FODMAPs & Fermentation: Navigating IBS and the 48h Degradation Curve
When you mix flour and water and let it sit, a war for resources begins. The bacteria hunt for fuel. If given enough time, they will consume the fructans, effectively "pre-digesting" the bread before it ever reaches your plate.
The Peacemaker: Levilactobacillus brevis
While other microbes are busy fighting for sugar, L. brevis is quietly performing a chemical conversion that has profound implications for the human brain. It takes Glutamate—an excitatory molecule—and transforms it into GABA, the molecule of calm.
pH Dynamics: Charting the Drop from 6.0 to 3.5
The true clock of sourdough is not measured in minutes, but in pH. The transformation of dough from a simple mixture of flour and water into a complex, digestible, and flavorful loaf is driven by acidification. Understanding the curve of this drop is the difference between a loaf that is bland and gummy, and one that sings.
What Is Wild Yeast?
Wild Yeast refers to the diverse populations of yeast species found naturally on the husks of grain, in the air, and on the skin of fruits, which are "captured" and cultivated in a sourdough starter.
Microbial Ecology: The Lifecycle of Your Starter (And Why It Smells)
When you mix flour and water for the first time, you are not just making dough; you are terraforming a new world. You are initiating a biological sequence known as Ecological Succession. This process is violent, chaotic, and predictable. It involves a war for resources, a "Great Extinction" event, and finally, the establishment of a stable civilization.
The "Sourfaux" Guide: How to Spot Sourdough Fakes
True sourdough is the result of a biological pact: a slow fermentation of flour and water by wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. This process takes time—often 24 to 48 hours—to break down gluten, neutralise phytates, and develop complex organic acids.
"Sourfaux," a term coined by the Real Bread Campaign [1], refers to bread that mimics the taste of sourdough without the time or the biological benefits [1]. It is fast food dressed up as slow food.
The Gluten Free Loophole
Sourdough is not defined by wheat. Sourdough is a technology. It is the biological protocol of using microbes to unlock the nutrition of a seed. And here is the loophole: The pact applies to every seed.