SOUR D’OH! The ‘fake’ sourdough breads no better than sliced white
OH CRUMBS!
IT’S been billed as the best thing since sliced bread. Artisan sourdough loaves – costing up to £10 a time – have become achingly trendy and hugely popular thanks to the supposed health benefits they have over mass-produced white bread.
However, it seems, not all sourdough is created equal.
Purists say traditional sourdough should be made only of the ‘holy trinity’ of flour, water and salt. But supermarkets often add extra ingredients to speed the process – which, experts say, sacrifices the supposed health benefits as well as the bread’s distinctive taste and texture.
True sourdough is expensive because the millennia-old method of making it requires a long fermentation time, not well-suited to mass factory production, so many manufacturers add commercial baker’s yeast to make the loaves rise quicker.
Purists say this process makes the ‘fake’ sourdoughs little different from everyday loaves.
Two-thirds of the high street sourdoughs tested in a Mail on Sunday investigation used extra yeast. Many also contained extra fat for softness, emulsifiers to produce bigger loaves, and preservatives to give a longer shelf-life. Chris Young of the Real Bread Campaign said: ‘Our definition of a true sourdough is bread that’s made with no artificial additives and no other leavening ingredients other than a sourdough starter. Anything else is what we call “sourfaux”.’
The genuine sourdough starter is a fermented mix of flour and water, which is rich in natural yeasts.
The starter cultures are jealously guarded by artisan bakers, and because they can be continually refreshed with the addition of extra flour and water, can be several hundred years old.
But currently, there is no legal definition of the term ‘sourdough’ meaning retailers are breaking no rules by adding baker’s yeast.
Mr Young is lobbying the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and its Minister, Michael Gove, for a change in the law which would include legal protection for the name.
He also wants in-store bakeries to be forced to reveal a full list of ingredients as currently they are only obliged to list allergy advice. ‘We want clarification so people know what it is they are buying and just how healthy it truly is,’ he said.
There is little scientific research into the benefits of genuine sourdough compared to the ‘fakes’. But one US study said sourdough made slowly with natural yeast can ease gluten intolerance.
Many loaves billed as sourdough have little nutritional difference from standard white loaves, says nutritionist Angelique Panagos.
‘The good bacteria in genuine sourdough helps neutralise the phytic acid naturally present in wheat, improving its digestibility,’ she said. ‘Supermarket loaves which use commercial yeast aren’t gentle on the gut.’
There’s no law on what makes a ‘genuine’ loaf