Best. Bread. Ever: Turmeric, Black Pepper & Sage Sourdough

I’m obsessed with culture.

Fermented foods straight up control DNA expression in your body; these little flora decide what genes become the art that is you and which ones stay silent. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve slurped up all the ferments I could find. So, when I decided to try grains after a long while being paleo, I, of course, wanted to try sourdough. Then a roommate moved in with a starter… The rest is recent history.

Sourdough bread is fermented – that is how it gets its bubbles – the little bacteria gets gassy after a hearty meal. Thanks to them, you don’t have to! In the fermentation process, even a wholly white, refined flour loaf lowers in glycemic index to around the same level as whole grain quinoa (a complete protein). Diabetics who were told they could never have white bread again eat sourdough without any spike in their blood sugar. Insulin responses to blood sugar spikes are what makes carbs ‘bad’ for you: it’s responsible for weight gain, addiction & mood swings. Take away blood sugar spikes; annihilate what’s wrong with bread. Sourdough has been tested alongside 100% wholewheat breads beating them by a landslide for nutrient availability, digestion and slow absorption. The long story short: we are definitely meant to eat sourdough. Bread is not bad for you, it’s just not being prepared properly.

I’m so excited, because bread feels like such a hub in the wheel of life, and I’ve finally found a way to eat it that’s good for my body. Having made what I consider the best bread I’ve ever tasted EVER, I had to share it with you! This bread is doubled up with anti-inflammatory turmeric (inflammation is the root cause for… everything – I know I’m not being very scientific, but trust me), black pepper to activate said turmeric (it’s a thing), and cleansing sage. Its crispy, crunching crust is intense! And the innards are like a slightly denser baguette with big air bubbles and a moist, fluffy texture. The flavour is earthy, subtle & complex.

You will need: a crock pot & a wire rack (I use an oven shelf!) Also, I’m sorry, my roommate is serious about this stuff, and she uses a scale. You can find conversions on the inter-webs.

275g Starter
275g Almost Hot H2O
375g White (AP) Flr
125g WW Flr
Maybe, er, 3 or 4 (heaped) Tb Turmeric
A palm full of Sage
As much Pepper you can grind before getting bored

– Mix with good vibes. Just a mix is all you knead.
– Set aside 30 minutes covered (on the heater works well for me).
– Add sea salt, a lot, like 2Tb? Work that in. It’s going to be a wee bit of a wet dough. Make a ball. Smear olive oil on the outside (prevents drying).
– Put back on the heater, covered. Tell it you love it.
– When it’s about doubled in size (about 2 hrs for me in my warm house) work it again, pulling and tucking in a ball. Repeat the olive oil baste, put back on heat. Tell it it’s a good dough.
– When it’s doubled in size again (about another 2 hrs on my heater), it’s ready to go.
– Turn on oven @500, put the bottom of a crock pot in to warm up.
– When the oven is at temperature, take the crock pot out, sprinkle flr on the bottom, work the dough a bit into a nice ball (I like to be a little gentle so to keep the bubbles in tact, but it will rise in the oven regardless) and plop in your little bundle being careful not to scald your hands.
– Now, I add around a 1/4c of h20 – which is lots more than other people do, but it works for me, the loaf is super moist with a super crispy crust – it will boil up around the sides, cover it with the lid and put it in the oven.
– Turn down to 450 or 400 after 15 – 30 min. (I actually like to do both – I turn it down to 450 after 15-20 min then take the top off at around 40 min and let it finish at 400). It won’t make a huge difference, but whatever you choose – take the lid off when the crust is crisp. Remember, at every stage of this process: watch the dough, not the clock (it should take an hr total, give or take).
– Now the hardest part: let it SIT on a cooling rack while it crackles and pops for at least 30 minutes. People say an hour, who has that kind of time? Try it with cultured butter & sea salt!

Ok, dig in, feel good, eat better. <3