. After this the dough will have to rise, again, this time only for about 30 minutes. Then you can get baking.

Is it as simple as it looks?

All-in-all making the perfect sourdough recipe for your business, especially if you’re still in the testing phase is not a simple feat. Basic recipes online make it look like baking the perfect sourdough loaf is incredibly simple. However, developing a knockout recipe that will keep locals coming back for more takes research, time and money.

Stock sourdough in your bakery, cafe or supermarket

While some beginner bakers are attempting to bake sourdough at home, for those less ambitious in the kitchen, sourdough from the local baker is
still a viable option for vegemite and toast in the morning. During a time where businesses are forced to cut costs due to the impact of the
coronavirus pandemic, mixing a signature recipe and baking fresh loaves each day is easier said than done.

If your cafe or bakery has considered stocking delicious sourdough bread options, but aren’t sure how, Suprima’s easy-to-use frozen dough can help you keep up with your competitors. Boasting a variety of sourdough flavours, including white, grain and wholegrain, Suprima frozen dough is the perfect solution. Avoid high labour costs and expensive ingredients by switching to frozen dough.

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