Feast logo

When Gluten-Free Screams Sourdough

Saying 'I'm Gluten-Free' Screams 'I Need Sourdough'

By Ben KwiatkowskiPublished 6 years ago 3 min read
Like
Sourdough Bread

Saying 'I'm Gluten-Free' Screams 'I Need Sourdough'

I used to brace myself for the reactions when I'd say, "Oh, I can't have that, sorry, I'm gluten-intolerant." I've spent countless minutes staring at the gluten-free aisles, forlorn at the brand-names I didn't recognize and alternatives that didn't "appetize."

If I was completely honest with myself and others, I'd say I missed having good bread. I missed the crunch, texture, flavor...and most of all? I missed just being normal.

Then I tried sourdough. The experience was nothing short of life-changing. Sourdough tasted even better than regular bread! Not just that, I felt completely normal after eating sourdough, and I suffered none of the symptoms of gluten-intolerance as a result. So was I still gluten-free, my confused friends asked? Was I? Am I?

Gluten-free is a modern catch-phrase for our body's rejection of ultra-processed foods. Gluten-free bread alternative products, although plentiful in today's grocery stores, may not be the answer to those who still want to eat bread. Let's look to our ancestors.

Bread is made from wheat. So let's go back to the source and consider how wheat becomes bread. As Cardiff's Riverside Sourdough explains so well, the way our ancestors made bread excludes adding yeast to dough, innately improves iron absorption, uses a natural process to make bread, and simply tastes better.

For centuries, the traditional way to make bread didn't cause our ancestors problems. So why have we, all of a sudden, become gluten-sensitive? Some say we've evolved and developed new allergies, with claims that bread was never a good food source anyway. Really?

Wheat hasn't changed, but the process it goes through to become bread has. Yeast made bread-making quicker and more reliable. The introduction of these methods were purely profit-driven and production related. Additives and preservatives were introduced on a large scale to increase shelf-life and preserve bread to be transported long distances.

If you've seen the Netflix food documentary Cooked, you might have heard Michael Pollan's wager that "...if you took a dozen people who claimed gluten intolerance and you gave them Richard’s bread, they’d be fine," in the third episode of his series, referring to European founder of Berkshire Mountain Bakery Richard Bourdon, a master of the art of natural sourdough bread baking.

The natural process of fermentation used in natural sourdough bread baking is proven to naturally break down gluten. So if are you gluten-free or gluten-sensitive but still crave delicious, freshly-baked bread, don't fret. You just might be able to return to traditional, better-tasting, freshly-baked bread. Did I hear anyone say, thank you great-great-great-grandpa? Maybe our baker ancestors used the slower fermentation process for over a thousand years for a reason.

A University of Naples research study concluded that sourdough is non-toxic for people with celiac disease, the most severe form of gluten-intolerance. The fermentation process reduces the gluten concentration in sourdough bread. Subjects who ate this bread daily for 60 days were closely examined for signs of intolerance. The conclusion? Eating sourdough is a viable form of therapy for those with celiac disease to build up healthy wheat tolerance. All thanks to the wonderfully natural, traditional method of fermentation of wheat flour to make sourdough bread. Good news, right?!

So think twice before throwing bread out of your diet, or the next time you order that gluten-free substitute for bread. Start stocking up on freshly baked sourdough, if you can find it in your city. If not, go ahead and make a sourdough starter yourself at home by watching the DIY video above and consulting other sourdough recipes on the web. You just might be able to ask for sourdough as an alternative to regular bread at most restaurants soon enough. Before long, you'll find that saying, "Oh I can't have that, I'm gluten-free" now also will mean, "I need sourdough bread as a regular part of my diet!"

cuisine
Like

About the Creator

Ben Kwiatkowski

Artisanal coffee, regional foods, squash, baseball, language learning, coaching, mentoring, and funding startups

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.