Page 34 - Baking Europe Journal - Winter 2022

INGREDIENTS
34 GLUTEN SENSITIVITY AND SOURDOUGH

organic acids, which give sourdough Recent studies show that consumers modern concept of probiotics, which
its notable “tart” fl avour and carbon perceive foods free of artifi cial are defi ned by the World Health
dioxide, which causes the dough to preservatives to be more desirable in Organization as a “live microorganism
rise during proving. The terms of taste, nutritional quality and which, when administered in
microorganisms of the starter culture safety. Broadly speaking, consumers adequate amounts, confers a health
3
also produce volatile metabolites associate sourdough bread with benefi t to the host.” Recently,
such as alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, healthiness, particularly in reference researchers from Stanford University
esters and terpenes, which can be to gut health. 4 demonstrated that a mere 10 week
detected in the fi nal product as diet rich in fermented foods
unique fl avours and aromas. Health benefi ts of fermented foods signifi cantly increased the diversity of
The perceptions of the healthiness of microorganisms in the digestive tract
From a consumer perspective, sourdough make up a small part of a of the individuals in the study and
sourdough is often viewed favourably larger conversation about the health signifi cantly decreased markers of
due to its stability and association benefi ts of fermented foods which infl ammation, supporting the idea
with other healthy fermented food was fi rst formally hypothesised by that fermented foods are benefi cial
products. The presence of lactic acid Russian biologist Ilya Mechnikov who for human health. 6
bacteria in sourdough starter cultures observed that frequent consumption
results in the production of a low pH of soured, or fermented milks in While it is tempting to attribute the
product and a variety of natural certain populations seemed to health benefi ts all fermented foods to
antifungal compounds, reducing the contribute to longer lifespans than their probiotic populations, some
need for sourdough breads to be those that avoided or abstained. 5 fermented foods do not contain these
produced with artifi cial preservatives. Over time, this gave rise to the live, active cultures in their fi nal form

“Researchers from Stanford University

demonstrated that a mere 10 week diet rich
in fermented foods signifi cantly increased the

diversity of microorganisms in the digestive tract

of the individuals in the study and signifi cantly

decreased markers of infl ammation.”

BAKINGEUROPE Winter 2022/2023
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