Abby Johnston 2/5/26 Abby Johnston 2/5/26

Resistant Starch 101: Turning Bread Into A Prebiotic

Depending on how it is cooked, cooled, and fermented, starch can behave like a sugar, or it can behave like a fibre. It can spike your insulin, or it can feed your gut microbiome.

Abby Johnston 14/4/26 Abby Johnston 14/4/26

Fermented Foods vs. Pills: The Whole Food Matrix Argument

The wellness industry loves isolation. It takes a complex biological process, isolates a single "active ingredient," and sells it in a capsule. This reductionist approach has created a billion-dollar market for probiotic supplements.

Abby Johnston 4/2/26 Abby Johnston 4/2/26

Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity: Is it the Gluten or the Fructans?

Because wheat contains both gluten and fructans, it is easy to confuse the two. When you stop eating bread, you eliminate both. You feel better. You blame the gluten. But you may have simply lowered your FODMAP load.

Abby Johnston 31/1/26 Abby Johnston 31/1/26

The Survivor: Lactobacillus plantarum

Lactobacillus plantarum is a survivor. It is the "Navy SEAL" of the lactic acid bacteria. It is found everywhere: in sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, olive brines, and—crucially—in the most robust sourdough starters.

The Pact 18/1/26 The Pact 18/1/26

Leaky Gut Protocols: Butyrate Production and Lining Repair

The term "Leaky Gut" (Increased Intestinal Permeability) was once dismissed by conventional medicine. Today, it is a recognised driver of systemic inflammation, autoimmunity, and food sensitivities.

The Pact 18/1/26 The Pact 18/1/26

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.

Stress Baking Psychology: Mindfulness and Tactile Therapy

"Stress baking" is often dismissed as a quirky coping mechanism or procrastination. But psychologists and occupational therapists view it differently. They see it as a legitimate form of sensory regulation.

Bioavailability: How Acidity Neutralises Phytic Acid to Unlock Iron & Zinc

In raw grains, minerals are locked away behind a chemical defence mechanism designed to prevent digestion. This lock is called Phytic Acid (or phytate). Unless you have the key to open it, you are likely excreting the vast majority of the nutrition you think you are eating.

Longevity Diets: Sourdough's Role in Blue Zones (Ikaria/Sardinia)

In these "Blue Zones" (regions with the highest concentration of centenarians), bread is not a treat; it is a staple. But it is not the bread you find in a supermarket. It is sourdough. And it is arguably one of the most important longevity foods on the planet.

Meet The Yeast: The Sprinter vs. The Marathon Runner

In the world of baking, the word "yeast" is used carelessly. We treat the beige granules in a packet and the wild population in a sourdough starter as if they are the same organism just living at different speeds. They are not.

Sugar Hunters: How Amylase Unlocks the Grain

Microbes are hungry. To survive, they need sugar. But flour is not sugar. It is starch—long, complex chains of glucose molecules locked together in granules. For a yeast cell, a starch granule is like a boulder. It is too big to eat. Before the yeast can feast, someone has to break the rock. This is the job of Amylase.

The Invisible War: Phages

You can see mold. You can smell kahm yeast. But the most lethal predator in your sourdough starter is entirely invisible. They are Bacteriophages (or simply "Phages"). They are viruses that hunt bacteria. And in the dense microbial city of a sourdough culture, they are the apex predators.

Troubleshoot: The "Fool's Crumb"

In the pursuit of the "Instagram Crumb"—that wild, open lattice of air pockets—many bakers fall into a specific trap. You slice the loaf and see massive, cavernous holes. You celebrate. But when you eat it, the bread is heavy, chewy, and dense.

Scoring Mechanics: Functional Expansion vs. Decorative Art

Scoring is the act of creating a controlled weakness in the "skin" of the loaf. Without it, the massive pressure of oven spring will find its own way out, usually rupturing the loaf in an ugly "blowout" at the bottom [1]. There are two types of cuts: Functional and Decorative.

The "Scrapings" Method: Zero Waste Maintenance

Standard sourdough maintenance protocols are inherently wasteful. The classic "1:1:1" feeding ratio—where you discard half your starter to feed the rest—is a relic of a time when flour was cheap and understanding of microbiology was poor. Over the course of a year, a conscientious home baker following these rules will throw away kilograms of high-quality grain.

Tactile Metrics: The Windowpane, The Poke, The Jiggly Test

The only reliable clock is the dough itself. To read it, you must stop looking and start touching. These are the three Tactile Metrics that every sourdough baker must master to judge the invisible biology of the jar.

Butter: The Gluten Lubricant

Butter is the bridge between bread and pastry. In small amounts, it softens. In large amounts (like Brioche), it transforms the dough into a foam-like structure that is more air than wheat.

Rice Flour: The Non-Stick Shield

Rice flour is the one flour in your arsenal that should never go inside your wheat dough (unless you are baking gluten-free). Its role is purely external. It is the mechanic’s glove.

Olive Oil: The Lipid Softener

Sourdough is traditionally lean (Flour, Water, Salt). When you introduce a lipid like Extra Virgin Olive Oil, you are entering the territory of "Enriched Dough." You are trading some crust crispness for crumb tenderness.

Whole Wheat: The Thirsty Substrate

White flour is a fuel source; Whole Wheat is a meal. By including the bran (the outer shell) and the germ (the embryo), you introduce a complex array of minerals and fibres that fundamentally change the physics of the dough.

Thermal Death Curves: What Happens at 60°C?

When you slide a loaf into a 250°C oven, you are subjecting the microbial city inside to a rapid climate change. For the first few minutes, the yeast and bacteria actually work faster (the "Oven Spring"). But as the internal temperature rises, they hit a wall. This is the Thermal Death Curve.

Altitude Baking: Adjusting Pressure Variables

At high altitudes, the air pressure is lower. This invisible change alters the behaviour of every gas bubble and water molecule in your dough. To bake successfully, you must adjust your variables to match your environment.

The Ear: The Physics of Differential Expansion

The ear is more than decoration. It is functional physics. It is the visual proof that your loaf expanded to its maximum potential before the crust hardened. To get an ear, you must master the forces of Tension and Differential Expansion.

The Physics of Steam: Why Moisture Creates a Crispier Crust

It seems like a contradiction. If you want a dry, crispy crust, why would you flood your oven with water? Yet, every professional baker knows that steam is the secret ingredient. A loaf baked in a dry oven will be dull, dense, and grey. A loaf baked in steam will be glossy, voluminous, and shatteringly crisp.

Resistant Starch 101: Turning Bread Into A Prebiotic

Fermented Foods vs. Pills: The Whole Food Matrix Argument

Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity: Is it the Gluten or the Fructans?

The Survivor: Lactobacillus plantarum

Leaky Gut Protocols: Butyrate Production and Lining Repair

FODMAPs & Fermentation: Navigating IBS and the 48h Degradation Curve

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The Pact: Sourdough Protocols

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