For Christmas, a dear friend gave me a bread starter with a DVD to explain how it works. This starter uses the natural microorganisms in the air to help the bread to rise. It also helps to break down the flour and gluten into a more digestible format for your body. (Which is why she gave it to me. I have been having a lot of problems eating bread lately and she hoped it would help.)
I made up a batch and everyone seemed to love it. (I didn’t even get sick from it!!!) But after a few times of making it, my husband commented on how it sat heavy in his stomach. (I think it’s because it is 100% whole wheat, plus his stomach is so extra sensitive.) He didn’t think I should keep putting so much work into it. And yes, it does take time. I started having my doubts about keeping it up until an analogy came to my mind. I have been reading this book called “Gospel Symbolism”. This bread is the same kind of bread they have been making way “back then” as my son calls it. It is how they used to leaven their bread before all of this commercial yeast came along. As I was kneading the dough this came to me.
The Lord constantly used symbolic reminders to the Israelites, that if spiritually in tune, would lead them to Him. He said, “I am the bread of life.”
To be able to have this bread, you must feed the starter at least everyday. I liken this to feeding your testimony everyday. (Your bread starter will not work if you feed it once a week on Sundays.) To feed it, you mix a half cup of whole wheat flour with a half cup of pure water, (no chlorine). Then stir it together.
To keep your starter pure, every time you feed your bread, you must wash out your glass jar to make sure no unwanted stuff grows in your starter. I liken this as: you are the jar. You must keep yourself clean and pure to help this testimony grow strong and pure inside of you.
100% whole wheat flour is used to feed the bread. And the best form of whole wheat four is freshly ground wheat. It has more vitamins and nutrients for the microorganisms to grow in. The healthier and stronger you want your testimony, the more you must seek out the best form of the gospel. (The scriptures and especially our current prophets words.)
Caring for this starter yields about two loaves of bread every 3-4 days. If your family needs more then that, you can feed the bread up to every 6 hours. The more you want your testimony to grow, the more you must feed it and take extra care of it.
This bread starter can be passed along from generation to generation as long as you care for it properly, just like you can pass along your testimony of the gospel to your kids, and as they grow, they can pass it along to theirs.
Just as a note, the recipe for one loaf of bread is . . .
1 cup of bread starter
1 cup of water
1 tsp of sea salt
3 cups of whole wheat flour. (If you use a little less, the loaf tends to me a little more fluffy and soft. But it also makes it hard to form the bread loaf when it keeps sticking to your hands.)
Also, I don’t necessarily like the taste of sour dough, so I add a few extra ingredients to make it taste good.
1/4 cup of Honey
2 TBS of cooking oil.
Through this process, you end up with a very delicious, very filling, and very nutritious loaf of bread.
As these symbolisms came to my mind, I determined to keep making this bread, for myself, for my kids, and for a great reminder to always remember this lesson of “the bread of life.” (And because it’s the only bread I can really eat.)
