Sourdough is *Magic*

*magic* courtyard looking into the laboratory

Sourdough is part of a strong foundation for the Mediterranean Diet that requires some skill to master as it tends to be a fairly needy substance. As Lorenza, the co-owner of L’Assalto Ai Forni, described sourdough as a living being that needs to be fed and well cared for in order for it to thrive. The starter is the essence of this living being, it is a substance that is always added to and maintained in order to begin every new batch of bread. The entire starter isn’t used like I expected but rather the center of the dough ball where it hasn’t dried out and there is still an ideal environment for yeast and bacterial (good ones) growth.

To make a sourdough starter you just need a flour of your choice (gluten-containing, sadly), and an equal weight of water. So, if you have one cup of flour you will need ½ cup of water. You may be wondering, where is the yeast in this process? It turns out that there is naturally occurring yeast in flour which is allowed to flourish when left to sit for a few days in ideal conditions. The best indicator of yeast growth is the formation of bubbles in the mixture, once you see this you can add flour and water to encourage the growth over a few more days.

NOW you’re ready to make bread!

sourdough rye resting after being shaped

Lorenza, a highly practiced and qualified baker, has the process down to a science, showing us equations on the whiteboard about ideal water temperature based on room temperature (desired temp x 3 – room temperature) and ideal percentage of ingredients, (flour, water and salt), converted into weight depending on how big of a batch you want to make. It was all very impressive and more complex than I realized.

I had to take a photo it was so fun to be shown the science behind bread making

One of the coolest parts about the bread making process at L’Assalto Ai Forni is the use of ancient grains, grains that existed before the Green Revolution (click link for info) of the 1960’s. This really makes their bakery unique as the use of ancient grains not only creates a unique product but encourages ecosystem biodiversity by using diverse grain varieties from small, local, organic farms.