The Sourdough Craze: Why All My Wellness Girlies Are Obsessed

Trust me, I was intimidated when I first started making sourdough, but now? Unless I know the bread is homemade at a restaurant, I won't touch it! I haven’t bought bread in ages, and the same goes for tortillas. I even joke with my boyfriend that making all this food is a full-time job!

But let’s talk about why sourdough is such a fantastic alternative to store-bought bread. Even if you’re gluten-free (or like me, someone who tries to avoid gluten), sourdough is often more tolerable. Here are my top three reasons why I love sourdough:

1. Diversity of Bacterial Strains

The fermentation process in sourdough introduces a variety of beneficial bacteria. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by all the probiotic supplements out there, sourdough is a natural, delicious way to get those good bacteria—without spending a fortune on supplements!

2. Decrease in FODMAPs and Gluten Immunogenic Peptides

Who doesn’t love less bloat? If you’ve noticed that gluten doesn’t sit well with you in the U.S., but you can eat all the pasta and bread overseas without issue, sourdough might be your new best friend. Thanks to the fermentation process, sourdough has lower levels of gluten and FODMAPs, making it easier to digest and less likely to cause discomfort—unless you have a true gluten allergy, of course.

3. Simple Ingredient List

And finally, my favorite part: the low ingredient list. Have you ever looked at the ingredients in store-bought bread? Even some sourdough options can be full of chemicals that neither of us can pronounce. When I make sourdough at home, it’s just flour, water, and salt. That’s it! Sometimes, I’ll add natural herbs like rosemary or a sprinkle of cinnamon for a little extra flavor.

So, who’s ready to start their own sourdough journey? Comment below if you want tips and tricks to get started!

 xoxo,

Naturally Lyss

Sources:

D'Amico V, Gänzle M, Call L, Zwirzitz B, Grausgruber H, D'Amico S, Brouns F. Does sourdough bread provide clinically relevant health benefits? Front Nutr. 2023 Jul 20;10:1230043. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1230043. PMID: 37545587; PMCID: PMC10399781.