Unrefined, whole grain, naturally leavened (sourdough) breads are traditional staples of some of the longest lived populations on earth, enhancing their diets with fiber-rich prebiotics, proteins, and micro-nutrients. Sadly, as our modern food system was shaped by the industrialization of food production during the 20th century, wheat -- a building block of human civilization -- was sifted free of
its health benefits and bleached white to "sanitize" its appearance. There is nothing natural or nourishing about this process, whether enriched or not. In fact, refined "enriched" white flours have proliferated metabolic disease, and possibly dementias. No surprise our national life expectancy has been on the decline as it has, hand-in-hand with our departure from eating primarily whole, regionally harvested foods, cooked or fermented at home. The issue isn't whether or not whole grains are part of a balanced diet, because clearly they can be (unless you're truly allergic), it's whether or not the entire diet is a balanced mosaic of fresh, home-cooked food -- mostly plants -- and completely free of processed substitutes. We want to produce wholesome food which could be a staple of any household. We source most of our organic grains from our community, where it's stone ground nearby (or by us), and fermented right at the Batterson Alley Bakery. Currently, we are in the process of phasing out all non-valley, semi-refined flours. So here, in the San Luis Valley, you have access to old-world sourdough bread options, at prices often lower than chemically preserved, imitation "sourdough" breads found in the supermarket.
- Jake
Tumbleweed Bread Co-Operator
