Brittani Blizinski was scrolling through TikTok last year when a post about making sourdough bread caught her eye. She’d never thought of herself as a “bread person,” but there was something about the unique fermenting process and the bubbly, tangy final product that spoke to her.
“It just looked like fun,” Blizinski said. And when her husband, Charlie, scoffed at the trend, her competitive side took over. “I asked for a Dutch oven for Christmas, and he said I would never use it — so I had to prove him wrong.”
Like the millions of people who’ve viewed how-to sourdough videos on social media, Blizinski fell in love with making and baking her own bread.
The relatively easy process and affordable ingredients has drawn many bakers to try it at home. Even actress and new cookbook author Pamela Anderson does the dough. And for some people, it’s the health benefits of the bread that make it the most coveted carb of them all.
How to make sourdough bread
To get the full picture of what makes sourdough special, we have to start with the starter.
Sourdough is made using a “starter,” which is a mixture of flour and water. The blend ferments when mixed together and contains natural bacteria and wild yeasts that help the bread rise among other defining characteristics of the bread.
The sourdough starter is part mad scientist, part top chef because the starter needs to be fed fresh flour and water to grow. The starter is ready when it doubles in size and becomes bubbly and active. This is your cue to do your best Frankenstein: It’s alive!
Starters are typically made from scratch but can be purchased or given to another sourdough-er already made. The starter takes about a week — give or take a few days — and then you’re ready to start baking.
The health benefits of sourdough bread
Carbohydrates have gotten a bad wrap over the years, but fans of sourdough say it’s the top carb for the added health perks when compared to other breads. And it appears that science is team sourdough. Some research shows that the dough has potential health benefits. These can include:
Improved digestion:Studies show that sourdough can help improve the digestion of gluten. Sourdough is not a gluten-free food, but the fermentation process helps break down the gluten, making it more digestible and easier for the body to absorb. This can reduce bloating and gas and makes sourdough a better option for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
More mineral absorption: Sourdough naturally contains minerals such as calcium, iron and zinc. But many types of bread contain phytate acid, which blocks the absorption of minerals. Sourdough’s fermentation helps break down phytates so you absorb more of the nutrients.
Read: Curious About Calcium? >>
Better for your blood sugar than other breads: Sourdough bread has a lower glycemic index than refined white bread, which means it doesn’t raise your blood sugar as fast. And, if you choose whole-wheat sourdough, it’s higher in fiber, which keeps your body from fully absorbing all the carbohydrates and can keep your blood sugar in a healthy range.
Good gut health: The sourdough starter that you whipped up contains probiotics (live microorganisms) and prebiotics (nondigestible types of fiber) — both of which are crucial for gut health. The probiotics in sourdough are mostly destroyed during the baking process, but the prebiotics stick around and improve gut health.
Healthy aging: A review on fermented grain-based products, including sourdough, found that they have antioxidant, anti-hypertensive and anti-diabetic properties. Antioxidants, for example, help prevent cell damage that contributes to disease.
An unexpected benefit of sourdough bread
There are countless recipes online for sourdough bread, bagels, pizza crust … is anyone else getting hungry? Blizinski spends most of her weekends baking sourdough treats for family, friends and co-workers. She said that, for her, the health benefits of sourdough are an added bonus — it’s the mental health perks that keep her baking. “I love it when I walk through the door at work with a tray in my hand and everyone gets a big smile on their face,” she said. “It's a gift from your heart, and words of affirmation are my love language. So, when people tell me it's delicious, it just makes my day. It makes me happy.”
