“THE Natural leaven also called wild leaven is a mixture of water and flour which begins to ferment spontaneously. The liquid sourdough is made up of a mixture of 50% flour and 50% water and has a liquid/creamy texture and is widely used in France, describes Marlène Fiorot, chemical engineer and teacher, author of Succeed in breads and pastries with natural leaven (Living Earth Editions, May 2022). Leaven should be seen as an environment in which 450 species of yeasts and lactic acid bacteria“, she explains.
It has been used for baking for thousands of years. It was only during industrialization that it was replaced by the Baker’s yeast to gain speed and so that bread making can be industrialized on a large scale.
Most breads sold in supermarkets and bakeries (but also homemade ones) are generally made with baker’s yeast. “It allows you to make more bread faster”, explains our specialist. Ideally, a long fermentation (24 hours) is needed to make good sourdough bread. And giving birth to a leaven requires 14 days of waiting.
But sourdough has many qualitiess! It has nutritional benefits and offers a much tastier flavor and texture than a yeast bread. Sourdough bread also allows for better preservation. Also, making your breads with sourdough has many advantages! “Natural sourdough can also be used to make brioches, cakes as a replacement for baking powder or baking powder”, says Marlène Fiorot.
Discover 9 reasons to make your own sourdough breads and pastries.
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