For the most part of the year 2017 I was on a diet without milk and bread because I found out I feel more comfortable without these two foods (apparently I have mild lactose intolerance and sensitivity to gluten). But after educating myself about fermented food and than preparing some of it at home, I’ve put them back on the table. Turns out kefir and sourdough bread don’t make me feel uncomfortable.

Kefir is a beverage you get from milk, which has been fermented with the help of kefir grains at room temperature for a day or two. Kefir grains are live culture, mix of beneficial bacteria and yeasts that feed off sugar in milk – lactose. That’s why kefir is a good option even for lactose intolerant people. Kefir is also a highly probiotic drink, more than a yoghurt and easy to prepare.

I already wrote an article about sourdough bread, how I made it. I have also mentioned the reason why it doesn’t make me uncomfortable. It’s because bacteria and yeasts in dough also break gluten apart during it’s long fermentation/rising time (it’s still not suited for people with celiac disease though).

These foods take long time to prepare, but 98% of work do bacteria and yeasts while bottle of milk/dough is just sitting on a kitchen counter. After you get the hang of the process, you can arrange it your way, so it fits your busy schedule. I’ll admit the learning wasn’t as smooth and quick as I’d like but I learned to enjoy the process and the result is so rewarding. Also the process teaches you to be patient which is a good life virtue to have.

I’ll be so definitely consuming kefir and sourdough bread more in 2018. I even come across recipes which use kefir as a sourdough starter and this looks like an intriguing idea to try.