The 5 Key Benefits of Sourdough Bread
Sourdough’s benefits are numerous!
When made the artisan way, Sourdough bread is a great way to support a healthy gut and in turn, wellness! As our bread is handcrafted using 100% organic ingredients, natural leavens, and a long cool fermentation process, it is not only fragrant with that delicious aroma, but nutritious as well, as it is packed with good bacteria, nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Authentic Sourdough is also easier to digest as it is lower in gluten than its industrial counterpart.
Sourdough is delicious, plain & simple – Fermenting flour is the way we used to eat bread for many centuries. In fact, Sourdough is the oldest form of leavened bread. Some believe it was discovered by accident when bread dough was left out and good microorganisms appeared in the dough mixture. The result? Better taste, lighter texture, and that characteristic “open crumb”.
Rich in vitamins, minerals & nutrients – The process of fermenting facilitates more bio-availability of the key nutrients, fibre & minerals in flour. This is thanks to the lactic acids found in the natural leavens, which neutralize the presence of phytic acids in the dough.
Gluten gets a bad rap! Gluten? Guilty. Yes, Sourdough bread does contain gluten. And we love that it does! Without the presence of gluten in dough, Sourdough wouldn’t boast that gorgeous character & texture that makes Sourdough bread what it is! But here’s a fun fact: gluten is not necessarily bad for you when used in low quantities in the baking process, which is the case with artisan Sourdough bread.The fermentation magic of a natural leaven breaks apart the gluten network, making it easier to digest bread.
It is the industrialisation of dough in the early 1900s, including fast fermentation methods, the use of commercial yeast, fertilisers and preservatives found in the industrial bread-making process, which have increased the presence of gluten in flour and sadly have made lots of bread-lovers gluten-intolerant.
So the good news is: if you are sensitive or intolerant to gluten, you may eat artisan Sourdough bread, and lots of it!
Helps to promote a healthy gut & general well-being
It aids digestion. Authentic Sourdough bread is easier to digest because it is lower in gluten than its industrial counterpart. The good bacteria found in the natural leavens feed on the starch found in the flour, which aids the digestion process.
Good bacteria in the dough promote a healthy gut environment. Sourdough bread is essentially ‘fermented dough’. Like other fermented foods, Sourdough bread has gone through a fermentation process, in which good bacteria break down other food components such as sugars and gasses. Through the fermentation process, they have the potential to carry additional health benefits, as they contain probiotics and prebiotics. Many people know probiotics as ‘good’ bacteria for the gut, which provide a health benefit to the human body, by creating a more favourable gut environment.
It helps to control blood-sugar levels. Studies have shown that fermenting bread slows down the rate of assimilation of carbohydrates that helps control blood sugar and therefore may be beneficial for diabetes. The natural leaven found in Sourdough bread lowers the glycemic index of bread. The long fermentation process slows down the rate of assimilation of carbohydrates, which in turn helps to control blood-sugar levels.
(Please note: people with celiac disease should not eat Sourdough bread as it does contain gluten and may therefore cause severe reactions.)
A longer shelf-life! If stored properly (we offer a free linen loaf bag to all new Loaf Of The Week subscribers!), authentic Sourdough bread, which has been made using natural leavens and a long fermentation process can last up to 4 or 5 days at room temperature. It has been found that the acetic acidity (vinegar) in Sourdough bread keeps bacteria at bay, in turn preventing mold and fungal growth from developing in the bread.
