sourdough, store bought

[Guest guest]

At 07:47 PM 6/20/2002 +0000, you wrote:

>When I buy sourdough bread with no yeast listed in the ingredients, I

>assume this is a better loaf of bread than a bread that does have yeast.

>

>I base this on the assumption that by not using yeast, the baker has to let

>the dough rise longer, resulting in a longer leavening process, which breaks

>down much of the phytic acid and gluten.

It depends why/how they are " not using yeast " . A truly yeast-free bread

hasn't been set to rise at all -- bread doesn't rise without yeast. Most

yeast-free bread is leavened with eggs or baking powder, so it has just as

much phytic acid. The main reason they do it is for folks with yeast

allergies, but if you aren't allergic to yeast, then I haven't heard that

yeast is a problem (some people say it can colonize your gut and it's the

wrong type of yeast, but I say the baking process kills it in any case).

Now, if you make sourdough bread by adding KEFIR to it and letting it rise,

then it is " bakers yeast " free -- the yeast in kefir is a different strain,

but it IS yeast. Ditto if you let it set out and capture your own 'wild'

yeast (then you have no idea what strain you are getting, but if it makes

bread rise, it's yeast!). I like the kefir yeast -- I know what it is, I

know my body is ok with it, and the kefir makes the bread yummier and

softer. I don't know that it breaks down gluten to any great degree though:

if it did, the bread would be pretty flat. Mostly it eats the starches, not

the proteins, and glutens are proteins.

Heidi

[Guest guest]

Hi Heidi : )

How does your kefir bread turn out? Does it double as it rises? How long does

it take to rise? Do you put equal amounts kefir/flour to soak as a " sponge? "

Could you give your recipe?

Thanks,

Sonja in IA