A combination of the kefir sourdough starter and freshly milled wheat flour gives this sourdough bread recipe the perfect flavor. You’ll find this loaf slightly sour and incredibly soft. The best part is you don’t have to wait too long for the bread to ferment and rise. Within moments you can create a sourdough starter without all the hassle but all the familiar digestive benefits you know and love from traditional sourdough bread. Print out the recipe below!
Experimenting. That is the life of a blogger. I test out new techniques, learn new skills, create recipes and happily share the results with my friends and followers.
Kefir sourdough bread is just one of those experiments. You see, on our homestead we love fermented food. Sauerkraut, pickles, yogurt and of course, kefir. Every 24 hours a new jar of kefir has been cultured and is ready to be consumed. Occasionally I get a bit overwhelmed with the amount of kefir stored in my fridge — if you make kefir at home, you know what I’m talking about. In order to make the most out of the kefir we have, I often search for new ways to use the powerful cultured dairy product. Typically I use milk kefir fresh, cold and unheated to retain the most probiotics possible. But when I discovered I could make a quick sourdough starter by using kefir, I was hooked.
Quick Kefir Sourdough Bread Recipe
I am all for sourdough bread but I don’t like the idea of having to maintain a sourdough starter nor do I enjoy spending days on end preparing one loaf of bread. Since I already have kefir on hand, I figured I could use it as a leavening agent in my baked goods. A simple combination of flour and kefir created a sourdough starter in just 48 hours. No feeding or maintenance required. To make the sourdough bread even quicker, I simply added the starter to the dough as I would a sourdough discard. I mixed in the additional ingredients and within a few hours I had a flavorful loaf of bread with a mild sour tang and similar digestive benefits to traditional sourdough bread. That is a win-win in my book — delicious and gut healthy!
If you’re searching for a quick sourdough recipe or another healthy way to use milk kefir, give this kefir sourdough bread recipe a try. I’m certain you’ll enjoy it as much as we have.
How to Make a Quick Sourdough Starter
Can a sourdough starter be ready in 2 days? Yes! To create a quick sourdough starter simply add equal parts kefir and flour into a sealed glass jar. Within 48 hours, you will have a bubbly, active starter that can be used in a variety of baking recipes. This is an excellent way to get the delicious flavor and benefits of sourdough without having to maintain a starter. Jump below to learn how to use kefir as a sourdough starter.
How to Use Kefir as a Sourdough Starter
Have you ever wondered “can you make sourdough starter with kefir”? You sure can! Milk kefir is a fermented dairy product that contains an entire host of beneficial bacteria and probiotics as well as natural yeasts that can help kick start a sourdough starter.
Kefir Sourdough Starter Recipe
1 cup freshly milled hard wheat flour (white or red will work)
1 cup milk kefir
In a quart size glass jar, mix together the flour and kefir until no dry flour remains. Add a lid and seal tightly allowing the starter to sit at room temperature for 48 hours. The sourdough starter is ready to use when it is full of bubbles and has risen part way up the jar. Use in the bread recipe below or any of your other favorite sourdough recipes.
I typically use all of the kefir sourdough starter at once and recreate it when needed but if you’d like to continue using the starter, you will need to save a bit of the starter and feed it like you would a standard sourdough starter — with flour and water.
How Do You Use Kefir in Baking?
Besides using milk kefir as a sourdough kefir starter, you can use kefir in your baking to replace buttermilk, to soak your grains overnight (such as oats), to add a little lift to your pancakes, muffins and more. Kefir’s natural yeasts make a wonderful leavening agent for many baking recipes.
What are the Benefits of Fresh Milled Bread?
Bread made with freshly milled flour is packed full of nutrients that your body needs to thrive. By baking bread with fresh flour, your loaf will retain the highest amount of vitamins, minerals, natural oils and proteins along with fiber and enzymes that help with digestion. Now that is what I call a slice of life!
