Dr Federica Amati on 'the problem' with sourdough - 'they haven't been made the proper way'

Dr Federica Amati has highlighted a 'problem' with sourdough bread. The naturally leavened bread, which does not use commercial yeast to rise, has become hugely popular in recent years, with its tangy taste and perceived health benefits helping it stand out from other bread products. Instead of yeast, it uses a starter - a fermented flour and water mixture that contains wild yeast and good bacteria.

And it does have health benefits . Its slow fermentation process means it often has a lower glycaemic index than its standard bread equivalent, leading to a slower rise on blood sugars. Other research suggests it takes longer to digest , helping you feel fuller for longer.



However, Dr Amati has sounded a word of caution. She says that many supermarket versions of sourdough are actually 'sour faux', because there is only a tiny bit of sourdough in them. Sourdough is not a protected name, so any bread can technically be called sourdough.

Dr Amati said: "The problem with sourdough in the supermarkets is that they are often 'sour faux'. There's a little bit of sourdough in them but they haven't been made in the proper way. "In the bread aisle, you’ll often find long ingredient lists with lots of sugars, additives and emulsifiers.

Even some of the supermarket 'sourdoughs' have a small amount of sourdough in the mix but haven’t been made using traditional fermentation methods." Sourdough is often pricey because of how long it takes to make. Each loaf from a traditional bakery might take four days from start to finish.

To keep the sourdough name but save on time, supermarkets may use bread which has a tiny bit of sourdough added to it. This means it can call it a sourdough while it is actually a very different product to that sold in a traditional bakery or one made at home. The Real Bread Campaign has called out loaves using the term 'sourdough' but which actually contain additional yeast as 'sour faux'.

On the subject of supermarket bread, Dr Amati says you should keep your eyes peeled for healthier versions. She looked at a standard loaf of supermarket bread, which had ingredients like wheat flour water, pulses, grains, seed blend, malted barley, flour, lentils, beans, sesame seeds, wheat, gluten, yeast, sugar, salt, glaze with sugar and glucose syrup, and vegetable oil. She said this was a far-from-ideal list of ingredients.

Looking at a 'hand-finished, seeded sourdough', she found it had wheat, water, fermented wheat flour, salt, and pumpkin seeds - but no added sugars or emulsifiers. "For a healthy choice, have a look for breads with simple ingredients like wheat, water, seeds, fermented flour, and salt," she said. "And avoid the added sugars or emulsifiers where possible!".