In the UK bread has always been our staple, be it office sandwiches, kid’s parties, picnics or a quick lunch on the go.
It used to be a good and tasty food source, before the advent of the white sliced loaf, stuffed with preservatives – I remember keeping one for a couple of weeks as an experiment – at the end it looked and tasted just the same – white, bland and unpalatable – even the mould seemed to have given it a wide berth.
So how lovely that we are reawakening our love of true artisan bread – and turning to experts like Jason Geary. As a fourth generation master baker he’s skilled in the traditional (and not always straightforward) art of making a good sourdough.
Sourdough has become very popular over recent years, but what actually is it? It’s been around a lot longer than yeast-risen bread – since several thousand years BCE. A mixture of lacto-bacteria and wild yeast called a Starter is used to make the bread rise. This is clever, as the bacteria digest what the yeast cannot, and vice-versa – so they work together to produce a slow and effective rise. They also weakens the gluten in the bread, making it more digestible for us humans and the starter is more effective than pure yeast for raising rye grain. Starters are saved batch after batch and are prized for the distinctive breads they produce.
Jason sent me his Olive and Basil Sourdough to try – all I can say is, ‘WOW’. They say we eat with our eyes, and this loaf looked so attractive, with swirls of bright green, emulating extra virgin olive oil. In fact the green was a mixture of spirulina concentrate and safflower – both considered to have health benefits. Checking out the other ingredients – just wheat and rye flour, Nocellara olives, basil, sourdough starter and salt. It contains no artificial preservatives or flavourings.
The bread itself was simply delicious – I tried it fresh with San Manzano tomatoes and then later, toasted with butter – both worked extremely well. In fact it tasted just as if I’d added fresh olive oil and basil to the bread. And yes, it was more digestible – despite eating rather more than I should have (it’s downside is it’s impossible to stop at one slice) I had no unpleasant bloating afterwards.
The other big plus with Jason’s sourdoughs is that you don’t have to travel miles in search of an artisan bread maker – they’re available at Asda, Ocado and M & S. I strongly suggest you add this to your shopping list.
By Dr K Thompson, award-winning author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q
Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.