I got hit with the following question yesterday:
I have been hearing a lot of buzz lately about sourdough bread being safe on a GF diet. WHAT?! Yes, I’d kill for a grilled cheese on real sourdough but wondered what you know about it. Some articles say ‘some’ sourdough is safe for GF but not for those with celiac. My gut (literally) tells me to not even try. What say you?
Now I’ve see headlines in the past that talked about this but never gave it much thought. I mean, who would ever trust that bread made with gluten would be safe for those with celiac disease? Well…I should know better than to underestimate our society and especially our media. It seems a lot more than I had assumed. Some examples:
Mind Body Green
“A team of scientists in Italy in 2010 showed that gluten content was much lower in breads that were made in the traditional, old-world style. The difference was so stark that celiacs in the study were able to consume the sourdough with no ill effects.”
Dude response: I’m pro-science. They tested 5 people. And these studies used a specific hydrolysis process created with specially bred strains of yeast and lactobacilli, which is not even being offered commercially. According to Joseph Murray from the Mayo Clinic…”For those with true celiac disease, it is too soon to extrapolate the findings of a small study to changes in diet. For the bread to be an option, there would have to be a way to work out the baking process so that the gluten is guaranteed to have uniformly degraded to the point where the bread could be tolerated in each batch.”
Exactly.
Livestrong.com
“Most gluten-free breads are dense, dry and expensive. But wheat bread may be making a comeback for the gluten-intolerant thanks to new research on sourdough. It turns out this old-fashioned baking technique may help break down gluten in wheat. Sourdough is not only good for baking but may also help heal the gut in those newly diagnosed with celiac disease.”
Dude response: First of all, everyone has got to stop saying gluten-free bread is awful. They must only be eating Udi’s. Plenty of decent breads on the market. Second…this is just dangerous advice. “Help heal the gut for those with celiac disease?” No words.
Celiac.com
“Is Sourdough the Future of Gluten-free Bread?”
Dude response: Shut up.
FYI Living
“Celiacs Can Say Yes To Sourdough Bread. Calling all celiacs! If you think you’ll never eat wheat bread again, think again. Some bread-loving Italian researchers have discovered that slow-fermented sourdough bread may be safe for people with celiac disease.”
Dude response: The headline screams it’s safe. Then in the first paragraph they say it MAY be safe. Real responsible reporting.
I could go on, but I’ll just stop there.
So based on ONE study of FIVE people, many in the food industry and the media are saying it’s ok to eat sourdough bread. And here’s the thing. Even if MAYBE it POSSIBLY you know COULD BE safe, why would you ever risk it? More and more, food manufacturers are trying to convince the GF community that we are missing out because we can’t have gluten. So they are adding gluten to their products, then “processing” it to theoretically remove enough gluten to get by the FDA rules, and then labeling and promoting said item as GLUTEN-FREE.
Speaking for myself, stop. Seriously…just stop. I don’t miss gluten. I don’t want gluten. I don’t need gluten.
And if anybody asks me if sourdough bread is safe for the celiac community…here is my response:
As Nancy Reagan said…just say no.
Unbelievable, is all I can seem to say! However, I do recommend Walmart’s Sam’s Choice, Gluten Free Bread! I was quite shocked the bread, both white and brown, are soft, without holes, and tastes delicious! At my local store, the bread is located on the shelf, with the other breads.
I buy it all the time. It’s DELICIOUS! !
Could you share a picture of it. I have looked up and down the bread isle in Wal Mart and I am not seeing it.
In the Portland OR area Franz makes a GREAT gluten free bread.
I agree, I like the Franz Great Seed!
My mother’s friend Facebook me this a year ago when I was first diagnosed. I didn’t believe it then. Now I’m hearing about European wheat is gluten free any thoughts on that?
I’ve heard that theory too Tars, I don’t know the science behind it but here’s my thoughts: if European wheat was gluten free there wouldn’t be any celiacs in Europe right? Because it would be safe for them to eat and they wouldn’t be getting sick.
I hate to be a cynic but it seems like the food industry is grasping at straws to try and keep us eating gluten since it’s a very lucrative part of their business.
