When you make your own sourdough starter using old-fashioned organic methods, it’s natural to want to share that discovery with as many people as possible. One great way to do this is by sharing the starter with friends, family and acquaintances.
The more people who start their own sourdough culture, the greater the chance of others doing the same. Making sourdough starter is an activity that can be shared easily and inexpensively. You don’t need any special equipment or supplies and you won’t break the bank in doing so either!
The main expense involved is time spent preparing simple ingredients rather than money spent on specialty items like bleached flour. In this article we’ll discuss whether you can use bleached flour when making your homemade sourdough starter, why it might not be a good idea to do so and some alternative flours that you can use instead if necessary.
What is a Sourdough Starter?
When you make your own sourdough starter using old-fashioned organic methods, it’s natural to want to share that discovery with as many people as possible. One great way to do this is by sharing the starter with friends, family and acquaintances.
The more people who start their own sourdough culture, the greater the chance of others doing the same. Making sourdough starter is an activity that can be shared easily and inexpensively. You don’t need any special equipment or supplies and you won’t break the bank in doing so either!
The main expense involved is time spent preparing simple ingredients rather than money spent on specialty items like bleached flour. In this article we’ll discuss whether you can use bleached flour when making your homemade sourdough starter, why it might not be a good idea to do so and some alternative flours that you can use instead if necessary.
Can You Use Bleached Flour for a Sourdough Starter?
If you decided to try to use bleached flour when making your own sourdough starter, you did the right thing. Bleached flour has been chemically treated and is not suitable for use in any type of fermentation process.
There are, however, several other types of flour that can be used when making your own sourdough starter. These include whole grain, organic and unbleached flour.
Bleached flour has been chemically treated so that it doesn’t go brown as quickly as other types of flour when you put them in an oven. This means that it can last longer in a home bakery and is a popular choice for commercial bakeries who want to minimize the amount of flour they use in their products.
Whole grain flour is flour that contains the whole grain of the grain that it was made from. This means that the flour has the bran, germ and endosperm of the grain along with all of the nutrition-rich parts of the grain.
Organic flour is unbleached flour that has not been treated with chemicals. Many commercial bakers and restaurants choose to use organic flour as it has a longer shelf life and is easier to work with than bleached flour.
Bleached flour, however is primarily made from wheat that has been cleaned of its natural nutrients and has had the majority of its protein removed. While it’s possible to use bleached flour for sourdough starter, it’s not necessary. There are several other types of flour that can be used for this purpose.
Why Bleached Flour Is a Bad Idea for Sourdough Starter
There are several reasons why bleached flour is a bad choice when making homemade sourdough starter. First, bleached flour is made using a chemical process that removes many of the nutrients found in the original flour. This means that you risk harming your sourdough starter if you use it in your baking along with bleached flour.
Another reason to stay away from bleached flour when making sourdough starter is the fact that it contains gluten. This is a protein found in wheat that has been linked to harmful inflammation in the body. Gluten can be found in many commercial baked goods but not in sourdough bread that is made from naturally gluten-free flour.
Now, gluten can be found naturally in other grains like rye and barley but these are not commonly used for making sourdough starters. Therefore, gluten-containing flours like wheat and rye are often used for sourdough starters.
Some Good Alternatives to Bleached Flour in a Sourdough Starter
While bleached flour is not suitable for use in any fermentation, there are several alternatives that can be used in place of it when making your sourdough starter. These include whole grain flour, organic flour, unbleached flour, spelt flour and brown rice flour.
Whole grain flour is flour that contains the bran, germ and endosperm of the grain along with all of the nutrition-rich parts of the grain. It’s the best type of flour to use when making sourdough starter as the nutrients found in the whole grain are preserved in the flour.
Organic flour is unbleached flour that has not been treated with chemicals. Many commercial bakers and restaurants choose to use organic flour as it has a longer shelf life and is easier to work with than bleached flour.
Unbleached flour is flour that has been untreated with chemicals that are used in bleaching the wheat. It’s a good flour to use in sourdough starter as it has a stronger flavor and texture than bleached flour.
Spelt flour is an ancient grain that was grown in Europe as far back as the Stone Age. Spelt flour is made from wild wheat that has been grown and harvested sustainably.
It has a nutty flavor and is high in protein. Brown rice flour is a healthy alternative to white rice. It’s rich in fiber and nutrients and is an excellent source of manganese, which is an important mineral for good health.
Final Words: Can You Use Bleached Flour in Your Next Sourdough Recipe?
If you decided to use bleached flour when making your homemade sourdough starter, you did the right thing. The best thing to do if you want to continue using bleached flour is to add something acidic to your recipe.
This will help keep the beneficial bacteria alive in the flour and thus prevent the development of harmful yeast in your sourdough starter. Some examples of acidic ingredients that you can add to your baking include unsweetened applesauce, cranberry sauce and yogurt.