Today’s story is about what’s known as the sacred trio of nutrition: prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics and their connection to sourdough bread.

This topic makes me super excited as it once again shows how meaningful sourdough baking can be, and uncovers new horizons that were not known before. Sourdough bread can be discussed in the context of all three of these parts, as it contains prebiotics and postbiotics–and probiotics play an important role in the natural fermentation as wel

Let’s start with prebiotics. These are the fibers or non-digestible food components in bread that feed beneficial gut bacteria. Whole grain breads, in particular, are rich in prebiotics like inulin and resistant starch. Prebiotics play an important role as they function as a food source for bacteria living in our guts. The amount of fiber intake is a subject of debate, but generally speaking, most of the people living in the western world have lower fiber intake in comparison to their ancestors. 

Also, a fiber-Rich Diet is the most important factor when it comes to promoting microbial diversity, as gut microbes feed on fiber to produce beneficial byproducts (like short-chain fatty acids, which support gut health). Considering that the standard recommendation is to consume at least 30 different plant-based foods per week for maximum diversity of gut microbes, sourdough bread is a simple and delicious option. 

White flour contains less fiber, but you can easily increase the fiber by adding whole grain flour or a mix of flours, seeds, wild herbs, spices and dried fruits and vegetables.

Although these fibers are not digestible, they can be fermented by gut bacteria, which is good news since the diversity of gut bacteria is often associated with stable health., For example, using fermented butter or eating a kimchi sandwich is a perfect combo of probiotics and prebiotics that would make any nutritionist happy.  

Let’s now move to probiotics. Like kimchi and sauerkraut, Sourdough bread is a product of natural fermentation and unbaked bread is full of living bacteria. However, baked bread comes out of the oven with an internal temperature of around 100 degrees Celsius  which means that almost none of these bacteria survive. But despite this nearly sterile condition, naturally fermented dough is still easier to digest simply due to the work done by bacteria.

 I am waiting for the day when scientists create thermoresistant probiotics that can survive high temperatures inside an oven, so bakers can add them to bread dough. Another potential technique is   something called encapsulation, where probiotics are coated with protective substances like fats or proteins. This coating protects the bacteria from heat during the baking process, allowing them to stay alive until they are consumed. In this way, sourdough bread could contain all three parts of the sacred trio.

Let’s move along to postbiotics. What are they and how do they influence our health when it comes to eating bread? Well, Postbiotics are bioactive compounds that are produced when probiotics break down. In other words, they are non-living byproducts of probiotic activity and include metabolites like short-chain fatty acids, peptides, enzymes, cell wall fragments, and other microbial compounds that exert health benefits. 

While probiotics are live microorganisms, postbiotics are their byproducts or metabolites produced by probiotics during fermentation–or while they’re alive. These byproducts have their own unique biological activity that’s independent of whether the probiotics (or, the live bacteria) survive or not.

Within the context of bread, postbiotics are the result of microbial fermentation—primarily from the lactic acid bacteria present in sourdough starters. In comparison to regular bread, sourdough bread wins again, because most conventional breads are made with commercial yeast, which speeds up the fermentation process and doesn’t allow for the development of the same rich, diverse microbes found in sourdough starters. As a result regular bread simply lacks the same postbiotic content because its fermentation process is too fast to allow for the same degree of microbial activity.

Unlike probiotics, which require living organisms to work, postbiotics are stable and can survive high temperatures. This is great news, because it means you can still benefit from these compounds well after the bread is baked. This brings us to the key benefits to eating sourdough bread:

First, it promotes digestive Health.
Sourdough bread is often easier to digest than regular bread, partly thanks to the postbiotics. The fermentation process breaks down some of the complex sugars and gluten in the dough, making it gentler on the human digestive system. This is why some people with mild gluten sensitivities can manage to enjoy sourdough more easily than regular bread.

Second, it improves Nutrient Absorption by promoting a healthier gut lining.

Third, sourdough bread has anti-inflammatory Properties. More specifically, some postbiotics have anti-inflammatory effects, which have the potential to help reduce gut inflammation.

And fourth, sourdough bread contains plenty of antimicrobial Activity.
Postbiotics can have antimicrobial properties, helping to keep harmful pathogens in check. For instance, some postbiotics produced by lactic acid bacteria can inhibit the growth of undesirable microbes in the gut.

Well, if you are listening to this podcast, you probably already love sourdough bread, and I hope I gave you a reason to love it even more.

This episode was recorded in the beautiful downtown of Bratislava Slovakia.

You can find the text version on my website mykolanevrev.com 

Many thanks to Mandy Jones and Pilota Creative for producing this podcast.

I’m looking forward to sharing another story in two weeks. Until then, please don’t make kimchi and kefir sourdough bread as the result might be a bit wilder than expected.