I’ve had family members tell me if I just bought some sort of fancy wheat that was grown in Israel I’d be fine. No thanks. Even if this fancy special magical wheat has less gluten in it then American wheat, it’s still gluten to me and I’m pretty sure to my immune system. Again, I don’t know the science behind it, those are just my thoughts.
I live in England and believe me wheat and other cereals are not gluten free. It is still very limited what you can buy .
I don’t know all the science behind it, but I heard that European bread has _less_ gluten. Not enough to make a difference for celiacs, but American bread has been selective bred (no pun intended) to add more gluten since it makes it easier to bake the soft breads we’re used to over here (or were used to before celiac). I had a friend who wanted to reintroduce wheat into her diet (not celiac) and used European bread as a starting point.
This might help:
https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/is-american-wheat-different-than-european-wheat.htm
European wheat is not tolerable for Celiacs. I lived in Germany for 6 years and I stupidly gave it a try because so many people told me it was safe. NOPE!!! It’s just a stupid American rumor. My Celiac friends in europe wanted to know why people keep spreading this harmful rumor.
Total BS. All wheat has gluten. Period. Don’t believe anything about diet and food you read on the web until you confirm it with a reputable, science based source. The web is littered with anecdotal, distorted and down right untrue info concerning food. Be cynical and be safe.
Wheat in its natuaral uncooked state it gluten free. Gluten only forms when wheat, rhy, or barley is ground into a flour and water is added, because there’s two molecules in the grains that attach to each otherwhen water is added, those combined molecules is gluten, without water added gluten won’t form. But of course these grains aren’t ever used without a liquid being added, so unless more studies are done on this sourbread I’m not eating it.
This is so wrong! Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. If a celiac went into a field of organic, heritage wheat and ate some of the grains, they would have the same reaction as if they had eaten Wonder Bread.
You are all gay naturally fermented sourdough is how bread was made for thousands of years and if your ancestors couldn’t eat it you most likely wouldn’t be here so shut up and eat the damn bread idiots
Im not sure how being celuac makes you gay. Nor why you are on this site to just be a dick. And cleary with all the science you used, what makes you think none of our ancestors were celiac? Its really too bad people with half a brain cell can comment online. Its just hazardous.
Good example of stupidty. Ignorance is the way for hatred. If you can enjoy bread, do it, you are lucky!
Here’s the deal:
Every locale has different soil compositions, which impact the way plants develop, including proteins. Americans are used to a certain shape of the gluten protein, and our bodies have gotten used to it (or rather, not gotten used to it, causing problems). European glutens are foreign, and so the typical American hasn’t developed adverse reactions…immediately. Given time, you would.
Also, in the US, it is very common to spray herbicides on mature wheat crops, as this will stimulate more grains as the plant dies (increasing output). This is illegal in Europe. These herbicides are a HUGE reason why Americans have adverse effects from wheat.
You’re exactly right. Plus some areas in Europe import North American wheat/flour & use that. I’m using a low-gluten soft wheat Italian flour & have no reaction. But I eat in moderation. or try.
I could not get past “Dude response: Shut up.”. I started laughing so hard, the tears blurred the rest.
Thanks for this. I’ve heard that celiacs can eat wheat bread in the UK or Europe. I’m heading to England and Scotland this December armed with my Nima. BTW, I researched some celiac groups I want to join while there – One has an app that you need to be a member to use. Any recommendations anyone? I know Scotland has an interesting history with celiac, so I will look into that too. As always – thanks dude!
I’m a UK immigrant to the US, so sorry but I don’t know any groups. Want to reiterate something above though: European bread is NOT safe! It has a slightly lower gluten content but still has a LOT of gluten! I went to the UK to visit family and one of them had read that European bread was okay (he just knew about gluten through my celiacs) so gave me some toast saying it was GF so I didn’t have to worry. Totally ruined the whole trip.
That being said, there are more celiacs (they call them coeliacs) in the UK than the US, so a lot more GF options around in stores and restaurants. And they usually take it more seriously there too. I recommend the GF Jaffa Cakes. It’s short bread with orange jello and chocolate. GF Jammy Dodgers are also great (strawberry jam cookies)
Thanks for this – definitely was not going to risk ruining my vacation! I had heard there are more celiacs there – I can’t believe how many g-f restaurants in Edinburgh! Compared to San Francisco, well, there is no comparison….
