Magic to Mastery
What is the magic of sourdough exactly?
Fermentation would be the word to use & the spell to speak. It is during a natural and slow fermenting process that the complex starches we struggle to digest (gluten & various proteins) break down and in its place nutrients, minerals and vitamins begin to originate. It is an anti inflammatory food source as the long fermentation has allowed for hard to digest nutrients ( lectins, glutens, and phtyic acids) to really reduce - depending on fermenting time they can almost disappear. The bread has then become more easily digestible for the body to digest, as well as, making essential nutrients more easily available to the body.
To go into more specific details the nutrients and minerals that a long fermenting process develops are: B vitamins, Iron, Zinc, Magnesium, Selenium, Potassium, Thiamine, Phosphorus, Vitamin E and Maganese. This long fermentation process also has the power to lower glycemic index as it helps to slow down the absorption of sugar when digesting. Lactobacillus is a kind of bacteria that is only found in sourdough bread. It is a lactic acid and increased lactic acid making food easier to digest and even more minerals like folate accessible. It is a probiotic gut friendly bacteria that has the power to eliminate disease carrying bacteria living in the gut. This lactic acid helps to reduce phytate content of the bread naturally lowering the PH levels in each long fermented sourdough loaf.
Fermentation is the true magic of sourdough and the longer the better. Each and every sourdough loaf baked by me is a minimum of a 24 hour relationship. During this time bulk fermentation occurs as well as many folds & stretches - the dough is then shaped and placed for a minimum 8 hour fridge sleep. The slowness of sourdough allows for the spell of fermentation to be spoken.
All wellness loaves baked by me are made with both love & magic with the hopes of mastery. Choosing to incorporate a wellness loaf into your lifestyle will provide you with an almost endless list of benefits.
supports gut health
nutrient dense
no preservatives (sourdough naturally preserves itself)
contains seretonin
promotes healthy aging
lowers glycemic index
greater absorption of minerals
improves heart health
helps with weight management
rich in antioxidants and probiotic potential
> food is life & life is food <
> la nourriture est la vie, la vie, c'est la nourriture <
Saved by Sourdough
Sourdough is simple & slow. These two foundations of sourdough have been incredibly helpful & healing for me. There is a certain relationship/bond I have developed with my “little chef” Remy(sourdough starter) and each and every loaf of bread I bake. Loneliness and self contentment are two states of being that we are challenged with in our emotional/etheral human experience of living. The foundations of sourdough , simple & slow, force me to find harmony in these two states of being. Learning to balance as one moves through the stages of: levain, bulk fermentation, stretching and folding dough to baking a bread. The bond has formed and hours later what loneliness was once feels lost and self contentment climbs with the discovery of each bread’s crust & crumb.
Each sourdough gets my undivided attention and care for an entire course of 28 -32 hours. Cold and overnight fridge fermentation is a requirement before each loaf is baked to be bread. This is a crucial time in which the sourdough magic occurs. Magic?
Magic, indeed. Before I could even explain it my body showed me as sourdough bread became a shelve staple for me in my eating routine and eating disorder recovery. After many years of disordered eating my gut biome and landscape became incredibly damaged and I experienced extended periods of gastroperisis in which my digestion became so delayed i could barely intake food orally. Finally, it found me. Freshly baked sourdough bread weekly (2 loaves please) from Polestar Hearth bakery. This was something I could eat and would move through my body happily. For over 4 years I have successfully been able to eat and feed myself sourdough bread with out any authentic upset or physical reaction. The magic at the beginning was a mystery to me but as with most mystery’s there inlied an opportunity for knowledge and mastery.
Recipe: Rotisserie Chicken & Veggie Soup for the Soul.
Soup for the Soul.
In my personal opinion it is soup that speaks to the soul.
Ingredients: (mise en place)
1 Rotisserie chicken (shredded)
1 Yellow Onion (diced)
3 Jumbo Carrots (diced)
1 Bunch of Celery (diced)
1 Head of Garlic (roasted at 375* for 20 min)
1 Head of Cauliflower (chopped and blanched)
1 Bunch of fresh sage, rosemary and thyme (tied & tossed in with soup remove at end of cooking)
3 Pieces of Parmesan Rind (added to soup remove at end of cooking)
2 1/2 tsp Paprika
2 tsp Turmeric
2 tsp Poultry Seasoning
Salt & Pepper to taste
1L Bone Broth
1L Chicken Broth
Directions:
read and review ingredient list. then take time to prepare your mise en place (everything in its place). this will ensure you experience authentic expressions of joy while spending time in your kitchen.
preheat oven to 375* and prepare head of garlic to roast. (20-25min)
once vegetables are chopped and prepared begin by adding 1 tbsp of olive oil to a heated pan. Add vegetables to pan (onions until golden, carrots and lastly celery) being mindful to not crowd the pan all at once.
in synchronicity with the frying of your vegetables; bring a pot of water to a boil. place chopped cauliflower into the salted pot of water and allow to parboil/start to soften.
when the vegetables in the frying pan begin to dry out deglaze the pan using light splashes of chicken broth. approximately 1-2inches of broth allows your veggies to simmer and further enhance the merging of flavours.
remove cauliflower from pot and strain, rinsing with cool water to stop cooking. remove garlic from oven to also cool also, at this time.
wait for veggies to reach desired tenderness and remove frying pan from heat. replacing with a large stock/soup pot.
add 1 full litre of bone broth to pot. then add half of the shredded rotisserie chicken along with half of the vegetables from the frying pan. also add half of the cauliflower. stir to mix and combine ingredients.
before adding remaining 1 litre of chicken broth add spices to pot: 2 1/2 tsp paprika, 2 tsp turmeric, 2 tsp poultry seasoning and bouquet garni (herb bouquet), salt and pepper to taste.
finally add all remaining half portions of soup ingredients (shredded chicken, cauliflower, vegetables) and cooled roasted garlic.
do not forget 3 pieces of parmesan rind which adds and excellent umami flavouring to the soup.
if personal preference is for a more broth based soup feel free to add an additional 500ml water.
simmer soup on low for minimum of 1 hour up to a maximum of 2 hours.
remove parmesan rinds and bouquet garni before serving. top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Bon Appetit!!!
Notes:
stores great in a tuber ware container in the fridge for up to one week. tastes even better reheated.
feel free to add additional broth or water when reheating soup. (500ml additions)