Natalya Syanova - Sourdough Baking with Kids: The Science Behind Baking Bread Loaves with Your Entire Family

Bread is the head of everything! I remember these words from my childhood. Almost every person on the planet has at least one slice of bread every day and every country has at least one favorite type of bread. Italians love ciabatta; in Turkey, pita is very popular; in Mexico, tortillas are a favorite; in France, the baguette is everywhere; and in the United States, soft sandwich bread is a staple.

In this chapter, you will learn all about bread: what you need to get started, new words, safety rules of the kitchen, and the equipment and ingredients needed for sourdough bread baking.

Are you ready? Lets get started.

Scientists believe that the first appearance of bread on Earth occurred more than 15,000 years ago. For a long time, people ate raw grains. Then they learned to rub them between stones to create cereals they then cooked. Thats how the first millstone came to be, as well as the first flour.

The first bread wasnt supposed to be bread at all! Archaeologists suggest that, one day, while making grain porridge, some of it spilled out onto a hot stone and turned into a tortilla. With its pleasant smell, mouthwatering look, and delicious taste, this happy accident was the start of freshly baked bread.

Sourdough baking has an ancient history. About 6,000 years ago, people were learning how to break down grains into fermented drinks, which led to learning to bake bread through the leavening process (see more on ). This discovery, again, probably happened by accident. Eventually, someone developed a process that included saving a portion of the fermented grains and using it to start the fermentation of the next batch of bread. Since that time, humankind has been using starter to make sourdough bread.

Fermentation is the process that converts sugar and starch into simpler substances. During fermentation in baking, the leavening agent or yeast (sourdough starter) feeds on the sugar in the dough, which produces carbon dioxide (CO2) that gets trapped in the dough. When the bread is baked, the carbon dioxide escapes, causing the dough to rise. Fermentation starts as soon as the leavening agent is added to the dough and continues until baking.

Bread is a great source of energy and many microelements. The most important nutritional value of bread is hidden in its slow (complex) carbohydrates. Unlike fast (simple) carbohydrates, these carbohydrates are full of healthy fiber. The body needs more time to digest the slow carbohydrates, so the feeling of fullness lasts longer. Bread contains proteinthe main component of the bodys tissuesthat helps build muscle and keep the body in shape. Bread also contains a whole set of vitamins, including:

Copper, which produces collagen and maintains energy

Iron, which enriches the body with oxygen and improves metabolism

Vitamins B1, B2, B3, which help the heart and stomach work and improve overall metabolism

Vitamin E, which strengthens immunity, improves blood circulation, and maintains mood

Zinc, which improves brain function and vision and strengthens bones

Making sourdough bread yourself gives you a product that is so much healthier and tastier than bread you can buy at the grocery store. But the greatest benefits of sourdough breadmaking may very well be the enjoyment of the overall breadmaking process: It helps us slow down our busy lives, giving us a glimpse of what our ancestors lives were like and the chance to feel, smell, and understand the dough.