Total BS. All wheat has gluten. Period. Don’t believe anything about diet and food yout read on the web until you confirm it with a reputable, science based source. The web is littered with anecdotal, distorted and down right untrue info concerning food. Be cynical and be safe.
I second your “Shut up” remark! My newsfeed is full of snake oil salesman offering pills as a miracle cure for gluten ingestion, and lots of these sourdough recipes, so I’ll add “Go to hell!”
I get so many of those! I am honestly sick of the “Celiac disease? Have you tried proper hydration?” type conversations. I’ve started saying it’s an allergy just because people usually don’t try to cure those
The pharmaceutical industry has indeed developed a medicine to allow celiacs to ingest wheat. These medicines work, but enslave you to a medicine you can do without.
Only if you can get your hands on some of this: http://www.breadsrsly.com/ Genuinely made gluten free sourdough bread. However, the loaves are small for almost $10/loaf. I eat it sparingly as once I start, I can’t stop…it is oh so good! It is definitely a treat and only best if you are looking to toast or grill it. It needs that as it has to stay in the refrigerator.
Anyway, thanks as always GF Dude!
Awesome San Francisco company!
Unless of course it is gluten free with gluten free sourdough starter. @GFBoulangerie has an amazing recipe for it. Had some at our Raleigh event
Propaganda … feed it to the masses long enough and they will believe … because they want to believe. Wheat has taken a HUGE hit in the market since gf “caught on”. I am thinking follow the money applies to almost everything. Yes … sometimes I am quite cynical.
Whoever wrote that article should be in jail. This is why celiac and other gluten free consumers continue to be ill humans when you lack common sense. These risks are idiotic to put it nicely. It is painful to read these over and over again.
did you even read the article ???
I heard this rumor about sourdough bread. As I love it, miss it and craved it, I decided to give it a try. At Panera I ate half a baguette ~ no issues what so ever! I monitored my diet very carefully to be sure there was no chance I ingested any gluten other than this bread. I stayed completely symptom free. I’m was excited about this and intend to challenge it again. Especially later this month when I’m in SF at Boudin’s Bakery on the Wharf. I don’t know if this is something I could just do occasionally or all the time, but I intend to find out.
And if there is concern that I am not, in fact, Celiac, please be assured that I have the biopsy to prove it.
I’m not advocating everyone try this, this is just my results.
Hi Kathleen,
You are certainly entitled to consume whatever your heart desires, but you do know that regardless of whether there is a reaction, or non-reaction, ingesting gluten causes damage for those certified as celiac? How you “react” to gluten ingestion is completely irrelevant.
I kinda figured it probably still isn’t good for me. But if I can enjoy it once in awhile & stay symptom free- I might consider it. The deprivation aspect of Celiac has been very overwhelming for me, causing depression & frustration. I’ve never been consumed with thinking of food & now it’s all I do. I don’t feel like I can ever have a normal thought life again.
The trick is to not continue in the feeling of deprivation and being a victim. Look at all the wonderful and delicious foods you CAN eat and go from there. If you love asparagus and steak, find all the asparagus and steak recipes you can, and master your world.
I do not see myself as a victim. I went from a regular food consumption to 100% gluten-free in the blink of an eye.
The learning curve has been frustrating. Preplanning every bite to go into my mouth is time consuming. In addition, emotionally it has been up and down coming to terms with it. It is not helpful to simply tell someone to stop feeling a certain way or assume they are being a victim.
I kinda figured it probably still isn’t good for me. But if I can enjoy it once in awhile & stay symptom free- I might consider it. The deprivation aspect of Celiac has been very overwhelming for me, causing depression & frustration. I’ve never been consumed with thinking of food & now it’s all I do. I don’t feel like I can ever have a normal thought life again.
The truth is that fermentation makes the testing false. In otgwr words, once a product is fermented, you cant test for gluten content at all with any accuracy. The FDA requires that products be tested for gluten content BEFORE fermentation.
The other BALONEY about wheat being “safe” outside the USA is just some anti American propraganda. If that were true, onky the USA would have celiac disease, all races in the USA would suffer from Celiac. This is false. So the logic fails. Wheat is wheat.
