Desem (pronounced DAY-zum) (Dutch for "
leaven
In cooking, a leavening agent () or raising agent, also called a leaven () or leavener, is any one of a number of substances used in doughs and batters that cause a foaming action (gas bubbles) that lightens and softens the mixture. An alte ...
") is both a type of
sourdough
Sourdough or sourdough bread is a bread made by the fermentation of dough using wild lactobacillaceae and yeast. Lactic acid from fermentation imparts a sour taste and improves keeping qualities.
History
In the ''Encyclopedia of Food Microbi ...
starter made from
whole wheat flour,
spelt
Spelt (''Triticum spelta''), also known as dinkel wheat or hulled wheat, is a species of wheat that has been cultivated since approximately 5000 BC.
Spelt was an important staple food in parts of Europe from the Bronze Age to medieval times. ...
flour or other flours (such as
kamut
Khorasan wheat or Oriental wheat (''Triticum turgidum'' ssp. ''turanicum'' also called ''Triticum turanicum''), commercially known as Kamut, is a tetraploid wheat species. The grain is twice the size of modern-day wheat, and has a rich, nutty ...
,
durum
Durum wheat (), also called pasta wheat or macaroni wheat (''Triticum durum'' or ''Triticum turgidum'' subsp. ''durum''), is a tetraploid species of wheat. It is the second most cultivated species of wheat after common wheat, although it repres ...
and
tritordeum
Tritordeum is a hybrid crop, obtained by crossing durum wheat with the wild barley ''Hordeum chilense''. It has less gliadin (gluten) than wheat, but still performs well in breads, both in terms of dough rising and texture qualities, and in taste ...
) and
water
Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as ...
, and the resulting bread. Desem bread is essentially a 100% whole grain pain au levain, done in the old French way for those who do not prefer their bread sour.
Desem starter is traditionally used in
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
to make healthy, nutrient-rich
bread. The starter is grown in a bed of flour at cool temperatures until it reaches sufficient maturity. The starter is not exposed to outside bacteria and yeasts, but achieves its leavening power from organisms present in the whole wheat flour itself. For this reason, desem starter is best made with grains free of chemicals (i.e. organically grown without herbicides, pesticides or dessicants) and water that does not contain chlorine or fluoride. The leavening power of desem starter may be stronger than that of typical sourdough starters.
The term "desem" also describes the loaf made with this starter. Desem bread made from a mature desem is characterized by a strong rise, and a light texture, with a nutty taste. When made properly desem bread is not all that sour compared to rustic sourdough breads. The loaf is similar in process to the French "pain au levain", but made with
whole wheat flour
Whole-wheat flour (in the US) or wholemeal flour (in the UK) is a powdery substance, a basic food ingredient, derived by grinding or mashing the whole grain of wheat, also known as the wheatberry. Whole-wheat flour is used in baking of breads ...
and starter instead of white flour. Desem bread is considered to be a "leavened" bread, rather than a "yeasted" bread. It keeps well and digests comfortably.
Desem bread has a strong following in the natural foods community, where it was largely popularized by
vegetarian
Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat ( red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter.
Vegetaria ...
cookbook author
Laurel Robertson.
Preparation
Starter
Unlike
sourdough starters which are exposed to outside air, the desem starter is grown in a bed of flour (3-4 inches of flour surrounding the ball of dough made from fresh wheat flour and pure water). Keeping the flour cool (approx. 50-65°F, or 10-18°C) during the initial incubation period is important as higher temperatures may make the desem starter sour. The cool incubation environment is particularly important for desem. While getting a desem starter (a dough starter) going the first time can be challenging, keeping it going can be easier than sourdough starters (liquid starters).
Feeding the starter daily and baking bread once per week is the standard method of keeping the desem starter happy and thriving but feeding it weekly or freezing it for later are viable options.
Methods and Baking
The techniques for making desem bread are similar to the techniques used for sourdough breads, but present unique challenges.
Qualities affecting health
Fully fermented sourdough breads may be more digestible for those with gluten sensitivity,
but more research is needed.
References
*''Good Food: The Complete Guide to Eating Well'', Margaret Wittenberg. 1995. p93.
*
*''The
Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book: A Guide to Whole-Grain Breadmaking'' 2ed, Random House, 2003, .
External links
Making desem breadDesem Making Primer: a-z
{{Bread
Sourdough breads
Leavening agents
Dutch words and phrases