Why You’ll Love This Kefir Bread Recipe
- Gut healthy bread recipe
- Made with delicious, nourishing fresh milled flour
- Contains flaxseed which is full of fiber to help support a healthy digestive system
- The addition of a kefir sourdough culture makes the nutrients more bioavailable
- Incredibly flavorful with a familiar hint of sourdough taste
Kefir Sourdough Bread Recipe
Full of flavor with a mild sourdough tang, this kefir sourdough bread recipe is quick and easy to make. With the addition of yeast and the bubbly, active starter, your bread is certain to rise high and taste terrific!
Makes: 9 x 5 loaf
Ingredients
For Kefir Sourdough Starter
1 cup freshly milled hard wheat flour
1 cup kefir
For the Dough
3/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons kefir
1/3 cup oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 egg
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
4 cups freshly milled hard wheat flour
2 teaspoons yeast
Directions
For the Sourdough Kefir Starter: In a bowl, mix together the flour and kefir until combined. Transfer the sourdough starter to a quart size mason jar with a lid. Seal tightly and allow to sit at room temperature for 48 hours. As the starter ferments, it will rise to nearly double its size and become bubbly. Do not remove the lid at any time during the fermentation process.
For the Dough Recipe: In a mixing bowl, preferably a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the warm water, kefir, oil, honey, egg, salt plus the kefir sourdough starter. Add the ground flaxseed and 2 1/2 cups of flour until a wet batter forms. Sprinkle yeast overtop and mix to combine.
Switch to the dough hook and add the remaining flour. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Cover the bowl, place in a warm spot and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled.
On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into a loaf. Place in a greased 9 x 5 baking pan. Cover with a cloth and allow to rise for another 45 minutes, until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake in oven for 33-35 minutes until golden brown. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Carefully remove loaf from pan and place on to a cooling rack. Cool to room temperature before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Can You Do With Milk Kefir?
- Add kefir to smoothie recipes
- Make kefir eggnog
- Substitute cream for kefir in iced coffee
- Make kefir soda
- Add kefir into homemade dip recipes or salad dressings
- Use to make kefir ice cream or popsicles
- Mix kefir into no-bake dessert recipes
Does Cooking With Kefir Destroy the Probiotics?
High heat, usually above 110° F will destroy some of the beneficial bacteria, also known as probiotics in milk kefir. However, there are many other healthy nutrients in kefir that our body needs that will still be available even when heated or baked in a loaf of bread.
More From Scratch Recipes
Garlic Bread Recipe With Fresh Milled Flour
Kefir Sourdough Bread
A combination of the kefir sourdough starter and freshly milled wheat flour gives this sourdough bread recipe the perfect flavor. You’ll find this loaf slightly sour and incredibly soft. The best part is you don’t have to wait too long for the bread to ferment and rise. Within moments you can create a sourdough starter without all the hassle but all the familiar digestive benefits you know and love from traditional sourdough bread.
Ingredients
- For Kefir Sourdough Starter
- 1 cup freshly milled hard wheat flour
- 1 cup kefir
- For the Dough
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons kefir
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
- 4 cups freshly milled hard wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons yeast
Instructions
For the Sourdough Kefir Starter: In a bowl, mix together the flour and kefir until combined. Transfer the sourdough starter to a quart size mason jar with a lid. Seal tightly and allow to sit at room temperature for 48 hours. As the starter ferments, it will rise to nearly double its size and become bubbly. Do not remove the lid at any time during the fermentation process.
For the Dough Recipe: In a mixing bowl, preferably a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the warm water, kefir, oil, honey, egg, salt plus the kefir sourdough starter. Add the ground flaxseed and 2 1/2 cups of flour until a wet batter forms. Sprinkle yeast overtop and mix to combine.
Switch to the dough hook and add the remaining flour. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Cover the bowl, place in a warm spot and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled.
On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into a loaf. Place in a greased 9 x 5 baking pan. Cover with a cloth and allow to rise for another 45 minutes, until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake in oven for 33-35 minutes until golden brown. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Carefully remove loaf from pan and place on to a cooling rack. Cool to room temperature before serving.
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