Yep – my comment was poorly worded – I was planning on proving that rumor wrong, because there is no way that any bread made with wheat could be safe – if you believe the 20 ppm levels, how could it possibly be under 20 ppm? We get glutened from cross-contamination in bakeries, so how could adding it to my bread be safe? It’s illogical. Anyway, we’re on the same page…. 😉
Seriously? A whopping FIVE people in the study? And it’s not even April 1st…..
My thoughts exactly 😀
Celiacs rejoice! Extra! Extra! Read all about it…
Except they (the media and the food manufacturers) never go the extra mile in reporting the full story. Thanks GD as always for having our back and inciting ( I mean encouraging ) honest comments from real life ( non paid/endorsed ) celiacs.
So five whole people didn’t get sick? As Colette Sullivan-Ledoux pointed out – how do they know since celiac disease can present asymptomatic? Did they have pre and post trial biopsies run that included the parts of the small intestine that can’t be reached?
Alternately, and this is my favorite question to ask from the experience of living this celiac journey, were the five star pupils truly gluten free prior to this study?
I am alluding to that phenomenon most of us have lived as we cleaned up our diets in stages: 1) hit the gluten free aisle and just remove the bun when ordering a burger, 2) stop ordering things that have to have the bun or croutons removed at the table, 3) only buy processed foods if they carry the proper certifications rather than simply a gluten free claim, 4) actually going to whole/raw foods and cooking everything from scratch. Oh, what’s the phenomenon in that? As I worked through each stage and allowed for months of healing in between it became ever more obvious that I couldn’t really tell I was getting glutened (especially) in steps 1 & 2 because my system remained triggered (as in, never had time to heal). Said another way? How does one know they have been glutened if the autoimmune response has not ramped down from the last glutening? Hope that makes sense.
We battle our own body to the point of exhaustion. We battle the misinformation presented by those chasing the almighty dollar. And then we have to explain the reality of celiac disease to those who take the misinformation as gospel truth. ~sigh~
“But you don’t look sick…”
“But I read it was safe. Have you tried it to see what happens?”
Is it okay to start responding with something like, “Okay, I’ll try it. But if it makes me sick you have to take me on as a dependent for the duration of the healing process and longer if it causes me to lose my job.” Seems fair. They want us to take a risk then they should have to ante. Just sayin’.
Honestly, I think all celiacs are either Superman or Superwoman and most of the rest of the world are descendants of Lex Luthor trying to feed us glutenite because they can’t deal with our superpowers :))
My apologies to all if the response yesterday seems a bit of a ramble. Strike it up to a very unexpected glutening and all the pinball bouncing thoughts that come with.
GD,
I know this isn’t the proper thread so feel free to move it (or at least point me to the proper place). This current autoimmune response has brought out symptoms that haven’t reared their heads in years. All of which has caused me to wonder the following (which I would really like to hear the community’s response in regards to):
Praying/hoping this is truly just another round of autoimmune response to gluten. As I shared with the boss a couple days back, “In the back of my mind, constantly, I wonder if this is truly the celiac response or if this time it is something more. The unshakable fear is that my body has/is become the boy that cried wolf. The end result being that one day I will ignore symptoms for too long and they will actually be of a source that required immediate medical intervention.”
Yes, I realize that in part this is the anxiety that comes with an attack. Most of the time I can, after years of practice, walk myself down from that cliff by doing a mental comparison of previous bouts (ie, the timeline of when symptoms normally appear and abate) and meditative breathing exercises. How do you, the celiac community, deal with it?
Thanks!
Outside of moaning “make it stop” when I’m feeling the angst and obvious physical impediments (i.e., not being more than four feet from a bathroom), I don’t deal with symptoms. I do try to be proactive – like being an absolute nuisance if it’s a new (or old) restaurant. So my questions are do you get enough sleep? I know when I am sleep deprived, every symptom is heightened. Do you have a primary care physician and have you been to see him/her for regular checkups? I believe that is the best way to allay fears that something else is going on in your body. Shop around until you find one that understands celiac and gluten intolerance. Are you sure you aren’t suffering from more than celiac? Dairy? Corn? Sunflower? Antibiotic sensitivity?
