Desem

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Desem is a kind of sourdough starter and the bread made with it. It uses whole wheat flour (often spelt, kamut, or other whole grains) and water. The name Desem comes from Dutch and means “leaven.”

The starter is grown in a bed of flour at cool temperatures. It isn’t exposed to outside air, and the leavening power comes from organisms in the whole wheat flour itself. For best results, use grains that are organic and water that has no chlorine or fluoride.

Desem’s leavening can be stronger than that of typical sourdoughs. Desem bread made with a mature starter rises well, has a light texture, and a nutty flavor. It is usually less sour than German or San Francisco sourdough. The process is similar to pain au levain, but it uses whole wheat flour and the desem starter.

Desem is considered naturally leavened, not yeasted, and it keeps well and digests comfortably. It has a loyal following in the natural foods community, where it was popularized by Laurel Robertson.

How it’s grown and kept: the starter sits in a bed of flour (about 3–4 inches around the dough) and is kept cool during incubation (roughly 50–65°F / 10–18°C) to avoid excessive sourness. Getting a desem starter going can be challenging, but once established it can be easier to maintain than liquid sourdough.

Feeding and baking: the usual approach is to feed the starter daily and bake bread about once a week, though weekly feeding or freezing are options. Techniques are similar to sourdough, but desem presents some unique challenges.