Desem facts for kids
| Type | Pre-ferment and bread |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Flour (whole wheat, spelt, amaranth or kamut) |
Desem (pronounced DAY-zum) is a special type of sourdough starter. It's used to make delicious and healthy bread. The word "desem" comes from Dutch and means "leaven," which is something that makes bread rise. This starter is unique because it's made from whole wheat flour, spelt flour, or other whole grain flours like kamut, mixed with water. It's a bit like a traditional French bread starter, but it makes bread that isn't too sour.
Desem starter is traditionally used in Belgium. It helps make bread that is full of nutrients. The starter grows in a bed of flour at cool temperatures. This helps it get strong enough to make bread rise. It gets its power from natural organisms already in the whole wheat flour. This means it works best with organic grains and water without chlorine. Desem starter can be even stronger than other sourdough starters.
The word "desem" also describes the bread made with this starter. Desem bread made with a good starter rises well. It has a light texture and a nutty taste. When made correctly, desem bread is not very sour compared to other sourdough breads. It's similar to French "pain au levain" but uses whole wheat flour. Desem bread is known as a "leavened" bread, not a "yeasted" bread. It stays fresh for a while and is easy to digest.
Desem bread is very popular in the natural foods community. A vegetarian cookbook author named Laurel Robertson helped make it well-known.
How Desem is Made
The Starter
Making a desem starter is a bit different from other sourdough starters. Regular sourdough starters are exposed to the air. But a desem starter grows in a bed of flour. This means a ball of dough is surrounded by about 3-4 inches of flour. This keeps it protected.
Keeping the flour cool (around 10-18°C or 50-65°F) is important. This is especially true when you first start the desem. Higher temperatures can make the starter too sour. While starting a desem can be tricky, keeping it alive can be easier than liquid sourdough starters.
You can feed the starter daily and bake bread once a week. This is a common way to keep it healthy. But you can also feed it weekly or even freeze it for later use.
Baking Desem Bread
The ways to make desem bread are similar to making other sourdough breads. However, desem can have its own special challenges. The goal is to get a strong rise and a light texture. The nutty flavor is also a key part of desem bread.
