Bread, Blood Sugar & Roots. Why I Started Baking Sourdough

In many Latin American homes, coffee isn’t coffee without bread. Whether it’s a soft roll in the morning or a sweet piece of pan dulce in the afternoon, pan y café is a rhythm of life. So when both of my parents were diagnosed with diabetes later in life, asking them to give up bread wasn’t just a dietary change—it was a cultural loss.

I didn’t want to just take something away. I wanted to find something better. So I started baking bread.

Why Sourdough?

In my search, I found sourdough. Real sourdough—not the supermarket kind. Made slowly, fermented naturally, and easier for our bodies to digest. Lower in glycemic impact. No preservatives. Rich in flavor. It felt like something old and new all at once.

And then I learned: sourdough has deep roots in Latin America too. Before packaged yeast, many of our abuelas and bisabuelas used wild fermentation to bake. Across the Americas, we’ve been fermenting masa, grains, and doughs for generations.

It was more than a solution—it was a reconnection.

Health and Heritage

Diabetes is a growing crisis in the U.S., especially in Latino communities. We live in a country addicted to sugar, and it's hurting us. But the answer isn't just restriction. It's remembering our roots—our traditional ways of eating that were full of whole foods, fermented grains, and balance.

That’s what I want to bring back with every loaf I bake. Bread that honors our past, and nourishes our future.

Want to Bake Your Own? Meet La Madre

If you’re ready to bake your own sourdough at home, we’ve got you. You can now order our dehydrated sourdough starter, lovingly named La Madre, right from our online shop.

In Spanish, sourdough is called masa madre—mother dough. She’s the heart of every sourdough loaf I make, and now you can start your own tradition with her, too. Each starter kit comes with instructions, a mason jar, and a few sweet touches to help you get started.

My Country Loaf Sourdough Bread Recipe

This is the very recipe I use for the loaves I bake for my family—and now for my community. It’s simple, nourishing, and packed with flavor. Perfect with a morning cafecito.

Ingredients:

• 500g flour (2/3 bread flour, 1/3 all-purpose flour)

• 325g water

• 200g active sourdough starter

• 20g olive oil

• 20g honey

• 10g salt

Instructions:

1. Mix Ingredients
   In a large bowl, combine the water, olive oil, honey, and sourdough starter. Mix well. Add the flour and salt, and mix until fully combined.

2. Stretch and Fold
   Let the dough rest for 1 hour. Then perform stretch-and-folds every 30 minutes for the next 2 hours (4 sets total).

3. Bulk Fermentation
   Allow the dough to rise at room temperature until it has grown 30–50% in volume.

4. Pre-shape & Rest
   Gently pre-shape your dough and let it rest for 20 minutes.

5. Final Shape & Cold Proof
   Shape the dough, place it in a proofing basket or bowl, and refrigerate for at least 9 hours or overnight.

6. Preheat Oven
   Preheat your oven with a Dutch oven inside to 500°F (260°C) for 1 hour.

7. Bake
   Score the dough, place it into the hot Dutch oven, reduce the oven to 450°F (232°C), and bake with the lid on for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 20 minutes or until internal temp reaches 205°F+.

8. Cool
   Let your loaf cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. Trust me—it’s worth the wait.

I’m so honored to share this bread with you. If you’re local, you can preorder a loaf and pick it up at our farmers markets. And if you’re baking at home, I hope this recipe brings a little bit of comfort, care, and culture into your kitchen.

Café con pan forever.
— Erika