And I reply to myself as follow up. Apparently sometimes it isn’t just another glutening or the anxiety that a glutening brings on. The doctor now wants to see me in person because the blood test he ordered showed my kidneys were only functioning at 60%. ~sigh~ Wonder where this one is going…
Good luck with your health!
My husband makes it, has 28 regular customers with some sort of an intolerance to gluten, including biopsy diagnosed CD, who have no symptoms when they eat it.
My husband makes it – true 24 hour fermented. He has 28 regular customers with some sort of an intolerance to gluten, including biopsy diagnosed CD, who have no symptoms when they eat it.
And this is where the real study needs to be done. There is a show on netlfix about an Italian baker who now has a thriving bakery in New York and that is entirely his theory. It also incorporates some of the different wheat theory. He only uses organically grown ancient grain varieties of wheat and ABSOLUTELY NO BAKERS YEAST! The theory that commercial bakers yeast is at the root of many peoples “gluten intolerance” is gaining traction. I make my own sourdough the same way – long fermented using only the natural yeast in the air and have no problem with that at all. Almost all commercially produced sourdough will still have some commercial bakers yeast in it. For anyone who might be considering trying sourdough, find an artisan baker who ferments with time and not yeast . You may be surprised. If anyone knows of any studies done on bakers yeast please share.
My husband makes it – true 24 hour fermented with no baker’s yeast. He has 28 regular customers with some sort of an intolerance to gluten, including biopsy diagnosed CD, who have no symptoms when they eat it.
My husband makes it – true 24 hour fermented with no baker’s yeast. He has 28 regular customers with some sort of an intolerance to gluten, including biopsy diagnosed CD, who have no symptoms when they eat it.
What is missing in either analysis (here and in the single study cited) is the actual mechanism involved: fermentation.
When you make yogurt, you need to heat the milk to between 160-180 F. Why? The heat denatures the milk-proteins to allow the bacteria to grow and use them as food. This is why yogurt becomes more solid: the protein structures are changing as the fermentation continues. This likewise happens when cheese is made. This is why many dairy-intolerant people can consume aged cheeses with no ill-effects.
What makes modern gluten so…gluten-y…is that it is a very tightly wound protein. If you start a wheat sourdough starter, you will notice that as the starter becomes more mature, the stickiness and such diminishes. Why? The bacteria and yeast are working on the gluten, breaking it down to that it can’t do its binding as we are used to. The actual process of fermenting wheat WILL breakdown the gluten. Clinical studies have shown that the fermentation of the wheat fermentation will make the result officially “gluten-free” (meaning below the standard necessary for marketing a product “gluten-free”, but not 100% gluten free). The gluten that remains is less tightly-wound, and therefore more easily fractured. In addition, the bacteria produce enzymes that we need to digest the gluten.
The above is why the celiacs in this study, as well as in anecdotes, can consume wheat without adverse effects. The issue, though, is the process used. First, modern wheat has considerably more gluten than historical ancestors (like spelt, einkorn, etc). Thus, it is highly probable that after fermentation with modern wheat, there is still a goodly amount of gluten remaining (even if weakened). Second is fermentation time. The longer the fermentation period, the more proteins are broken down. You can never be too sure about commercially produced sourdough, the length of fermentation, or even if they actually used a real sourdough starter, so store-bought sourdough should be avoided if you are gluten-intolerant.
Thanks for your thoughtful reply here Aaron. I understand exactly what you are talking about because I’ve made both wine and beer before. And it is true. More research needs to be done in this area, but it is certainly possible to make gluten-free bread by having all of the gluten in the wheat consumed by the yeast.
I’ve wondered about this a lot, both because of my knowledge of wine-making and beer-making (in both cases you’ve got specific strains of yeast consuming the sugars) and because I’ve tried *SOME* sour dough breads with no ill effects. Now you could sprinkle a teaspoon of flour across a dish of apple crumble and have me running to the bathroom before I’ve finished one bowl of the stuff. But I’ve eaten sourdough rolls and slices of sourdough bread with no problems.
I’m not saying people with full-on Celiac should try this. But what I’m saying is that there is some scientific research to be done here. I can see a day when wheat-based breads are tested for gluten AFTER they are produced and come out completely gluten free. It is just a matter of time and research spent on yeast strains, fermentation processes, and so on.
