This story is backed by years of our work and scientific literature that support it. We summed up most important parts down in text.
Tastier
Good things come to bakers who wait.
Yes, we use a secret ingredient that makes our bread tastier. It's called TIME. We believe that our main goal in making a BETTER BREAD is setting a proper stage for nature's sourdough play. And giving the dough enough time is a crucial presumption in developing aroma or “taste”. So, how does it work? It all starts with sourdough culture and the way it is maintained. Bacteria and yeast naturally present in a healthy sourdough culture contribute to development of complex aromas through even more complex biochemical reactions. To put it simply, nutritive components of the flour are broken down and digested by lactic acid bacteria and “wild” yeast resulting in accumulation of organic acids and esters our taste buds perceive as milky, nutty or sour aromas. Quite magical, isn’t it?! Fermentation, which requires TIME, results in a bread with rich, complex aromas and ultimately, better shelf life. It's kind of a paradox that the mass industry is constantly trying to create artificial additives that mimic the properties of sourdough; complex aromas, prolonged shelf life and overall appearance.
Longer freshness
It will last longer than your ex.
Ever noticed how bread you buy at the supermarket, usually packed with E numbers, lasts for only a few hours or a day at best? On the other hand, naturally leavened bread made with sourdough and basically, only three ingredients, flour, water and salt, stays fresh for days without showing signs of staling or mold development. Again, the spontaneous interaction between lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeast in sourdough (fermentation) and their perfect protective ecosystem create conditions beneficial for development of "good" bacteria and hostile environment for any pathogens: spores, fungi etc. During sourdough fermentation, LAB metabolises sugars in the flour creating organic acids that acidify the dough and lower its pH number. And why is that important? Typical sourdough fermentation brings down pH of the fermented dough to 3.5 - 4 - environment in which good bacteria thrive and molds cannot survive. Anything below pH 5.6 is not suitable for most pathogens. And that's why the SOUR is so important. Sourdough fermentation also inhibits the staling process since it stops the starch from recrystallizing after baking and cooling. In the words of a human, starch recrystallization means hardening of the bread, which typically happens to plain yeasted breads.
Lower GI
Finally, you can go back to eating bread! Unlike modern, industrial white loaves that cause wild blood sugar spikes and insulin response, sourdough bread, due to its long fermentation time, projects a more moderate blood sugar response. Mass produced breads lack bacteria that would help digest starch and sugars present in flour. But add the LAB naturally present (and dominant!) in sourdough culture and long fermentation time and you have a bread that is easily digestible, has a lower GI and with more available nutrients. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) alter the structure of the starch making its digestion and assimilation in the body slower. Acidity of the sourdough decreases the rate at which glucose is released in the bloodstream. Slower the assimilation, lower the insulin response. That simple!
No bloating
It is shown by studies that some strains of lactic acid bacteria present in sourdough can effectively digest FODMAPs. Breads made with sourdough cultures and long fermentation typical for SD process help reduce or even annihilate irritable bowel syndrome IBS and non-celiac wheat or gluten sensitivity. Although FODMAPs sensitivity is largely an individual experience that cannot be scientifically measured, a fact is that switching to sourdough types of bread greatly reduced individual symptoms associated with FODMAP sensitivity, most commonly bloating, gas, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Usually, those compounds pass through our intestine undigested, allowing them to be fermented in our bowel which consequently causes mentioned symptoms. LAB present in sourdough ferments those compounds in the dough thus making them digestible.
More digestible = more nutritive
Contrary to common belief and dominant eating habits, wheat and cereal in general are not that suited for human digestion in regard to how widespread their consumption is. We need help from bacteria if we want our bodies to fully absorb all of the nutrients a whole cereal has to offer. In breads that are not properly fermented involving lactic acid bacteria, phytic acid naturally present in the flour inhibits the breakdown of flour and consequently, the absorption of nutrients; vitamins and minerals. That is just a natural, protective mechanism of the seed. Acidic environment in sourdough successfully activates enzymes that reduce phytates making all of the important nutrients disposable for our bodies to absorb.
We hate to break the big trend of gluten intolerance but sourdough, fortunately cures that too. SD renders the gluten network structure making it digestible. Science says proteolytic breakdown of gluten proteins - we say, you can eat it because bacteria and enzymes have digested it for you. You're welcome.
