Sourdough September
Get ready for Sourdough September
The Real Bread Campaign is encouraging us all to celebrate genuine sourdough bread during its annual ‘Sourdough September’ event. The purpose is to raise awareness of the delights of this scrumptious crusty bread, made without baker’s yeast or any other additives.
So if there’s no baker’s yeast, how does it rise?
Genuine sourdough uses a starter culture containing naturally occurring wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria. As the wild yeast cells slowly multiply they give off carbon dioxide, which appears as bubbles in the mixture and causes the dough to rise. It’s a much slower process than other bread raising methods and the slow fermentation allows time for the distinctive ‘sour’ flavour to develop.
‘Tummy friendly’ bread
As well as a fabulous taste and texture, recent studies have revealed that there may also be benefits for people with gluten intolerances. This is because the long fermentation allows the development of beneficial acids and bacteria, which makes sourdough bread more easily digestible. The bread’s glycaemic index is also lower than standard bread, which is possibly helpful for diabetics.
These benefits are endorsed on the NHS Live website, by Isabel Skypala PhD, a specialist allergy dietician at the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, who suggests that some people with wheat sensitivity might not need to cut out bread completely and may be able to switch to sourdough.
Not all sourdoughs are created equal!
There’s no legal definition of sourdough, which means not all ‘sourdough’ bread is made with a live starter culture. One way to be sure you have the genuine article is to make your own. There’s lots of advice on how to do this, including how to make your starter from just a little flour and water. Total Foodservice can supply flour for your bread making from our great range of bread flours, which includes plain white and wholemeal as well as speciality flours such as Eight Grain Cotswold and Granary Crunch. However, you may prefer to offer your customers freshly baked sourdough, using genuine sourdough breads from Total Foodservice’s frozen range.
Promote and celebrate
Whichever route you choose, make sure you let everyone know you’re participating in #SourdoughSeptember by sharing your news and ideas on social media. Don’t forget to tag Total Foodservice and the Real Bread Campaign on Twitter (@Total_Food_Serv @RealBread ) and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/totalfoodserviceuk
Keep it simple
We're all busy, so if lack of time means you won't be making your own, we have a range of genuine sourdough products you could offer on your menus! Take a look at our Sourdough flyer here