Can Sourdough Bread Made Using Wheat Flour Be Gluten-Free?

[Scott Adams]

After seeing this press release:

https://utahstories.com/2022/02/ime-travelers-bread-provos-bakery-makes-avoiding-gluten-a-thing-of-the-past/

I am just opening up this topic for discussion. It's about this company:

https://timetravelersbakery.com/

which:

Quote

Time Traveler’s bread uses a unique double-heavy fermentation process which they developed. “The fermentation process breaks down the gluten and carbohydrate structure, so it won’t spike your blood sugar,” Nathan says. 

Basically, the gluten is pre-digested by the fermentation process so the bread is suitable for those with gluten sensitivities.

The site does not claim that it is suitable for celiacs, which I doubt it would be, but we've done articles on this topic in the past, and there have been studies done on this process:

https://www.celiac.com/search/?&q=sourdough&type=cms_records2&search_and_or=and&search_in=titles

There is even a study done on using sourdough bread using AN-PEP enzymes:

 

 

[joelmw]

I admit to being intrigued and think it is indeed a worthy topic of discussion. It would be nice to discover that there is a process that renders wheat bread truly safe for celiacs. As the links you included note, of course, there isn't.

But I think you're giving the article too much credit (yes, arguably we should all know better than to be led astray by anything in the non-celiac press).

On 2/14/2022 at 12:31 PM, Scott Adams said:

The site does not claim that it is suitable for celiacs, which I doubt it would be . . .

Indeed, the article doesn't explicitly claim that the product is suitable for celiacs, but it doesn't clearly say that it isn't. And without any kind of support indicating the product is safe, it (and the baker) should clearly acknowledge that it isn't. They don't. They kind of suggest that it might be:
 

Quote

“Some people with celiac [disease] have found that it isn’t quite good for them, and it doesn’t work for every type of gluten sensitivity, but the majority of people we have encountered have said that our product has helped them get wheat back in their lives.” 

We can quibble over the grammar, but at best it's unclear. Saying "some people with celiac disease" implies that there exist "other people with celiac disease", especially when followed by a positive assertion for "the majority of people we have encountered" (in a paragraph about celiac disease). "Isn't quite good for them" is also a remarkably weak. In truth, it's not just "not quite good"; it's bad, toxic, poisonous. Were they being forthcoming, they'd acknowledge that the product isn't suitable (or at least isn't known to be suitable) for those of us with celiac disease--and not just unsuitable for some, but unsuitable for all.

I'll admit that it's not the most misleading verbiage I've seen, but it's nowhere near appropriate; it is in fact dangerous. There are numerous ways they could have made it better and it's not far from outright lying. They didn't even have to mention celiac disease. Having done so, they could have quickly cited the fact that there's a difference between "gluten sensitivity" and celiac disease. It's a fluff piece more interested in propping up the product than in conveying information. Indeed, the "reporter" seems fine throwing in misinformation in service to the cause. The baker and the reporter should both be ashamed. It's hard to believe that the baker doesn't know better; and if he doesn't, he should. We should expect better; and we shouldn't accept someone out to make a buck spinning the facts at our expense. 

All that being said, I admit to being hopeful that something in this general vicinity might some day actually be good for us.

[HeinG]

I am quite confused, being a baker of Sourdough breads.

Apparently Sourdough breaks down the gluten considerably, I cannot get real clarity on this, but what I can gather - let’s say 100-fold.

 

For simplicity I give you a simplified recipe:

1) 33.3% Rye Flour @ 3% gluten 

2) 33.3% Rye Sourdough starter (= 50% Rye flour + 50% water) @ 0.03% gluten

3) 33.3% water

 

If this bread was 1 kg; the calculation would lead me to:

1) 10g gluten

2) 0.1g gluten

3) 0 gluten

 

That is a total of 10.1g of gluten in a 1kg bread. That would be 10,100ppm.

 

 

and another example:

1) 33.3% White Flour @ 14% gluten 

2) 33.3% Rye Sourdough starter (= 50% Rye flour + 50% water) @ 0.03% gluten

3) 33.3% water

 

If this bread was 1 kg; the calculation would lead me to:

1) 46.6g gluten

2) 0.1g gluten

3) 0 gluten

 

That is a total of 47.7g of gluten in a 1kg bread. That would be 47,700ppm.

 

 

Of course that is not even near “gluten-free” (<20ppm), but so much better than regular bread containing 124,000ppm of gluten.

 

Is there anything wrong in my thinking here?

All input much appreciated.

[Wheatwacked]

If you are dealing with Celiac Disease any gluten is not good.

For those without Celiac Disease or Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity I think the issue with wheat is the Omega 6:3 ratio of 22:1.  It's why Omega 3 supplements are popular to balance that very high amount of inflammatory food in our diets.

[Scott Adams]

17 hours ago, HeinG said:

I am quite confused, being a baker of Sourdough breads.

Apparently Sourdough breaks down the gluten considerably, I cannot get real clarity on this, but what I can gather - let’s say 100-fold.

 

For simplicity I give you a simplified recipe:

1) 33.3% Rye Flour @ 3% gluten 

2) 33.3% Rye Sourdough starter (= 50% Rye flour + 50% water) @ 0.03% gluten

3) 33.3% water

 

If this bread was 1 kg; the calculation would lead me to:

1) 10g gluten

2) 0.1g gluten

3) 0 gluten

 

That is a total of 10.1g of gluten in a 1kg bread. That would be 10,100ppm.

 

 

and another example:

1) 33.3% White Flour @ 14% gluten 

2) 33.3% Rye Sourdough starter (= 50% Rye flour + 50% water) @ 0.03% gluten

3) 33.3% water

 

If this bread was 1 kg; the calculation would lead me to:

1) 46.6g gluten

2) 0.1g gluten

3) 0 gluten

 

That is a total of 47.7g of gluten in a 1kg bread. That would be 47,700ppm.

 

 

Of course that is not even near “gluten-free” (<20ppm), but so much better than regular bread containing 124,000ppm of gluten.

 

Is there anything wrong in my thinking here?

All input much appreciated.

There is research that has been done, and will be done on this idea:

 

More articles are at:
https://www.celiac.com/search/?&q="sourdough"&type=cms_records2&quick=1&search_and_or=and&search_in=titles&sortby=relevancy