100% sourdough rye bread in Japan

100% Sourdough rye bread in Japan ? or the hunt for doitsupan

As a foreigner in Japan, one is amazed by the variety, the supreme quality, the aesthetic presentation and the myriads of flavours of Japanese dishes. You can easily fall in love with them from the very first bite.

However, especially as a German foreigner in Japan, one is soon confronted with the fact that getting healthy, wholesome artisan bread, without any preservatives or other artificial ingredients and containing sourdough, whole wheat or rye as its main ingredients, resembles more the hunt for the proverbial needle in the haystack, than a leisurely stroll to your bakery around the corner. If you are looking for good bread, Kobe seems to be the place to go to in Japan, however, even there, I have never found a 100% sourdough rye bread.

O.k. let's face it, we Germans go really nuts with our bread, especially the healthy, whole wheat, rye, sourdough kind of bread. And there is no shame, here in Japan, in having a slice of 'shocku-pan' instead of a wholesome artisan German bread from time to time. However, a good round of real 100% sourdough rye bread once in a while makes all the difference in the world - respectively in Japan.

Once your craving for good German bread is satisfied ? when you lean back in your chair with an undisguised sourdough-rye-bread-grin on your face - you can start dreaming again of your next meal, of sushi, okonomiyaki & co. - welcome back to Japan!

Sourdough rye bread, Sour dough!?

Do I want my bread to be made out of a sour dough!? At first glance that doesn't sound right! But let's have a quick look at all the other sour food that we love so much. Above all, of course, yogurt, with its living cultures and all its healthy benefits for our body, accompanied by that great special taste that makes us come back for more. And there are cheeses, vinegars, pickles ? you get the picture. Bottom line: Sour is not only good for you, it also broadens your culinary horizon quite substantially!

But don't worry! When first opening your heart and wallet, then, later on, your mouth to a 100% sourdough rye bread experience, exposing your taste buds to something wonderful new, you wont really get a sour bread. It just means, that this special German bread is made without baker's yeast or industrial yeast, but with a naturally occurring kind of yeast - the sourdough. A living food, biologically diverse a n d unbelievably tasty.

And yes, last but not least ? in comparison to normal white bread or whole wheat bread ? it has unmistakably acidic traces that make the real 100% sourdough rye bread so unmatched and recognizable! The Japanese have a word for this kind of comforting, satisfying taste: Umamai. Though the English term savory comes quite close, it can't do it justice, you simply have to dig in yourself.

Even the seemingly boring process of cutting a loaf of bread becomes way more interesting. "Wow, come on, hold your horses now" you might think. Do me a favour and try this:

Cut your 100% sourdough rye bread for the first time. Before any further slicing or creating a BLT-sandwich extraordinaire, simply put, before any further processing:

SMELL IT!!! TAKE IN THE FRAGRANCE WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED!!!

It hits your olfactory sense instantaneously - the savory, appetizing, slight tang of the sourdough and the distinct dark and rich flavour of the grainy, healthy, fiber- & mineral-rich rye, well rounded only by a splash of soft filtered water and a pinch of sea salt ? a marriage made in bread-heaven.

100% sourdough rye bread in Japan ? a bread with substance

Not only does it taste good, 100% sourdough rye bread gives you more than just a big bite of natural goodness! Just have a slice or two in the morning. Put some butter on it or/and some ham and cheese or ? for those with a sweet tooth - some honey or dark, rich jam. Enjoy all this with a good cup of coffee or tea, and ? to kick start your day healthy and fresh, with a glass of orange juice beforehand.

You will see, that, not only did you just have a delicious and wholesome breakfast, but that this German bread feast WILL LAST! No hungry, growling stomach after an hour or two. It goes without saying, that this refers rather to you and me - the average Joe -, than to a Yokozuna in his prime.

