SOL18: King Arthur Lives at My House
Posted on March 3rd, 2018
King Arthur Sourdough Crock, Flours, & Grains
Yesterday was bread making day at my house. I’ve been baking loaves of sourdough whole-grain and quinoa bread each week for nearly a year. My husband and I set a goal to eat healthy, homemade meals, and after a little research, we determined that sourdough bread is more nutritious than regular bread. As a result, sourdough came into our lives.
Keeping sourdough is somewhat like medieval fostering. A family/company gives one of their own (child/sourdough) over to your keeping to care for and nourish. As the King Arthur Flour website proudly proclaims, “it’s descended from a starter that’s been lovingly nurtured for over a century.” No pressure, right? Take good care of our child or have the guilt of killing the descendant of a century-old friend. Of course, I’m overstating the matter, as the company will gladly ship you a new one ounce container for only $8.95 + shipping.
The advantage of sourdough over a human child is its tolerance for a little neglect. Don’t feel like baking today? Leave it in the refrigerator until baking day and then warm it up a little and feed it a gruel of flour and water. Given several hours, your little sourdough is ready to work for you, rising your bread.
By this point, some may be wondering why I bother. Consider the title of my blog, though—Crafting a Joyful Life. Bread-making is a satisfying craft that also nourishes my family. The best hobbies nourish your soul as well as your body, right?
Multigrain Sourdough Bread (Click on photo for recipe.)
Weekly bread baking – what a wonderful routine and treat! King Arthur’s website is my go-to for baking recipes. I’m going to adjust my no knead bread recipe I make to more sourdough. I live in Massachusetts and have yet to visit KAF’s store live in person; but will need to do that this year. Thanks for sharing this info. It’s been enjoyable reading your posts. You are an inspiration.
Oooh…a visit to the source of all these great products would be a treat! Thanks for your encouraging words. I’m enjoying (?) the accountability of posting more than a greeting card to my blog each day.
The answer to your last question is a definite yes! Wonderful Slice! I love the idea of medieval fostering (And the photo at the end is making my mouth water!)
Thanks, Cara. If you lived nearby, I’d invite you over for a slice or two!
I love everything about King Arthur! What a great commitment to yourselves!
Nourishment of all parts of you – absolutely. I’m curious what it is about sourdough that you determined to be healthier than ‘regular’ bread. Hmmm.
Kristi, here are a few tidbits from the article I linked to in the post: “the lactic acid bacteria found in sourdough bread lowers the bread’s pH, which helps degrade phytates. This results in a bread that has a much lower phytate content than other types of bread. Lower phytate levels increase mineral absorption. The lactic acid bacteria present in sourdough bread have the ability to release antioxidants during sourdough fermentation. The fermentation also increases folate levels in the bread as well as improving the texture and flavor of whole grain bread.” (Of course, there may be other studies out there that don’t draw these conclusions. 😉 Mostly, we love the taste and texture, and if it is healthier, all the better.
I love the taste and texture as well. Unfortunately it is my husband’s least favorite. I had no idea there was so much science behind choosing the best bread. Thanks for sharing!