Sourdough fermentation takes away gluten in baked goods

WHEN wheat flour is subjected to sourdough fermentation, it can yield gluten-free baked goods, according to Carlo Giuseppe Rizzello, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of Bari, Italy. Gluten-free products are safe for those with celiac disease and other gluten sensitivities.

Presenting his study at the IFT15: Where Science Feeds Innovation hosted by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) in Chicago, Mr Rizzello said the bread that undergoes the sourdough fermentatio process is not only gluten-free, but also tastes like regular bread -- not sour like sourdough. The product also has an extended shelf life, and contains more minerals, vitamins, amino acids and fiber.

The slightly sour taste of sourdough comes from the lactic acid produced by the lactobacilli it is fermented with.

“The advantage of this bread is the taste,” Mr Rizello said. “This bread is refined so it is more similar to conventional white flour bread, but is more nutritious.”

The process he studied uses water, wheat flour, fungal proteases and sourdough lactic acid to produce a hydrolyzed wheat flour suitable for baking that reacts like gluten flour.

According to the US statistics, one in every 133 persons suffers from celiac disease, an autoimmune reaction to consuming the protein gluten.