I am trying out sourdough bread made from wheat to see if it’s okay for me. I will be able to tell after a week if it’s going to bother me. I don’t have celiac disease, but I have hashimoto’s, and maybe I’m nuts, but I really can tell my thyroid getting worse after only one week of eating a grain that I am sensitive to. The theory goes is that the yeast from the sour dough bread eats all the gluten so you are left with gluten free wheat bread. I don’t know if it’s true. I do know that since my gluten intolerance and my hashimoto’s disease has gotten worse, I hate the smell of wheat. It’s a very, very strong smell to me, and it’s a very horrible smell. I don’t miss eating the wheat because the smell is so horrible to me. I was avoiding oats, because I read that 20% of people with celiac disease are allergic to oats. But, then I started to eat oats everyday and I could really feel more thyroid symptoms after only a week of doing that. I should have known better because oats smelled a little bad to me. Not as bad as the wheat though. From that logic, if something smells bad to me I shouldn’t eat it. Lately I really love the smell of peppers, cucumber, celery and basil. Maybe that will help me to feel better. The sourdough bread that someone gave me, doesn’t smell bad to me even though it’s made out of wheat. I wouldn’t have decided to try it out for a week if it smelled awful to me like most wheat does.
Hi GlutenDude! I was wondering if you’ve come across Bread SRSLY’s sourdough bread, made in a dedicated gluten free site from gluten free flours. It does contain a small amount of xanthan gum, but the starter is not wheat, it’s sorghum. Fermentation time is 12 hours. http://www.breadsrsly.com/ourproducts/ Also, I am hearing of people using water kefir to make sourdough bread with gluten-free flour and gluten free yeast, same 12 hour traditional fermentation time.
Must agree that gluten free products i have tried are dreadful. Agree with this who day just eliminate and dont use substitutes.
They are high in processed carbohydrates, full of suger and not nice. I am gluten and diary intolerant and I dont eat carbohydrates. Simple good food, lots if veg, fruit and a little meat snd fish. Easy to cook, tasty and easy to digest.
Schar bread is delicious. Their sourdough is made from rice flour. This bread can be easily eaten without toasting or grilling – soft and delicious!
Anyone tried using a Wheat Sourdough starter with GF flour? My husband is gluten intolerant, but I was thinking this might be an option with very little gluten in it. He’s not Celiac, but will be skeptical if I try it without doing my research…
Don’t do it…
Adding that the starter would have to be activated with wheat flour.
You’re spreading misinformation too.
“And these studies used a specific hydrolysis process created with specially bred strains of yeast and lactobacilli, which is not even being offered commercially.”
It’s not offered commercially because it surrounds us in the air we breath. It’s a natural bacteria that aids in the breakdown of gluten. Lactobacilli bacteria is a byproduct of sourdough starter just mix flour and water and it’ll show up on its own (everyone in the world has access to it). That hydrolysis process you talk about is also called letting your sourdough proof (rise over time). It’s during this proofing process that the natural yeast and bacteria break down the gluten. This is why many consider it safe to eat for gluten intolerant people. The study made sourdough bread the same way it’s been made for thousands of years. No special science necessary, just old fashioned baking.
It’s the commercially available yeast products that help bread rise faster but don’t break down gluten. These commercial yeasts are the reason we currently have so many gluten intolerant people. If people made bread the old fashioned way they wouldn’t have so many problems.
So what do I say to your mis-informed article?… NO!
You should study up before you push your agenda.
My agenda. That’s a good one. Gluten Free Watchdog tested sourdough bread. Result: 104,000 parts per million of gluten. Thanks for playing though.
What did they test? Store bought commercial sourdough, or properly fermented and proofed sourdough with a wild yeast starter? Store bought sourdough is usually supplemented with commercial yeast and isn’t a true sourdough. Still in the game.
You tested what- store bought sourdough, which isn’t even sourdough, or real old-world fermented sourdough from a wild starter? The stuff you buy at the store isn’t even close to actual, true sourdough. I’m a microbiologist who has studied yeast for longer than you’ve probably been out of school, but I’m also a student of history, and why do you think (hypothesis here) that people survived on nothing but bread for centuries upon centuries?
