Sourdough Life-changing Bread

Anja
by Anja
1 loaf
55 min
I am taking the fabulous, healthy life changing bread recipe to the next level by making a sourdough version and a whey fermented version.

Most of the time, we enjoy baking and eating my European-style sourdough whole grain bread.


Every so often, I like to mix things up, though!


Some years ago, a friend brought a loaf of the life changing bread over for brunch. Even though it contains no wheat it had all the characteristics of a good German whole grain bread.



So I thought I would take this life changing loaf of bread to the next level by making a sourdough version and whey fermented version.


This post is a collaboration with some of my blogging friends. Please check out their delicious recipes at the end of this post – and who knows? Maybe you’ll find your new favorite sourdough recipe!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.


Why make a sourdough or whey fermented bread?


This life changing loaf of bread is fabulous as it is.


The recipe creator Sarah Britton lets everything soak for 2-8 hours.


Sally Fallon in “ Nourishing Traditions” (one of my favorite cookbooks!!!) says that “Ideally, nuts and seeds should be soaked or partially sprouted before eaten. This is because nuts contain numerous enzyme inhibitors that can put a real strain on the digestive mechanism if consumed in excess. Nuts are easier to digest, and their nutrients more readily available if they are first soaked in salt water overnight […]”.


Therefore, once you add lactic acid fermentation of sourdough or whey to the mix, you can make this life changing bread even more healthy.

What you need for the sourdough life changing bread version


For the sourdough life changing bread version you will need about ¾ cup of an active starter. If you don’t have one yet, you can follow my fool-proof method and create your own. Furthermore, you can learn my super easy way to keep it without daily feedings or discards. I will talk about the remaining ingredients below.


Many people enjoy the life changing bread since, if you’re making it with gluten-free rolled oats, it contains no gluten. Interestingly enough, many gluten-sensitive people have no problem digesting truly fermented sourdough bread. In this recipe, we will only add ¾ cup of grain-based sourdough starter.

If you like the idea of fermenting this bread but really want to stay away from gluten, then the next version might be for you:


What you need for the whey fermented life changing bread version


Now for this variation, we are simply swapping the water in the original recipe for 1 ½ cups of whey.


What’s the simplest way to make whey, you might ask? By turning regular yogurt into Greek yogurt. Simply place it into a cheese cloth and collect the whey underneath.


I often make quark from buttermilk and get a lot of whey from that. This recipe is the perfect use for that.

The ingredients of the sourdough life changing bread


Psyllium husks: they are the only ingredient you cannot omit from this recipe. They are inexpensive and easily available online.


Nuts and seeds: here you have more flexibility. I like to use a mix of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, and walnuts. However, you can easily tweak the amounts or types of nuts and seeds you use.


Coconut oil: the original recipe calls for this tropical oil and I actually like its taste. I bet you could use any neutral oil (such as avocado oil or ghee) and probably even butter.


Seasonings: I do like to add the salt as it really brings out all the flavors. The sweetener on the other hand I like to leave out. If you do like that hint of sweetness you could add maple syrup, honey, agave syrup, or stevia, for instance.

My life changing bread recipe


For this post I am using:


  1. ¾ cup sunflower seeds
  2. ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
  3. ½ cup whole flax seeds
  4. ½ cup walnuts
  5. 1 ½ cups rolled oats
  6. 2 TBSP chia seeds
  7. 4 TBSP psyllium husks
  8. 1 tsp sea salt
  9. 3 TBSP melted coconut oil
  10. for the sourdough version: ¾ cup of ripe sourdough starter and ½ to 1 cup of water OR
  11. for the whey version: 1 ½ cups of whey


Simply mix all the ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl. At this point, you can either let the dough sit covered for a bit or transfer it to the loaf pan right away. Some people like using a silicon loaf pan (which I don’t have) so I line my glass or stainless-steel loaf pans with parchment paper.


Ideally, you want to let your bread sit for at least 2 hours but longer (up to 8 hours) is better.

When ready, place the bread into a 350˚F hot oven for 20 minutes. Then, I take the bread out of the loaf pan by the parchment paper and with the parchment paper return it to the oven for another 20 minutes. You can check it for readiness now: if you gently tap the bottom with your knuckle, it should make a hollow sound. Most often, it is not quite ready so I’ll take it off the parchment paper and return it to the oven for another 10-20 minutes.


When fully baked, let it cool on a cooling rack. It is so delicious that you’ll probably want to eat it all in one sitting … However, you can slice the entire bread and freeze it, only taking out a slice at a time and thaw it in the toaster. Even though I am not a fan of plastic, I usually put it into a plastic bag and keep it in the refrigerator. Enjoy!!


Shop this post:


Nourishing Traditions Cookbook: https://amzn.to/2OzZr3i


Psyllium Seeds: https://amzn.to/2OUHWKQ


Stainless steel loaf pan: https://amzn.to/38MpPOa


Parchment paper: https://amzn.to/3eJafqA

  1. Sourdough Cinnamon Crunch Scones


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3. Sourdough Irish Soda Bread


4. Herbed Sourdough Pan Rolls


5. Sourdough Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting


6. Hearty Sourdough Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Bake


7. Cast Iron Texas Dewberry Focaccia


8. Sourdough Apricot Fritters


9. Vegan Spiced Sourdough Waffles


10. Chewy Double Chocolate Sourdough Discard Cookies


11. Sourdough Pretzels


12. Sourdough Parmesan Bread Sticks


13. Spiced Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread Twist


14. The Perfect Sourdough Pancake Recipe


15. Biscuits Without Baking Powder


16. Sourdough Pizza Crust


Have you tried the life changing bread? Let me know in the comments below!


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Sourdough Life-changing Bread
Recipe details
  • 1  loaf
  • Prep time: 15 Minutes Cook time: 40 Minutes Total time: 55 min
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Ingredients

  • ¾ cup sunflower seeds
  • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
  • ½ cup walnuts
  • 1 ½ cups rolled oats
  • 2 TBSP chia seeds
  • 4 TBSP psyllium husks
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 TBSP coconut oil, melted
  • 3/4 cup sourdough starter PLUS ½ – 1 cup of water (for the sourdough version) OR
  • 1 ½ cups whey (for the whey version, if not using sourdough)
Instructions

In a medium mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients together (with either sourdough OR whey).
Let sit for up to 2 hours. If the dough is really stiff, gradually add a bit more water or whey.
Line a small loaf pan with parchment paper and add all the dough, gently pressing it into the loaf pan and smoothing out the top. Let sit for another 2 – 6 hours.
Bake the bread in a 350˚F hot oven for 20 mins.
Remove the bread from the oven and by the parchment paper, lift the bread out of the loaf pan. Return the bread to the oven with the parchment paper and bake for 20 mins.
Remove bread from oven. Return to the oven without the parchment paper for another 10-20 mins or until the bread makes a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom.
When fully baked, let the bread cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!
Anja
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Comments
  • Paula Paula on May 10, 2021

    This recipe sounds delicious. However , can it be made with yeast instead of sourdough starter? If so how much yeast is needed?

    • See 1 previous
    • Paula Paula on May 11, 2021

      Thank you, that really helps.

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