Grondona Sourdough
Why do we use 100% sourdough without baker's yeast
The sourdough from Madre Bianca originates from live yeasts and lactic ferments, without ever using baker’s yeast. For two centuries, Grondona’s factory has kept it alive using the same method. Every day, the 100-year-old sourdough – guarded in a controlled environment – is collected, cared for, fed, and refreshed, every 6-8 hours a day, 365 days a year.
It’s an art handed down from six generations to today’s, and it’s the only one that allows perfect control of this technique, that’s become very rare today.
The dough’s mixture of flour and water, and natural sourdough from Madre Bianca. According to many studies, the sourdough is fermented by microorganisms: two families of ancient yeasts and one of living lactic ferments.
Any natural yeast from Madre Bianca is the bearer of its own characteristic microbial community. This makes it typical and unique because it contains live lactic ferments in addition to yeasts.
Today’s yeast is a part of yesterday’s and brings with it the ancient ones. That’s why our products have a typical, unique and unmistakable flavor.
— Sourdough working cycle —
Why is it important to understand the difference?
It’s important to know that when we talk about mother yeast or sourdough, we’re talking about a mixture of water and flour. This is then fermented by lactic acid bacteria and yeasts, kept alive with daily refreshments.
Unlike sourdough, baker’s yeast is a preparation consisting of yeast cells without lactic acid bacteria (or saccharomyces cerevisiae) that are in fact an important resource for our body. Grondona Sourdough has been the object of various studies over the years. These studies have demonstrated the presence of three microbiotic species: two yeasts, Cadita milleri and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and one lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis, which ensure its microbiological stability.
Phase 1: The Organic Basis of Sourdough Starter
In order to prepare sourdough, it is necessary to start with the simple things. 100g of Manitoba Flour, 50g of water and a teaspoon of honey is what you need.
Dissolve the honey in the water, add the flour and stir to give consistency to the solution and mix the ingredients.
Phase 2: Kneading and waiting
We now put our hands in the dough and work the dough until it is smooth, soft and homogeneous.
We then make a small cross-shaped incision on the dough, before placing it in a glass jar that we will cover with film, after having made some holes in the plastic film.
Phase 3: The first refreshment
At this point allow about 48 hours to pass, keeping the dough at room temperature. Then, remove the film and the upper “crust” of the dough.
Then, take 100g of dough, 100g of manitoba flour and 50g of water to begin the refreshment process, mixing everything with your hands before making a second cross cut and placing the dough in a glass jar without any seal.
Phase 4: The Life of Mother Yeast
At this point, you must be very patient and meticulous before using some of your sourdough starter. In fact, it is necessary to refresh it every 48 hours for the first month, in order to allow the bacterial colony to develop and enhance the organoleptic properties of your Mother Yeast.
After the first month, the dough can be refreshed every 3 days. It is advisable to preserve the dough at 4° C.
Beneficial qualities of sourdough
The sole and exclusive use of mother yeast (or sourdough) in purity without the addition of brewer’s yeast. Refreshed daily, it is kept alive to produce our leavened dough delights.
For nearly two centuries we have kept our yeast alive, day in and day out, providing an excellent airy and light texture to our products, to delight you with a rich and satisfying flavor, without the addition of other selected yeasts.
Various researches from Italian Universities reported that the use of Grondona sourdough improves the organoleptic properties of the good. Here below are the research and their findings.
Greater bioavailability of bioactive compounds
(studies carried out by the University of Helsinki, Finland):
Sourdough fermentation increases the level of compounds with antioxidant and anti-hypertensive activity.
Greater bioavailability of mineral salts
(studies carried out by the University of Bari):
The lactic acid bacteria in the sourdough take action on insoluble phytates of flour, releasing mineral salts that become assimilable.
Reduction of the glycemic index
(studies carried out by the University of Bari and University of Parma):
Sourdough bread consumption results in lower blood sugar levels and postprandial insulin.
Rebalance of the intestinal microbiota
(studies carried out by the University of Kuopio, Finland):
The lactic acid bacteria in Sourdough produce prebiotic substances beneficial to gut health.
Greater organoleptic complexity
(studies carried out by the University of Bologna):
The microbial biodiversity of sourdough improves the quality and quantity of metabolites, improving sensory properties.
Greater digestibility
(studies carried out by the University of Alberta, Canada):
The lactic acid bacteria in sourdough carry out a hydrolytic activity on flour peptides, releasing simple amino acids.
Longer shelf life
(studies carried out by the University of Bari):
The lactic acid bacteria in sourdough produce lactic acid and other antimicrobial compounds such as phenylacetic acid, a natural anti-mold.
— Our tasteful news —
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