After trying several brands of GF bread and baking my own using GFJules flour, I can say that none of it has any appeal. I was able to tolerate bread in Europe made with wheat starch and I can eat several brands of sourdough bread. EVery person and every gut is different, Gluten Free Dude.
Except for pasta, I agree that most gf products are awful and they cost too much. Who wants to pay seven to ten dollars for gummy, crumbly, dry, tasteless bread, for instance? I stay away from it. Not even homemade bread is really worth the effort.
I agree that most comercial GF breads are not very good. I use UDIs but even that in a sandwich falls apart before I’m finished. I found a trick to make it better: microwave it (900 Watt oven) for 25-30 sec. This toughens it up just like standard bread so now I can at least finish my sandwiches. As for the other brands of GF breads, they are very good for French toast or bread pudding!
What’s worse is having to be gluten free and having IBS. Talk about tricky. I could write a book about the fodmap diet, wheat belly, etc.
I googled this because of a book I am reading. What is called “sourdough” in the current grocery store (or almost all commercially) are not true sourdough. I am a hobbyist baker and my starter dough is not in a sterile environment (clean but not sterile) and reflects true sourdough, the bread of which takes over 48 hours to develop a loaf of bread. I am wondering if this may be ok. Currently reading Never Home Alone by Rob Dunn. The premise is that in our attempt to eradicate the bad viruses and bacteria, we have killed the good bacteria that we need to keep healthy. He is a microbiologist. I am intrigued because since I took up baking sourdough again, I haven’t had a cold.
I have a friend who was diagnosed with celiac disease last year who now eats her own sourdough made from wild yeast and bacteria that she captured herself, fermented for 48 hours before baking, and she hasn’t had an issue with it since she started making her own.
I just wanted to share my results. First I am not Celiac. I have a diagnosed gluten intolerant (after MANY tests and eliminating certain food groups systematically until gluten was the determined the culprit) after being very sick for a very long time and then finally ending up in the hospital back in 2004.
I have been 100% gluten free since that time….until a year and a half ago after visiting a local craft bakery. After asking if they made gluten free breads, they spoke to me about the traditional sourdough bread (with natural starter) that they make. I will say I was VERY skeptical that I could eat it, but they said they had many people who buy it (gluten intolerant) on a regular basis with no ill effects.
To make a long story short, I tried it, and tried it more, and tried it even more. I realized after some time that I could tolerate sourdough bread made in this traditional fashion and not get sick. To further convince myself that maybe I was somehow cured of my gluten intolerance, I decided to eat a normal slice of white bread one day. BIG MISTAKE. I was sick the next day, and that lasted 2 days. Just like the old days before eliminating gluten. I took a break but then decided to again try the traditional sourdough. No reaction.
It has been a year and a half, and I eat this bread on a regular basis. I love it. I will caution anyone who is reading this tough, everybody is different, and what worked for me may not work for you. Also, it is important to only buy traditional sourdough bread that the bakery can confirm is made with natural starter. Many breads in grocery store bakeries sold as sourdough are just flavored to taste like traditional sourdough. This bread will make you sick, as it is not made in the traditional method.
Ok, thats all, just sharing my experience. Thanks 🙂
Hi! I am gluten intolerant. In 1956 companies started GMOing wheat. Most wheat has been so changed that our bodies no longer recognize it as food. This creates a real problem for every system in our bodies. There is a heritage wheat that is grown in the “Palouse” area of Washington state. They started growing the wheat in the 1870’s. I have been told that WSU is now working with the farmers. I tried some pastry made from this non-GMOed wheat on the way home from Seattle with no side effects. I am very sensitive to gluten. When I suspect that I may be getting some gluten in what I am eating I have to take something called: “Gluten Cutters”. It always helps me so that I don’t have the nasty side effects of gluten. We get it online.
You mean this (awful) product? https://glutendude.com/scams/does-gluten-cutter-work/
Anyone is entitled to an opinion but do yourself – and everybody else – a favor by doing some research.
There is NO similarity between those with celiac disease and celiac intolerance.
The disease is life-changing and possibly life threatening and to date there is no cure.
The intolerance is an inconvenience that is easily handled – in comparison – with lifestyle changes.
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Supermarkets claim to serve sourdough bread.
“Artisan” bakers claim they produce sourdough bread.
