Page 32 - Baking Europe Journal - Winter 2022

INGREDIENTS
32 GLUTEN SENSITIVITY AND SOURDOUGH

BACK TO

THE FUTURE

How the ancient technology of

sourdough might alleviate problems

with gut health

Written by:

Charlene Van Buiten, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Colorado State University

y 50-pound (22.6kg) bag ranking third for recipes overall. 2 What is sourdough bread?
of fl our is gone. My sanity Despite this surge in popularity being Sourdough bread is made by the
remains,” wrote New York relatively recent, sourdough has fermentation of dough by
Times Opinion Columnist ancient origins with decades of microorganisms found naturally in
Farhad Manjoo in late 2020. Manjoo, scientifi c research being dedicated to fl our and the surrounding
1
like many others around the world, its unique properties in relation to environment where the dough is
had spent many months in pandemic- food preservation and human health. made. These communities of
induced isolation learning a new skill: Now, sourdough fermentation is microorganisms, known colloquially
how to make bread. In fact, of the ten being investigated for its as a “starter culture”, comprise
most searched recipes on the internet eff ectiveness in creating food complex consortia of bacteria and
in 2020, six were for various types of products that are safe for individuals yeasts which can be maintained for
bread, with sourdough notably being with coeliac disease and other gluten long periods of time sustained by
the most often searched recipe and sensitivities. regular “feedings” of fl our and water.

“Broadly speaking, consumers associate

sourdough bread with healthfulness, particularly

in reference to gut health.”

BAKINGEUROPE Winter 2022/2023
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