GLUTEN

Gluten gets a bad rap these days. Modern culture demonizes carbs, and gluten (oddly enough, being a protein) is often associated with this category. Gluten is incredibly hard for humans to digest. Remember wheat is a seed, that contains the building blocks of life. But those nutrients must be germinated (fermented) in nature for the plant to flourish. During sourdough fermentation, a culture of bacteria and yeast work symbiotically to transform the grain. Bacteria and yeasts feast on the endosperm (carbohydrate or sugars in its basic form) and produce lactic acid and carbon dioxide. These lactic acid bacteria lower the PH of the grain which acts as a natural preservative and prevent spoilage. During fermentation, lactic acid cultures thrive and lower the PH. Gluten bonds are slowly unraveled and begin to break down. The digestion process starts here ! This is precisely why sourdough bread is more easily digested. When making bread, you develop gluten during the mixing, and bulk fermentation phase. You can stretch the dough and it becomes more elastic. If you over ferment (proof) your bread, it completely collapses. The bacteria and yeast have broken down the gluten to the point where it will not contain the co2 during baking.

The role of gluten in baking is to trap co2 and allow the bread to rise. Imagine Gluten as a balloon. Under developed gluten , not enough strength to trap the vigorous co2 production.

What’s frustrating is that humans figured this out centuries ago. Perhaps by accident. Bread has been the cornerstone of nutrition for the world for hundreds of years. No issues with gluten sensitivity back then. Interestingly enough , when commercial yeast became the standard, gluten sensitivity sky rocketed.

It’s time to go back to old world technique with modern understanding and finesse.

Short and sweet (and cliche),  if your bread has any ingredients you don’t recognize it’s probably shit bread. You are what you eat.