Effectiveness of Leaning from Online Support Group - A sourdough banking experience
Speaking about self-learning from an online support group, I had an interesting discovery while learning how to bake recently. First of I have finally baked my first sourdough bread, it was pretty yummy if I may say so myself! It’s not a perfect loaf, there is still a lot to improve on, but I felt like I have made it passed the finishing line in a marathon. I have definitely underestimated how much time and effort it requires for someone with not much baking experience. So many things could go wrong in sourdough making starting with the starter. It took me 20 days to culture wild yeast starter from scratch and 15 hrs to make the sourdough! From 2 pm to 12 am, and then 8 am to 1 pm the next day, to make just one loaf!
Leaning the artisan baker’s traditional processing techniques to mix, ferment, shape and bake a handcrafted loaf of bread, is a time-consuming, somewhat stressful but very satisfying experience.
What is interesting about this learning experience is that I joined a support group instead of leaning alone, from a mentor, or attend a workshop like I usually do.
How effective can an online support group on Facebook be, was what I thought when I first joined The Sourdough Baking Singapore group. I was blown away! Each time I asked for help, I received about 5 to 10 replies stepping forward to my recuse within a few hours. Strangers are helping strangers, with no expectation of any returns. Either it is a Pay It Forward ideology or a passion for simply helping others, I felt supported, and it has made my learning experience a lot more enjoyable. Imagine this happens in every area of our lives? This experience reminds me of a quote I found 30 years ago “Give without remembering and take without forgetting” I look forward to a world where Pay It Forward is a norm and helping others who struggle is second nature.
Why so much effort on sourdough and why can’t I buy one at the shop? For those interested in nutrition and health, I had only just discovered that traditional sourdough fermentation uses wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria to break sugar in the dough making it easier to digest and less blood sugar spike.
“It has less gluten and its prebiotic- and probiotic-like properties may help improve digestion… It has higher levels of folate and antioxidants than other bread. Also, it’s lower phytate levels allow our body to absorb the nutrients more easily.” said Healthline Unfortunately, not all commercial sourdough go through the same process. Although sourdough is still a high GI processed carbs, it seems to be better than other commercial bread, so for me it is a treat once in a while.
