Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
Research suggests that people with celiac disease tolerate sourdough bread where the dough is fermented with a specialized sourdough starter in accordance with traditional methods.
Buyer beware! Most breads labeled as “sourdough” on the market today are anything but…
These fake sourdough breads typically contain yeast and/or a sweetener.
This is an easy giveaway clue that the bread is a phony and should be avoided if one seeks a traditionally baked loaf.
Baker’s Yeast Is Not Traditional
When baker’s yeast was first introduced in France as an alternative to sourdough starter in the mid-1600s, it was strongly rejected!
The scientist-noblemen of the day knew that it would negatively impact people’s health. When the Faculty of Medicine decided to formally examine the question, they banned its use. (1)
True sourdough bread does not contain baker’s yeast. Instead, a Lactobacilli-based starter culture is used.
In addition, authentic sourdough is baked at a lower temperature for a longer period of time.
These methods protect the integrity of the cereal grains and preserve nutritional value.
What’s more, anti-nutrients such as phytic acid are eliminated, and gluten, that very difficult-to-digest plant protein, is significantly broken down.
As a practical bonus, sourdough bread stays fresh longer than yeasted bread.
Despite the initial rejection of baker’s yeast, the convenience aspect of quick-rise yeasted loaves resulted in widespread adoption over the last century.
It is no surprise, then, that the skyrocketing cases of gluten intolerance and celiac disease have risen in lockstep over the decades.
Why did pre-industrialized people groups consume gluten-containing breads with no digestive difficulty whatsoever?
Could it be that the traditional preparation methods were somehow protective?
Sourdough and Celiac
The peer-reviewed Journal of Applied and Environmental Microbiology researched this very question, publishing a study conducted in Europe that examined how celiacs tolerate true sourdough bread. (2)
Seventeen people suffering from celiac disease were given 2 grams of gluten-containing bread risen with either baker’s yeast or a Lactobacilli culture.
Thirteen of the seventeen participants showed negative changes in intestinal permeability consistent with celiac disease. Four participants did not show any negative changes.
Then, all the study participants were given true sourdough bread fermented with a special Lactobacilli culture able to break down the primary amino acid building block that causes an immune response in people with celiac.
None of the study participants showed any negative changes in their intestinal permeability after consuming the bread baked using 30% wheat flour and a mix of oat, millet, and buckwheat flour.
The researchers’ conclusions were summarized as follows:
These results showed that a bread biotechnology that uses selected lactobacilli, nontoxic flours, and a long fermentation time is a novel tool for decreasing the level of gluten intolerance in humans. (3)
What I find interesting about the study is that even when the people who consumed the wheat bread baked with either baker’s yeast or a normal Lactobacilli culture, four (nearly one-quarter) did not show any negative changes to their baseline values of intestinal permeability.
Did these people consume bread raised with a normal sourdough culture?
If so, perhaps even regular sourdough cultures would be sufficient for some celiacs to consume.
Certainly, most with simple gluten intolerance would find true sourdough bread to be easily consumed with no digestive distress.
It seems that the noblemen in the court of Louis XIV of France had it right all along.
Abandoning the traditional methods of bread preparation in favor of baker’s yeast would have disastrous effects on people’s health.
Little did they know that their wisdom several centuries later would be termed “novel” by scientists in the biotechnology industry!
(1) History of Baker’s Yeast
(2, 3) Study Finds Wheat-based Sourdough Bread Started with Selected Lactobacilli is Tolerated by Celiac Disease Patients
More Information
No-Knead Einkorn Sourdough Bread
The Good Gluten You Can Probably Eat Just Fine
The Real Reason Wheat is Toxic (It’s Not the Gluten)
I don’t have celiac, but was advised not to consume bread, or grains because I have Hashimoto’s and apparently breads and grains can elevate thyroid antibodies, as well as dairy. I showed slight elevation of casein antibodies 4 years ago.
Can anyone speak to this issue? I often feel I missing some important nutrients from raw dairy and the many benefits of sourdough bread.
I appreciate the thorough exploration of sourdough and its relationship to gluten! It’s so helpful to know the processes that can affect gluten content and how certain fermentation methods might make sourdough more tolerable for some. It’s always a challenge navigating food options with celiac disease, and your insights have definitely clarified some misconceptions for me. Thanks for sharing this valuable information!
Im looking for a historical reference for your statement about the french nobleman and scientists saying that the introduction of commercial yeast would be an ill on mankind.
I would love recipes for sourdough bread. I am gluten intolerant and these gf breads do a number on my gut.
Here’s one to try. https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/no-knead-einkorn-sourdough-bread/
I’d be happy to share mine with you ????
Please provide a link to the research article quoted in the story.
The link is provided in the article. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14766592
And, a more recent study. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20975578
Back in the 1600’s the bread had less gluten to begin with. Over time modifications increased gluten. This junk science that sourdough bread is somehow gluten free is like saying a Rubics cube is plastic when it’s a square but not plastic if you take it apart.
To say that sourdough bread does not contain yeast is completely incorrect. It is the fact that it contains yeast (that produce CO2 that get caught in a developed gluten matrix) that has allowed it to leaven bread for thousands of years. The difference is that it contains one or several “wild” yeasts found on the surface of the flour itself as opposed to the single strain of commercially produced wheat. These yeast proliferate and feed on the flour added to “feed the starter.” True, it does also contain lactobacillus bacteria that are partially responsible for affecting and transforming the gluten. These bacteria are also part of the equation in developing that delicious sourdough flavor.
The other aspect of making good sourdough bread that differentiates it from wonderbread, et al is the exceptionally long fermentation/rise/proofing times. Amylase converts more starch into sugar, the yeast eat more of the sugar, multiple acidic compounds are produced, and yes, the gluten is partially broken down. That is why sourdoughs tend to have a lower glycemic index and pose less of an issue for some with gluten-related conditions. However, long fermentation is not limited to sourdough though–many good breads use long-fermented doughs and pre-fermented dough components.
I truly feel for people suffering from celiac disease, and I cannot imagine the implications of living with an autoimmune condition. However, I would argue that the rest of the recent gluten mania is likely more attributable to eating terrible, hyper fast-fermented breads/pretzels/whatever that include ADDED gluten that makes bread faster, less good, and less healthy. Also, frequently the initial cut of gluten from the diet is accompanied by more attention paid to all aspects of the diet–no wonder folks feel better!
Even though this is an older post, I am glad I found it. I bought Purbread gluten neutralized winter wheat bread at a farmer’s market. I had a slight sinus reaction, but goes away quickly. I normally get a headache immediately after encountering any wheat. I did not have that. I also gain weight literally over night, and get a wheat or grain belly. This did not happen. I am hoping this will be the answer. I did find a website where a woman did an experiment with soaking grains from 12 to 24 hours in either buttermilk or sourdough. The ones soaked in sourdough worked best. It didn’t seem to help soaking longer than 12 hours. I have tried spelt, einkorn, and sprouted wheat (Ezekiel), and got a headache with all of them. I plan to make my own sourdough starter as it’s hard to find sourdough bread that says “sourdough starter” on the package.
I tried this last year and it was DISASTEROUS! Celiacs beware! I think that once the damage is done even sourdough can be just as bad as “regular” bread.