Sourdough… or sourfaux? Four out of five loaves are not made to the correct recipe

FOUR in five loaves of sourdough sold in British supermarkets do not contain the correct ingredients, an investigation by the consumer watchdog Which? has found.

Just four out of the 19 loaves tested were deemed to be authentic, while the majority contained agents that speed the process from several days to a couple of hours. These include yeast and ascorbic acid (E300) to quicken rising and increase the volume of the final loaf as well as yogurt and vinegar which boost the acidity, giving a sour flavour and acting as a preservative.

Traditional sourdough should contain only four ingredients: flour, water, salt and a starter culture.

Sourdough can cost around £4 at artisan bakeries and food stalls, but Which? warned that most cheap supermarket versions would not pass muster – “Our research shows they’re not necessarily the same thing.”

Chris Young, from The Real Bread Campaign, said supermarkets were able to sell substandard sourdough because it was not a protected item.

He said: “This means there is nothing to stop manufacturers using that word to market products that are what we call sourfaux.” Which? said although the added ingredients were not unhealthy, they could cause problems for people who were trying to avoid certain food.

“If you’re someone who chooses sourdough because it doesn’t contain added yeast, you’ll want to avoid those loaves that contain it,” it said.

Investigators said it was far from easy to tell how authentic a speciality loaf is as some supermarkets only list ingredients online, or not at all.

Of the 19 supermarket and branded loaves looked at, only four got the stamp of approval for authenticity from The Real Bread Campaign – Gail’s White Sourdough, Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Multiseed Sourdough, Waitrose 1 White Sourdough and Waitrose 1 Wheat and Rye Sourdough. Among those with non-authentic ingredients such as flour treatment agents were Tesco Sourdough Bloomer, Asda Extra Special Sourdough baguette and Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Sourdough.

A Which? spokesman added: “Our advice is to check the ingredients and if you’re looking for an traditional loaf avoid those containing yeast, yogurt and vinegar. If ingredients information is not provided, ask in the store or contact customer services.”