NO "Yeast" Bread

“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” --Matthew 4:4.

I read about this product on a number of blogs while researching an easy way to make healthier bread in bulk each week (for our family and I also make extra for friends or colleagues that could use a casserole and a bag of bread when life gets difficult.  What I found was  "Bread for Life" sourdough starter for making bread from Azure Standard. I had at that point already been on a quest to incorporate more cultured/fermented foods and beverages into our diet, so this was a blessing to find. This starter is yeast-free and works great with Einkorn flour. Plus - it bakes bread for about 10% of what it costs to buy specialty bread at the store and you won't have to buy commercial yeast ever again.

No doubt, we have all heard of increasing numbers of people suffering from gluten intolerance and other gut-related ailments. Grains in particular have been getting a bad reputation. On the other hand, the Bible speaks very highly of bread, and the Lord's prayer teaches us to ask for "daily bread." So what is the best way to eat if we don't have Celiac but find that eating too much yeasted bread causes other issues with our health?

Enter naturally leavened bread in the form of sourdough. Unlike bread made from fresh, non-fermented, and/or non-sprouted flour, it is very gentle on the body, while having a much higher nutrient content thanks to the living enzymes, plus a whole host of other benefits. So instead of being concerned about the carbs and gluten in bread (an issue if you have Celiac disease, which I don't) I now have bread daily and embrace it as a healthy staple.

Commercial baking yeast is related to a number of health issues, especially candida growth in the body and inflammation. This natural bread starter (with no commercial yeast) is aerobic and probiotic causing carbohydrates and gluten to be predigested, turning them into a more usable form for the body.  If you don't have true Celiac but find that too much bread causes migraines, allergies, skin problems, and other issues, this is the bread for you and it's so easy to make you can make enough bread for the week in about 30 minutes, not including rising time.

Not only is sourdough bread more nutritious, but it also greatly reduces the amount of phytic acid found in whole grains. It's been noted by many health professionals that consuming large amounts of whole grains that have not first been properly prepared by either fermentation or soaking and sprouting can have detrimental health effects, mostly in the form of mineral loss, which could impact bone loss as we age.

The starter after its first week at home.

All you need to get started is a "starter", unlike traditional sourdough starter, which is left out and covered on the counter, the bread for life starter stays in the refrigerator, is not nearly as temperamental and only has to be "fed" (water flour mix) every couple of days. Make sure you store it in a clean glass (periodically putting the starter in a clean bowl and give the container a nice wash and vinegar rinse, and only use a wood utensil to stir.  Do NOT use chlorinated water in less you want to kill it. You'll also want the room or oven it rises in to be at least 70 degrees (our gas oven with the pilot light on is perfect) Other than that it's pretty bulletproof.  It also has used NO oil and has a sweet light fluffy texture that's great for toast or sandwiches.  You can keep several quart mason jars going or if you bake in large amounts use a gallon jar.

• Making Sourdough Starter with Wild Yeast and Einkorn

Link to cut and paste:    https://healthfullyrootedhome.com/einkorn-flour-for-making-sourdough-starter/

Basic Loaf of Bread

Throw in a Cuisinart with a blade (or you can hand mix and knead for five minutes)

1 cup starter
1 tsp. salt (optional if on a salt-restricted diet)
1 cup pure filtered water (chlorine will kill your leavening)
2 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

I happened to have Fiji in the cupboard from a clearance sale - any non-chlorinated water is fine.

Mix for 5 minutes, put in an oiled bowl, and let rise 5-7 (yes!) hours in a warm place (70 degrees +)  Punch down and put in a lightly oiled bread pan and let rise 1-3 more hours.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Sourdough Blueberry Pancakes with Einkorn Flour

To make dinner and breakfast rolls that are lighter and slightly sweeter do this:

1 cup starter
1 cup milk or nut milk (at room temperature)
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1 Tablespoon sugar or honey
1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 and 3/4 to 3 and 1/4 cups hard white wheat flour (not whole wheat)

Put in Cuisinart with a blade or mix and knead by hand for five minutes (should be nice and stretchy). Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 5-7 hours (depending on how warm the kitchen is). You need a minimum temp. of 75 for it to raise.  80 is better.  If you don't have an oven in which you can place the dough with the lightbulb on set it on a trivet on a heating pad set on low - that kept my bowl a constant 80ish temperature which was perfect.  Form the dough into desired shapes.  Let rise 2-3 hours more hours.

Bake at 375 for around 20 minutes for buns and rolls and 40-50 minutes if you want to make a big loaf of bread, as pictured. If desired brush warm bread with butter as soon as it is removed from the oven for a soft crust and a nice sheen

Note:  Azure does not traditionally ship this refrigerated product.  They deliver via semi-truck, to a local drop-off point, acting as a middle man to connect you to independent growers and food producers, shortening the distance your food travels from farm to table.  You'll find a huge selection of products you won't find at smaller retails  If you are buying a product such as this, you place your order and put in the zip code of where you are at and they tell you where your drop-off day and time in (Mine was only a 15-minute drive).  A drop coordinator keeps you in the loop on the process.  Plus their prices on grains, whole and ground are SO good, I'm going to make it a regular source for organic goods