Slow Baking - Why "slow" bread is healthier and easier to digest

In the industry, efficiency is always key, and this also applies to the food industry: The faster bread and rolls can be baked, the more can run off the production line. In industrial bakeries, the dough often only has one hour to rise. And even most local bakers nowadays use ready-made baking mixes or frozen dough pieces to keep up with the low prices. In self-service bakeries or at gas stations, it is even considered normal.

The main thing is fast - but is it healthy?

Unfortunately, more and more people are complaining about physical problems after consuming these baked goods. Stomach aches, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation up to irritable bowel syndrome are typical complaints. Mistakenly, the flour or gluten is then suspected of causing digestive problems. However, often the body does not react to the grain itself, but to substances that arise from the unnatural processes during baking.

Slow baking - definitely worth a try for irritable bowel syndrome!

Bread is a sensitive topic for patients with irritable bowel syndrome. However, it is not necessarily due to the grains. Possible triggers have become known as FODMAPs. FODMAP stands for fermentable oligo-, di-, and monosaccharides and polyols. These are low molecular weight sugars consisting of up to fourteen sugar molecules. They are not completely broken down in the small intestine of affected individuals and then pass into the large intestine. There, they cause painful bloating and other digestive issues.

Scientists from the University of Hohenheim found in 2016 in this context: It depends on the resting time of the dough! The longer the dough rests before baking, the fewer FODMAPs it contains and the easier the intestines can digest the bread. After a sufficient resting time of at least 5 hours, for example, a wheat bread contains only about a tenth of the original FODMAP amount and is therefore generally well suited for patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Healthy side effect: Through the longer resting time, more zinc and iron are released in a biologically available form.

The scientists conclude: The way bread is prepared has a greater impact on digestibility in nutrition than the type of grain. And this applies not only to patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

In the past, everything was better - when it comes to baking, this could be true!

Self-baking is the motto if you want to avoid industrial baked goods. In slow baking, you should also avoid all chemical additives. These include enzymes, preservatives, or leavening agents like baking powder. Although this extends the required proofing time, the result is unbeatable in taste and digestibility. A bread dough can rest for up to 18 hours before being further processed. But you don't have to sit next to it, you can simply let the dough rise overnight. Factor in this time before baking - then the bread will be ready on the breakfast table on time.

Good taste rewards the effort

The better digestibility is of course the main reason why Slow Baking is a meaningful trend. A nice side effect is the better taste! Due to the long fermentation time of the dough, the aromatic flavor can fully develop. Rolls become crispier and a bread tastes again full-bodied of the grain from which it is baked.

By the way, when buying an ancient grain bread made from, for example, emmer or einkorn wheat, you can more likely assume that the dough was allowed to rest for a long time. Because if a baker uses an old tradition of ingredient selection, he will most likely also consider the old tradition of long fermentation times. Ask your baker about the guidelines he follows to make his baked goods. You can also find a list of "Slow Bakers" at ww.die-baecker.org. Maybe your favorite baker is already a member!

Our tip for baking at home: Ask the older generations for recipes. In the past, people used to bake completely naturally without "baking accelerators" and only with fresh ingredients. And most importantly: They used to take the necessary time for it with pleasure.