Yep, the bread is sour – because they add acid to regular flour and commercial yeast.
Commercial yeast – laboratory yeast – is fast acting and a loaf can be produced in around 3 hours.
Traditional sourdough yeast is very slow acting and ideally needs well in excess of 24 hours to produce a loaf.
This is obviously not commercially viable.
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Traditional sourdough will convert MOST of the gluten during the extended fermentation process – so the person who is gluten intolerant can often eat this bread with no consequence.
People with celiac disease MUST have ZERO gluten in every loaf – this can never be guaranteed.
Even a minute amount of gluten would have serious effect.
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There is a wealth of qualified information on this subject on the internet
Hey John…who is your comment directed toward? Thanks.
GD
“This is obviously not commercially viable”. Winemaking may take years, so “obviously not commercially viable” either.
I am a sourdough baker with his own profitable bakery. The idea that the real stuff is too expensive to make because it takes too long time is wrong. It also plays right into modern food industry’s hands.
Don’t repeat their propaganda. It is wrong, and it is toxic. And it undermines the hard work of people actually trying to produce the real stuff, like me. Among our customers are two Michelin starred chefs, which tells you something about the taste of our sourdough goods. But they count zip to me as compared to our hundreds of gluten intolerant customers.
You don’t know what you are talking about. I am “intolerant” and extremely sensitive to any contamination – moreso than a celiac I know.
There is a wealth of qualified information on this subject on the internet – try studying it before putting your ignorance on display.
I am a sourdough baker and an engineer with a long experience with microbiology bio-chemistry. I am not just “pro-science” but have worked with it for over 15 years. As a baker now for the past 5 years I have seen countless customers with gluten issues tell us how our sourdough baked goods solved their problem. Only one customer still felt still bloated after trying our bread. One out of several thousand customers.
Now let me be clear about this, there is no liars today as the food industry, which means you cannot believe at face value that there is such a thing as a sourdough bread. Just put some sourdough in a baked good and you can call it sourdough.
Well a true sourdough bread should never contain added yeast, it should have raised at least 10 hours at room temperature, the sourdough itself should not contain more than 42% water, it should be made with low gluten flours, hence ecological.
True sourdough bread not only breaks down gliadin to digestible proteins (actually amino-acids ) but it also splits open an otherwise toxic anti-nutrient call phytic acid to free nutrients and last but not least eliminates fodmaps or fructanes, starches and all other sugar related chemicals.
Gluten issues may affect over 10 times more consumers than celiac disease, yet the common scientific opinion is that is just a fad or something in people’s heads. Well it is not, because humans are just not designed to eat bread which suddenly contains much more gluten, yeast, fructans and in the case of whole bread phytic acid, lectins, mycotoxins, pesticides than what they ate before.
This accumulation of hard-to-digest stuff, toxic chemicals, yeast and the lack of pro-biotic lacto-fermented traditional food is responsible for slowly degrading our digestive bacterial flora. When this gallon layer of beneficial bacteria starts eroding it may progressively expose our intestine villi, which is supposed to absorb nutrients into our system. A healthy, mostly Lactic bacteria based flora is there to break down and filter these nutrients. They are the last barrier for food that is supposed to have been already processed by the same kind of bacteria before it was eaten, and deliver more of them to replenish your gut flora each day.
Modern food often does the exact opposite. Raw milk, as evolution, or God as you wish to believe, made it, contains the bacteria which start digesting lactose to lactase, then to glucose, casein to amino acids etc.. Pasteurized milk can’t do that, and homogenization has sprayed its fat into particles so small that they may pass the blood barrier. Then people are surprised to get milk intolerance.
The real problem is hence not gluten, fodmaps or lactose but the fact that we replaced traditional, health-improving processes with industrial versions which better suit industrialization logic but are taking away taste, health and even profitability. You read correctly, traditional processes such as sourdough are more profitable for the baker than modern yeast baking: no investment in equipment for kneading, rolling, raising etc.. allows me to use better, ecological ingredients, produce in a much smaller room, right in full view of our customers. Feels better too.
There a lot of piles of my vomit that can attest to the fact that sour dough bread is NOT gluten safe, gluten free, or anything else suitable for celiacs or NCGS
Canyon Bakehouse. always get it, never got sick.