Sourdough: The bread that tastes of good health

Sourdough, bread made from nothing more than three ingredients – flour, water and salt – has taken Thailand by storm. Once a rare find, served only at artisan bakeries in the city, this tangy, air-bubble filled bread is now ubiquitous.

It can be bought in bakeries throughout the country and even via online shopping and food apps, while many restaurants include it on their menu.

It has also become a weekly bake for many who prefer to develop their own starters and practice home-made recipes.

There’s even a Thai-language online community for sourdough lovers where members share their videos of their own baking tips and tricks and the starters they created.

Healthy eating and greater awareness of how food impacts the body appears, however, to have been the biggest contributor to the popularity of sourdough bread.

“Most people go for it for health benefits. It’s so much better for your digestive health. One of my customers, a fitness trainer, told me that sourdough is light on his stomach.

He feels bloated after eating other kinds of bread. He’s a big fan of sourdough,” baker New said, adding most of her regular customers are health-conscious, with many eating clean for health.

She has been baking bread and other confectionery products from buns to rolls and cakes at home for sale for more than two decades.

She took a course in sourdough bread after seeing a Thai food influencer sharing the bread recipe for home bakers on social media during the Covid pandemic.

“At that time, I only knew a little about sourdough, but I was excited to experiment,” she said.

Creating a sourdough starter, New noted, requires more patience and attention to detail when compared to other bakery products that use commercial yeast.

“I found the fermentation process intimidating at first. It’s not instant. Actually, it takes a lot of time and this, I think, is one of the reasons a lot of bakers don’t want to make it,” she said, adding that the process takes about 10-12 hours.

The starter is a mixture of flour and water that is left to ferment, letting it capture wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria from the environment. The combination allows the dough to rise while making it tangy and chewy in texture.

Bread is not always bad

Sourdough is a gut-friendly bread, noted Assoc. Prof. Nattira On-nom, head of the Food Science Unit of Mahidol University’s Institute of Nutrition.

Instead of a commercial yeast, sourdough uses a starter to rise. This natural fermentation process helps break down some of the gluten and phytic acid in the flour, making it easier to digest and helping the body to absorb more nutrients, she explained.

“A healthy gut is essential for overall health. The lactic acid bacteria can help your gut health as it may have prebiotic properties. People with gluten intolerance may find sourdough easier on their stomachs,” she said, adding that only a handful of Thais are sensitive to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and other grains.

Nattira urged people with celiac disease to avoid eating sourdough as it would trigger an autoimmune response for them.

“Sourdough bread is commonly lower in gluten than other forms of bread, but it’s not gluten-free,” she stressed.

According to her, celiac disease is a condition where your immune system attacks your own tissues when you eat gluten. This digestive condition hurts the small intestine, making it difficult for the body to take in nutrients.

Compared to other forms of bread, sourdough tends to have a lower glycemic impact, the academic noted, explaining that low GI (glycemic index) foods are usually digested and absorbed more slowly, resulting in a gradual rise in blood sugar levels.

“Eating sourdough can be beneficial for people managing sugar levels,” she said.

Whole wheat bread and white flour bread are classified as high GI food, which can provide a quick burst and a blood sugar spike.

But wholewheat bread would be better for diabetics than white flour bread as it contains more fiber for blood sugar management.

White bread, which is made with refined flour has a bad reputation for spiking blood sugar.

With relatively high carbohydrates and calories but low in fiber, consuming it every day in a large quantity can put you at risk of developing type 2 diabetes and obesity.

To create a balanced meal, Nattira suggests combining sourdough with other ingredients that give protein, healthy fats and fiber.

“For example, you can add some eggs or chicken and avocado to your sourdough sandwich to make it more filling. You can also put sliced tomato and veggies on top of your toast to increase the amount of fiber. The add-ons can help lower the glucose release, allowing for better sugar control,” she said.

Best bread for better health

Sourdough bread tends to be more wholesome, making it a preferred option for health-conscious people.

According to experts, sourdough bread provides about 300 calories per 100 g, which is more than white bread (290 g) and whole wheat bread (273 g). It contains about 13 g of protein, which is higher than whole wheat bread (11.88 g) and white bread (10.94 g).

Sourdough made with white flour, however, has less fiber than whole wheat bread, Nattira noted.

“Go for sourdough made with whole-wheat flour when you want to add more fiber to your diet. It has about as much fiber as regular whole-wheat bread,” she said, adding that sourdough can be made with many kinds of flour.

Sourdough is really good when it’s made with good-quality whole-grain flour, she added.

She suggested buying the bread from a trusted baker who creates the bread using a starter rather than commercial yeast for maximum health benefits.

“Look for ‘real’ sourdough bread that is made with a long natural fermentation process that can give you nutritional and digestive benefits,” Nattira said.

The craze is on the rise

In spite of, or perhaps because of, its health benefits, sourdough is more expensive than other kinds of bread. The price ranges between 180 and 300 baht a loaf, depending on the type of flour.

The baker New explained that making the bread requires high-quality ingredients, baking tools knowledge, skills, techniques, time and energy.

“Sourdough is one of the most labor-intensive foods you can buy. I used imported high-quality flour to make the dough and the price is much higher. I experimented with local ingredients instead of the imported ones to lower the price but it didn’t work,” she said.

She expects that sourdough craze will continue to rise in spite of the weak economic climate. There’s still a huge demand for it.

“I don’t think the craze is going to fade anytime soon. More and more people are living healthier. They are looking for healthier bread. The demand for sourdough is only increasing,” she said.