sourdough beginnings

I've been waiting all week to use this stuff... what I am finding out about cooking my own food for the first time... it actually takes time. Imagine that. I'm so used to having things ready NOW or grabbing something quick and easy and nowadays, I've realized that if its quick and easy, most likely, there has been a nutritional sacrifice somewhere along the road. Food takes time.

Take, my sourdough bread...
It has taken me a long time to try this. I just wasn't ready... but what has been really interesting about this whole "real food" process... Readiness comes in time. With new cooking skills has come the desire to actually try new things. Crazy. And... like anything else... practice makes perfect (or at least better than before!). Cooking has become a joy to me. Its so fun! (This should offer much hope to those of who who dislike anything "kitchen". I am a recovering kitchen-phobe. There is hope!)

The nutritional benefits of homemade sourdough bread have been my latest of readings. (HERE is a good basic article about such benefits.) Commercial yeast is full of hidden MSG and is not the "natural" way to make bread rise. So, making my own sourdough bread from scratch proved to be a little more complicated than I anticipated. I couldn't just mix stuff together, bake it, then eat it??? It would take me a WEEK to get the right dough!??!!? Ya, it does... but it has been such a cool process!!!

I followed the recipe from Nourished Kitchen found HERE:

photo source: sourdoughstarter2.jpg

Wow... is this how people in the olden days made bread?! YES! And we wonder why gluten intolerance has risen since the introduction of processed grains?!

Traditionally prepared sourdough, even when made with wheat, can usually be tolerated by those who are gluten intolerant (because the sourdough starter is a live active culture. It is probiotic bread that has been soaked and the gluten has been effectively broken down by the yeast and bacteria in the starter) CRAZY!

Ok, so if I would have read this a month ago, I would be lost and confused and turned off... Well each in their own time right?

So here is the beginnings of my sourdough starter... I am planning on using it for THIS recipe on Sunday. Its funny.. there is a lot of prep work, but once you have an established sourdough starter, it is like a fountain of dough that you can continually use for baking. Dough that you know is not commercially processed and dough that you have looked after and guarded :)

I bought a sourdough starter from Cultures for Health to make sure my sourdough would be okay, since it was my first time.

So, here is my sourdough starter on day 5. It finally started bubbling! ITS ALIIIIVVVVEEEE!

Anywho, lots of new things going on in my kitchen... mostly, I'm actually in my kitchen... HA! thankful for a way to serve my family so practically.. their food!