Baking & Snack - February 2019 - 68

SOURDOUGH

from the phytic acid in wheat, but in sourdough products, the wild yeast and lactobacillus in the leaven
neutralize the phytic acid and make products easier
to digest. "Various studies have shown that sourdough
fermentation is much more efficient than yeast fermentation in reducing the phytate content in whole
wheat bread," Mordor Intelligence's report stated.
The longer, slower fermentation also produces nutrients like iron, zinc, magnesium, antioxidants, folic acid and other B vitamins. Additionally, because
sourdoughs take longer to digest, they can help regulate blood sugar levels.
One San Francisco-based company, Bread
SRSLY, has taken sourdough to another level and
made it entirely gluten-free. The company offers Classic Sourdough, Seeded Sourdough, Sweet
Onion Sourdough sandwich and dinner rolls, and a
Sourdough Pullman. Bread SRSLY baked goods are
also free of preservatives, egg, dairy, nuts and other allergens. The bread is shipped nationwide and
sold in retailers and foodservice locations along the
West Coast.
Interest in sourdough's ability to aid consumers with gluten sensitives is piquing. In 2018, the
Alberta Wheat Commission and Saskatchewan Wheat
Development Commission in Canada along with the
Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council,
initiated a research project to determine whether the
process used to produce sourdough bread could lead
to a more easily digestible bread for individuals who
are sensitive to wheat.
Led by Michael Gänzle, PhD, food microbiologist at
the University of Alberta, the project is investigating
the sourdough bread fermentation process that breaks
down proteins and carbohydrates in wheat flour that
are known to cause wheat sensitivity. Dr. Gänzle's goal
is to better understand whether this fermentation
process reduces the adverse effects. He also indicated
that using sourdough in industrial baking can reduce
ingredient cost and improve the quality of bread.
"There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that sourdough bread is tolerated by consumers with nonceliac wheat or gluten intolerance, but the science
is not available to back up these claims," Dr. Gänzle
said in a press release. "We aim to determine whether
fermentation reduces or eliminates individual wheat
components that are known or suspected to cause adverse effects."
Important to note is that while Dr. Gänzle's purpose is to create a more easily digestible product for
gluten-sensitive individuals, this research won't create
a formula acceptable for the estimated 1% of the population who suffer from celiac disease. No sourdough

68 Baking & Snack February 2019 / www.bakingandsnack.com

Fighting the sourdough stereotype
Despite its rise in popularity, sourdough
sometimes gets a bad rap. After all, a
bread with "sour" in its name can come
with some negative connotations.
Red Hen Baking Co., Middlesex, VT, is
producing more than a dozen types of
sourdough, but consumers won't see that
label on any of its products. Instead, the
bakery is branding them as "naturally
leavened bread."
"When we first started, the word sourdough was immediately associated with
San Francisco style and that either turned
people off or gave them a perception that
our bread had that same sour taste," said
Randy George, owner, Red Hen Baking.
In reality, bakers are able to produce a
wide range of flavors using sourdough's
leavening process. Red Hen Baking products, which can be found in restaurants
and retail locations in Vermont and New
Hampshire, include potato and whole
wheat naturally leavened breads that
feature a milder European sourdough flavor. One of the company's most popular
varieties is the Mad River Grain bread, a
whole wheat multigrain loaf that features
sunflower, sesame and flax seeds as well
as steel-cut oats and heirloom cornmeal.
Each variety, though, benefits from the
leavening process and fermentation.
"We make different starters so we
can get different flavors from them," Mr.
George said. "Some of them are more
sour, but others are very mild."
Above: Some bakers shy away from the sourdough label to avoid any
stereotypes about flavor.
Red Hen Baking Co.

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