What does Natural Leavening mean?

Naturally leavened. Sourdough. Levain.

There are a lot of terms used to describe breads that are risen without the use of commercial yeasts (you know- the little packets that say Yeast!) Many people know this product as the little granules that create gas to give bread it’s fluffy rise. And that’s true! But it is not the only way for dough to rise.

I’m no expert on the many ways bread has historically been made, but I do know that breadmaking cultures throughout history have often helped the bread rise by saving a piece of one day’s dough to start the next days bread. What baker’s 500, 700, even a thousand years ago wouldn’t have known, is that they were using yeast, just strains that existed in the air and on the grains naturally.

My weekly bake begins by feeding the starter - giving flour and water to the colony of millions of yeasts and lactobacillus (good bacteria) that live in a jar on my counter. Those organisms digest starches found in wheat flour and release carbon dioxide and ethanol which get trapped as air bubbles in the dough! The lactobacillus in particular prevents spoiling and mold growth - the reason why this bread lasts longer on the counter than commercial bread.

So why call all of this Natural Leavening instead of just sourdough? After all, it’s the same fermentation process! Well, I’ve heard for years from friends and bread customers that “sourdough” is too sour for them. The association with San Francisco Sourdough goes back a long way and is linked with a much stronger, vinegar-y sour taste than my bread has. The long tradition of natural fermentation can have a wide range of flavors. The long, slow process I use typically produces more of a sweet, yogurt-y taste. But lots of folks know the term sourdough and that totally applies to my bread too! Feel free to call it what you prefer.

In addition to the long shelf life and wonderful taste, there is also exciting research that naturally leavened bread is extremely healthy as well. Those little organisms I lovingly feed seem to make many of the nutrients in grains easier for our bodies to digest. If you want to nerd out about how sourdough bread supports human health, check out this deep dive into the current research.

Many people, myself included, anecdotally feel that naturally leavened bread is easier for their bodies to digest, and while the ongoing research seems to support that, I also believe that knowing that this is the method bread has been made and sustained life for thousands of years also tells us just as much about the important role this fermentation method plays in our lives.