Is Sourdough Bread Healthier Than Regular Bread?

Sourdough baking has been all the rage since the COVID-19 pandemic. What started as a fun little hobby for people stuck at home with extra free time has remained a staple for many families. While sourdough bread first jumped on the culinary scene due to its popularity during the pandemic, its health benefits have kept it on trend. What are these benefits, and how can you incorporate more sourdough products into your lifestyle? Read on for all that you need to know.

How Sourdough Differs From Conventional Bread

The verdict is in: sourdough bread is not going anywhere. In addition to being delicious and versatile, this type of fermented food is also easier to digest than many of its counterparts. To understand why sourdough is easier on the digestive tract, you have to understand how it differs from conventional yeast-risen breads.

Sourdough products get their lift from yeast; however, they use a sourdough starter to do so. The starter is a mixture of flour and water that takes on natural yeast and bacteria from the air instead of from the packaged active dry yeast used in more conventional bread products.

Part of the allure of sourdough during the pandemic is that the starter needs additional time to trigger the rise. The fermentation happens as the starter is coming to life, causing it to rise. It is this natural fermentation process that provides sourdough with its nutritional benefits.

According to Jordan Langhough, RDN, CPT, a registered dietitian and certified personal trainer, “The reason sourdough is easier to digest than other breads relates to the slow fermentation process. When sourdough ferments, the yeast and good bacteria do a lot of the ‘pre-digesting’ for you. These microbes break down gluten and starches before the bread reaches your stomach. This is why many people who feel bloated after [eating] regular bread can normally tolerate sourdough bread."

Jackie Bridson, M.A., RDN, a Florida-based registered dietitian, agrees with Langhough's assessment, explaining that, “Sourdough bread may be easier to digest for some people because fermentation changes starch structure, which can slow digestion times and reduce how quickly sourdough raises blood sugar.”

Sourdough bread is also lower on the glycemic index when compared to more common refined breads. Foods that are lower on this index are less likely to produce a sharp increase in blood sugar.

Additional Benefits of Sourdough Bread

But the benefits do not stop there. The lactic acid associated with the fermentation process has been shown to lower phytates in the body. Because phytates inhibit the absorption of crucial nutrients, their elimination means that the body is able to take in and absorb the primary nutrients found in sourdough, such as selenium and iron. The nutrient boost amplifies the heart, metabolic, and immune system benefits delivered by the bread.

The baking process destroys the live probiotic bacteria present in the raw dough. However, the bread still holds onto its beneficial prebiotic properties. These prebiotics then serve as postbiotics to improve the composition of the gut microbiome.

Fermentation produces lactic and acetic acids, compounds that mitigate mold growth. This is why sourdough bread does not need the artificial chemical preservatives needed in more conventional types of bread.

Lastly, sourdough's increased digestibility makes it a better choice for people who love bread but experience sensitivities to gluten. Regular sourdough still contains gluten, so it isn’t safe for people with celiac disease, but many people with mild gluten sensitivity find it easier to tolerate.

Enjoying Sourdough Bread at Home

Sourdough is the ideal product to get creative with in the kitchen. Start your day with a piece of toasted sourdough topped with a fried egg, avocado, and arugula. The combinations are endless when you use this bread as a breakfast sandwich base. The thick bread also works great in breakfast casseroles or as French toast.

Use the bread at lunch as a soup dipper or to make a grilled panini sandwich. Toast the bread and top with a smear of peanut butter and some sliced bananas for a balanced afternoon snack. Stale sourdough can be transformed into homemade croutons to use as a salad topper. Other creative ideas include turning it into garlic bread or panzanella.

One word of caution: because it is easy to overindulge in sourdough bread, you will want to be mindful of portion size. The high carbohydrate content can pack on the calories. You can mitigate this by limiting yourself to a slice or two and balancing it out with protein and fiber. This is why the breakfast idea of a slice of bread with avocado, arugula, and egg works so well.

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