Hello and welcome to Sourdough and stories beyond

I am your host Mykola Nevrev, sourdough expert, cookbook author and owner of The Midnight bakery, soon to be Bloom bakery in Bratislava, Slovakia 

In each episode of this podcast, I am going to share a story from the wonderful, and sometimes strange world of sourdough baking and beyond.

Today’s story is about the mystery behind world-famous Manitoba flour and its hidden, but important ancestor.

If you know what Italian Panettone is or if you’ve ever tried to bake one by yourself, you’ve probably come across very strong wheat flour called Manitoba flour. Originating from the Canadian province of Manitoba, the name of this flour is now used worldwide as a synonym for high gluten flour, which is suitable for long fermentation and enriched doughs. that’s why it is so popular among bakers who bake challenging products like Panettone.

But then, why is the name of a Canadian province that  originates from the language of local Indian tribes now used as the name of a wheat variety and what’s the story behind it?

In my honest opinion, the story I am going to share is worthy of a feature film.

It all started in 1842 when Canadian farmer David Fife received a handful of wheat grains from his friend in Glasgow, Scotland. The wheat was obtained from a cargo ship direct from Gdansk, Poland and originated somewhere in Central or Eastern Europe. The grains were seeded in the late spring and as it turned out, this yet unnamed wheat was a fall variety that never ripened, except for three stalks, each bearing only a single grain. So if you’ve ever wondered if a single grain can make a deep impact on history, now you know that it most definitely can. This singular grain started the entire history of the wheat variety called Red Fife as the colour of the mature grains was reddish.

Red Fife soon became one the most popular wheat varieties in both Canada and the United States. The yields were high, and the wheat had a good winter hardiness, early maturation, and it was resistant to fungal infections. what is also important, was that it was popular among bakers due to its excellent baking qualities.

However, the origin of Red Fife was still a subject of debate. The answer to this question came 63 years later.

In 1905, William Saunders, Canadian agriculturist who, along with his sons, played a big role in the development of Canadian wheat varieties, received samples of a Ukrainian wheat called Halychanka, which was named after Halychina, a historical part of Western Ukraine). Grains were sown in an experimental field along Red Fife and were closely monitored at all stages of growth and milling after the harvest was collected. As you can imagine, both varieties were identical and the mystery was solved more than half a century after the first grain of Halychanka changed the history of Canadian agriculture: 

This meant that Red Fife had Ukrainian origins.

Interestingly, the very first record of this grain variety can be found in old Galician chronicles from the 12^th century.

A year before this discovery, another major event in Canadian wheat growing history took place. Charles Saunders, the son of William Saunders, discovered a new variety on the fields of the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa. This variety, named Marquis, was a cross between Red Fife (also known as Halychanka) and the Indian wheat variety Hard Red Calcutta.

Fun fact: during the winter of 1904, Charles Saunders didn’t have a proper laboratory for testing the results of his experiments, no mill or oven, so he chewed the grain to assess the potential quality of future flour and bread. As you can imagine, this simple method worked.

17 years later, Marquis dominated wheat fields in North America. Compared to its ancestors, this variety has shorter straw and does not lie flat, and it also ripens a bit faster than Red Fife which is important since Canadas Prairie provinces have a shorter vegetation period. In 1918 Marquis was sown on more than twenty million acres both in the United States and Canada, replacing some other spring and winter wheat varieties.

Let’s now return to Manitoba. As one of Canada’s top wheat-growing regions, it provided the name for a flour grade in 1912, when the Canadian grain act was created to regulate wheat trade and to set the standards for grading wheat. According to the act, to be graded as Number One Manitoba Hard, the wheat must be sound and very clean, the bushel must weigh no less than 60 pounds and must consist of at least 75% Hard Red Fife or Marquis.

 Red Fife, or Halychanka made a major contribution not only to Canada’s title as the Granary of the Empire, but also to the expansion of numerous towns and the industrial development of entire regions.

High-yielding Canadian wheat can be considered one of the reasons for the Allies’ victory in World War I, and it was also crucial during World War II. As the British High Commissioner to Canada stated, ‘Without the help of Canadian farmers, Britain would have lost the war in less than two years.'”

Manitoba wheat was introduced to Italy shortly after the war as a part of the Marshall plan and since then, its name has become synonymous with strong wheat flour with high gluten content. Today, when baking panettone, Italian bakers use flour named with a word from the Algonquian Native American language that refers to a Ukrainian wheat variety that originated in the 12^th century.

After being replaced by Marquis and other hybrids, Halychanka reappeared in 1998 as a part of The Heritage Wheat Project. By 2007, 450 tonnes of Halychanka were harvested.