100% sourdough rye bread in Japan ? a friend for people with special needs:

a) Diabetes: The low GI (Glycemic Index ? a value, that tells you how rapidly a particular carbohydrate turns into sugar) combined with the low GL (Glycemic Load ? a value, that tells you how many carbohydrates are in one portion) of rye and sourdough makes a 100% sourdough rye bread the perfect choice of bread for people with risk of diabetes 2. Those with weight problems also will appreciate the slow production of sugar. You feel fuller, more satisfied and you don't get hungry so often.

Unlike refined wheat flour ? with one of the highest GIs and GLs known to mankind - rye and sourdough transform their carbohydrates slowly into sugars and slowly release them into the blood stream. So, in comparison to refined wheat products (i.e. 'schoku-pan') - with their sugar rushes and sugar spikes ? 100% sourdough rye bread, as well as our 6-seeds/nuts bread and our grey bread provide a far safer and healthier way to eat bread, not to mention the natural, delicious taste, of course.

b) Wheat Allergy: Beforehand: Wheat is sometimes confused with gluten. If you are gluten-intolerant, then you have to stay away from ALL breads that contain glutened grains! However, if you are just on a low-gluten-diet, a 100% sourdough rye bread is definitely more advisable than a non-sourdough bread, cause sourdough, during fermentation, breaks down some of the gluten and therefore helps to reduce the gluten-ratio in the bread.

Now, here is the (main) good news of this paragraph: If you have a wheat allergy, our 100% sourdough rye bread is the perfect choice for you, cause it contains nothing but rye, water and salt. Especially here in Japan, where almost all breads contain wheat, f I n a l l y a possibility for people who suffer from wheat allergy TO ENJOY BREAD!!!

c) Yeast Allergy: Important: If in doubt of yeast allergy- or sensitivity-problems, please consult your doctor beforehand!!!

Yeasts are a form of fungi. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the yeast most often used for baking and brewing beer. Some people have a sensitivity to yeasts, either due to the histamine content of foods that yeasts grow in, or to the yeasts themselves.

As sourdough is considered a naturally occurring yeast, and as all pure sourdough breads that do not contain ANY normal baker's yeast or industrial yeast, sourdough bread - like our 100% sourdough rye bread ? is the most advisable choice of bread for people with yeast allergy or yeast sensitivity (again: if in doubt, ask your GP to give you a check up and to advise you). For yeast allergy sufferers here in Japan a chance to enjoy healthy and delicious German bread.

So, finally, what exactly is this mysterious, omnipotent sourdough!?

Sourdough, simply spoken, consists of nothing else than rye flour, water and a hard days work. Over a period of about 16?20 hours the starter ? a saved portion of the previous sourdough - gets 'fed' (mixed) with rye flour and water in three different steps at three different room temperatures into three different textures, producing different acidic and lactic components, developing biological cultures ? just like yogurt!

In the end, when the third and last step of the sourdough process is completed, then finally you can shout out:" IT'S ALIVE!!!"

Now the sourdough has risen and is bubbling and bursting with life and it is more than ready to be incorporated into a delicious 100% sourdough rye bread. Together with a big heap of some more rye flour, a splash of pure filtered water and a pinch or two of sea salt, that's all a 100% sourdough rye bread really needs.

Speaking of which: In Japan, there are nowadays quite a couple of breads on the market, labeled 'rye-bread'. They all have traces of rye in it, some even around 10-20%, and if you are really lucky you might even get one with app. 40%. The main point is: In any bread, that contains over 60% rye flour, sourdough has to be incorporated. At this high ratio normal yeast alone won't do it anymore.

By the way, a real good sourdough bread doesn't even need the help of any normal baker's yeast or industrial yeast anymore. Cultivated over many years ? sometimes centuries ? a good sourdough is easily strong enough to deal with any high-rye-ratio bread. Our own sourdough ? constantly reproduced, again and again ? has already numerous years of cultivation on his back. It has grown into a strong, lively and unbelievable tasty component for our 100% sourdough rye bread, which, needless to say, does not need the help of normal yeast anymore - German bread at its finest.