10 myths and facts about yeast

Fermenting is coming to the fore again. Some love him and others are afraid to start working with him. It's a varied topic for many, and that's why more and more articles are appearing on the Internet that don't match. Those experienced with leavening do not have a problem, and those who are afraid to start with it do not know which article is true. In the article, we present 10 myths and facts about fermentation.

1, a wooden ladle is most suitable for mixing sourdough - NO

People knew yeast back in the days when they had nothing but wooden kitchen utensils. There were no concentrated preparations for washing dishes, and the opinion that a wooden ladle is best for mixing leaven originates from there. Currently, there are a large number of detergents on the market, which leave traces on wooden tools. If we were to mix yeast with such a pot, we would weaken it or fail at all.

2, metal materials are also not suitable for yeast - NO

Imagine if that were true! This means that we could not add yeast to the dough and knead it in a food processor or electric mixer with kneading paddles. Even in our video recipe for rice sourdough, we always used clean metal spoons to stir the sourdough.

3, not everyone can do leavening - NO

Whether you are preparing classic bread with yeast or sourdough, the level of difficulty is quite identical. In the final result, sourdough bread and yeast bread look the same, but the difference is then in taste and preparation time. In practice, this means that if you bake bread from yeast, you must first make a leaven from yeast (mix yeast, lukewarm water or milk and sugar, which supports fermentation). After about 10 minutes, we can add it to the other ingredients and make the dough. Let the dough rise until it doubles in volume and we can bake the bread. Sourdough bread has a different preparation process. The day before, we prepare the yeast from flour, water and yeast. The next day, we add it to the other ingredients and prepare the dough, which we leave to rise for 4 hours and then we can bake the bread. Everyone can do kvass, it's "demanding" only in terms of time.

4, the process of making bread is lengthy - NO / YES

We mentioned above that leavening is difficult in terms of time. However, it should be remembered that if we prepare a leaven that ferments for 12 hours or longer while the dough itself is rising, we have time to devote ourselves to our activities and do not have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Yeast is a living organism that is independent and only needs from us e.g. shape the dough into a loaf, mix the dough, etc. The process of making sourdough bread is lengthy, but our constant presence is not necessary.

5, sourdough bread is commonly available in stores - NO

Read the label carefully! It often happens that the bread says Yeast, but after studying the label it contains yeast. How is it possible? To this day, many people confuse yeast and yeast = THEY ARE NOT THE SAME TERMS! Another possibility is that bread contains both yeast and leaven. Yeast is a leavening agent that makes the dough rise beautifully in a few minutes, only a very small amount of sourdough is added, and manufacturers label such bread as sourdough. You can bake healthy sourdough bread at home. Recipes can be found on our website www.liana.sk

6, there is a lot of mold in sourdough bread - NO

As we already mentioned, yeast is a living organism, and just as there are good and bad bacteria in the human body, yeast can also have negative bacteria. However, they appear in the leaven due to improper handling. It is important to store baked bread properly. We recommend a cotton bag for bread , which is available on our e-shop.

7, sourdough bread promotes weight loss - NO

The truth is that sourdough bread has a lower glycemic index, which means that sourdough bread and pastries fill us up faster, we eat less and the blood sugar level does not rise quickly.

8, we have known leavening for centuries - YES

Although leavening is currently a big boom, our grandmothers already worked with leaven. Only with the discovery of yeast did yeast take a back seat.

9, sourdough bread is healthier - YES

Yes, this is very true. Sourdough bread does not overload the body. In classic bread made with wheat flour, the yeast bacteria break down the gluten and it passes more easily through the intestines. On our website www.liana.sk you will find many recipes for gluten-free sourdough bread, breads and cakes.

10, the fermentation process is faster in a warm room - YES

If you increase the temperature in the room, the fermentation process will actually speed up. BUT! Rather, give the sourdough the time it needs and then enjoy the benefits of the delicious sourdough bread.