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Most blogs start off with a bunch of information that, frankly, I don't usually read. If you'd like a few extra tips and trade secrets to bread baking, including links to tools that I highly recommend, read on after the recipe!
The sourdough starter is under way!! Both starters are being made with fresh ground whole wheat flour! One is with pineapple juice and one is just purified water. The pineapple juice is supposed to kill any harmful bacteria that could stall out the process. I have personally started sourdough with both methods, and can say that both are attainable by newbies.
I can already taste that delicious crunchy crust and that chewy inside of a good sourdough loaf… YUM!
Fall will be here soon and devouring a hearty soup with sourdough is a favorite around here!
I have also been missing the art that I can do with it… my favorites being carving YHWH into the top with some wheat sprigs on an oval loaf, or a beautiful rose on a round loaf…
But my love for bread baking began long before I learned the Truth about the Bread of Life!
About 8 years ago I started reading the Bible for myself… and the things I read not only blew me away, but left me with a lot of questions… One such question was, “Why did Abba talk about bread so much?” He spoke to me and said, “Why don’t you start baking bread and find out?”
"Good idea"!, I replied.
So… I started making bread!
I started using regular white flour bought from the store with active yeast and soon my loaves were turning out beautifully. I eventually got the hang of how the dough should feel and just the right time to let it rise… pizza with fresh dough cannot compare to boxes or fast food… even with the store bought flour, there’s something so satisfying about homemade crusts.
As my hands-on education in bread baking continued, I began realizing that my friends who had gluten issues couldn’t eat it. How disappointing!! It caused all kinds of issues and I started thinking… "How can Yahusha (Jesus) be the Bread of Life, if people literally cannot eat it? If He’s also The Healer… WHY does it make ANYBODY sick?"
I had recently began keeping the Feasts found in the Bible that Yahusha (Jesus) kept, and found that one of them was called, “The Feast of Unleavened Bread”. During this time, I was listening to the Word on YouTube and had stumbled on a passage in Matthew 16:5-12:
"When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.” Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
My ears perked up… could it be that there is a spiritual aspect to this Bread that I’m missing? Abba said… “What is leaven?”. I said, “I don’t know…” He nudged me to continue digging... and there it was:
Matthew 16:12: "Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the 👉🏼doctrine👈🏼 of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
Out of Yahusha's own mouth, "DOCTRINE" is the leaven. This makes sense, because you can remove the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees... and replace it with Abba's doctrine instead. Sin, however, which is the common misunderstanding of what leaven represents... is always just going to be sin... and, fair warning, we best not be taking it upon ourselves to allow it back in after a feast.
Now, how much more sense does it make that during the week of Unleavened Bread, we remove false doctrine and replace it with the True doctrine of the Word... This is the whole point of The Feast, after all!!
I'll let you chew on all that in your own time... But I hope this gets you thinking about what it means to let go of the doctrine of men and replace it with Abba's doctrine instead, as Yahusha (Jesus) came to do ONLY the Will of the Father who sent Him. I'll have a little more on that later...
Back to the research...
I eventually stumbled on what I thought was the answer to my, "What is Bread of Life" question... SOURDOUGH!
Sourdough leaven contains bacteria that consumes certain aspects of the grain, which in turn releases the gas that lifts and fills out the bread. (Some studies show it even removes toxins and chemicals!) There's a lot of technical information about how the leavening all works, and I'll spare you the in depth details - however, if you'd like more information on that, you can visit this link.
Basically, without leaven of some kind, a normal bread loaf is much more heavy and not at all recognizable to what we refer to as "bread" in the grocery store. Still delicious... just heavier! (Most mistakes are yummy, too!)
After learning about the amazing benefits and even gut health that sourdough provides, along with the physical qualities and benefits of natural leaven, (read more on that here) I attempted my first sourdough starter. To my amazement and delight, it turned out!
So, I began making Sourdough bread... and there was a learning curve... There are so many variables to getting just the right water/rise time/leaven... while temperature/humidity of the proofing space can also play a big role. Spring sourdough is going to react differently than winter sourdough.
While this may seem overwhelming, don't let this stop you from trying and practicing until you get it down. YOU CAN DO THIS!
Sadly, though, my quest for sourdough being "The Bread of Life" referenced in the Word failed. My gluten intolerant friends and family still couldn't eat it without issues. My disappointment was audible as I prayed repeatedly over the next few years to know what He was talking about when He said,
"I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." John 6:35
The blessing of understanding came to me in the spring of 2021... about 3 days before the Feast of Unleavened Bread! I still get excited every time I think of the blessing of His timing in this.
I stumbled upon a video on Nathan Reynold's Youtube channel called: Sue Becker: Bread of Life.
I watched that video and I remember crying tears of absolute elation... and to think, The Feast of Unleavened Bread was coming up in just a few days!! I shared the video with my brother, and his mind was blown, too! I had no way to purchase a mill, nor any idea where to purchase grain... but we had the information!
"ABBA, THANK YOU!!! AND HELP US BE ABLE TO EAT YOUR REAL BREAD!!!", I must have pleaded with Him 100 times in that next few days.
The first day of the feast rolled around, and when I walked in the door of my brother's house, he had unleavened bread stacked on a plate. To my absolute amazement and everlasting gratitude to Abba, my brother had been given several cans of whole wheat grain, and he and his wife just happened to own a blender that would grind the wheat!!
It was not ground finely, but I still remember the first bite... I was finally eating REAL BREAD OF LIFE... and it was medicine to my body and soul!!
After learning about the bread, I wouldn't shut up about it to ANYONE! Sharing Sue Becker's video became an obsession. EVERYONE needed to know that Bread of Life is REAL! Sadly, not many people would take time to watch the video, and I was both disappointed and perplexed. Abba did bless me by helping us to get a hand grinder and I was making several loaves a day for our family and others! Eventually, Abba showed the right people her video, and when they found out they thanked me for sharing by providing me with an electric grinder! HalleluYAH! What a blessing THAT was!!
This testimony reminds me so much of the scripture in Jeremiah 29:13 where Abba says:
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."
No doubt He is a Father that keeps His Word. I just kept asking over a period of about 3 1/2 years. I don't know how many times I actually asked Him what the Bread of Life really was... But I'm sure glad that He answered!
I can't think of anything better (or more beneficial) than sourdough bread made from fresh ground grains! And to be able to make it with no yeast purchased from any store, just using fresh ground wheat, water and salt is such a blessing!
At the beginning of this year, Abba inspired me to make a video that I hoped would help further share the information. You can watch it here:
If you don't have an hour to watch the full length video, you can check out the shortened version here:
Whatever you do... don't be intimidated by sourdough! Israel literally made it while roaming in the desert... Yours might not be perfect at first... but you can definitely do this!
Subscribe for more articles, recipes and information on grinding your own wheat, and eating your own food, from field to table. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to ask. Please forward to anyone you believe would be interested in trying this recipe.
Until next time, keep on providing Life for your family, one meal at a time!
Angela Hope,
Bread of Life Bakery & Blog
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