As part of Climate Week, Karen will talk on the benefits of Sourdough bread and grains in general. There will be samples to taste and Karen will kindly leave samples for us to cook and enjoy the following day.

The evening is free but we do ask for donations to cover costs.

The event will take place at Fran’s house but numbers are limited so please ring 770318 to reserve your place.

What is sourdough?

Under analysis, sourdough is a polyculture of different yeasts and bacteria which will vary according to the location. Both the yeasts and bacteria contribute to the leavening process.

The yeasts are “wild” in that they are not the commercial yeast usually used to leaven bread. Again, these can vary according to location and rather than being a single species as with regular yeast, are usually 2 or 3 dominant strains, although there can be more yeasts which aren’t really involved with the aeration but are significant nutritionally, such as the torula yeasts.

Nutrition

Sourdough is important nutritionally because through the various types of fermentation, nutrients are released from the grain and new ones are also created. Sourdough bread is actually more nutritious than the grain from which it is made, so it is an important food.