Now, for a little plot twist.

My research on Manitoba, Red Fife and Halychanka was intended to share information about Ukraine’s grain heritage by posting this story on the Instagram account of Bake for Ukraine, an NGO I am proud to have cofounded. The post was scheduled for August, 24^th, Ukrainian Independence Day.

The same week Bake for Ukraine received support from the amazing project Bakers for Bakers, where almost one hundred bakeries mostly from US and Canada baked Palyanytsya, Darnitsky and other iconic Ukrainian breads and pastries to raise donations for the reconstruction of 2 mobile bakery vehicles. Listen to the second episode of this podcast to learn more about them. The baking marathon was a huge success and on behalf of the Bake for Ukraine team I would like to say a big thank you to all the participants.

Dave Bauer owner of Farm and Sparrow mill in North Carolina and founder of Bakers for Bakers initiative commented on the Manitoba post to my surprise, he works with Red Fife in his mill and he also has baking experience with this wheat. So here is Dave with a short take on baking with Red Fife.

Thank you, Dave!

Well, I think it’s safe to say, the mystery of Manitoba is successfully solved and I hope you’ll remember this story the next time you eat panettone.

This episode was recorded in the beautiful down-town of Bratislava Slovakia.

You can find the text version on my website mykolanevrev.com 

Many thanks to Mandy Jones and Pilota Creative for producing this podcast.

I’m looking forward to sharing another story in two weeks. Until then, please don’t sew just one grain in attempt to create world changing wheat variety.

Sources
http://www.careerchem.com/NAMED/Patents/SSymko-wheat.pdf

Hello and welcome to sourdough and stories beyond.

I am your host Mykola Nevrev.

In each episode of this podcast, I am going to share a story to inspire you to have more empowering experiences in your life.

Today’s story is about the connection between rye flour, Medieval witch hunting and a few other bizarre medieval bread traditions.

Warning, this episode mentions physical violence. 

When I first read this story, it impressed me on so many levels, and my first thought was: how lucky we are to live in a time when science and technology makes life so much safer and easier.

From the 14^th to the 19^th century, planet Earth experienced what’s known as the Little Ice Age, which caused a lot of unpleasant side effects. Cold summers and dramatically cold winters caused famines, scarcity and influenced the life of entire nations. The Climate changed dramatically: before, wheat and grapes were grown in Scotland and Greenland was actually green, but after the ice covered much of the land the border of wheat growing regions moved farther to the south.

During this time, rye proved to be a better choice as it was not as demanding of soil quality and it could produce a harvest even in a colder climate. In many European countries, rye bread was seen as bread for poor people, while rich people ate bread that was white and made of wheat. We don’t see white bread as a luxury product nowadays, but in Medieval Europe life was very different.

Rye was much more reliable, but on the other hand, the grains that grew in the cold and humid climate were a perfect substrate for a group of parasite fungi called ergot and the consumption of rye flour infected with ergot caused an illness called ergotism. Once again, we are lucky to live in a time when you don’t need to worry about dying after eating a slice of rye bread. Ergotism caused hallucinations, convulsions, gangrene and death in some cases, when the intake of infected grains was high. If the rye contained even 1% ergot it caused symptoms and if the infected grain was as high as 7% there was a high mortality rate.

Infected rye is responsible for thousands of deaths, with the last reported epidemic in France less than 100 years ago. Swiss chemist Alfred Hofmann synthesized LCD drugs from ergot thanks to its highly hallucinogenic properties.

The Order of Saint Anthony, a religious organization aimed at helping people suffering from ergotism suggested limiting rye bread consumption as a way to prevent illness. But This advice was  hard to follow during times of famine. Even when French physician Dr.Thuillier proved that ergot on rye caused ergotism, farmers did not take it seriously.

As toxins from ergon caused severe hallucinations, many historians acknowledge a correlation between the number of which hunting cases and the ergoism epidemic. Because the ergot toxins caused hallucinations and obsessions, people who were living in hush conditions tried to compensate for their difficulties by vying for power. So, They blamed their problems on witchcraft and other magical things. Toxins in the bread they ate only made these obsessive beliefs even stronger, and so thousands of women were tortured to death in addition to all the direct victims of ergotism.

As the Little Ice Age passed and the temperature increased, wheat started to be more widespread again and cases of ergotism decreased, which meant that a lot fewer women were buried alive..

Infected rye bread is claimed to be one of the causes of another grim medieval story: dancing plague. This phenomenon took place in Strasbourg in 1518, when during one summer month, as many as 400 people reportedly danced themselves to death. Similar events happened during the Little Ice age in a few other cities, and to this day, historians still don’t agree on the source of this behavior.

Ergot poisoning and mass hysteria are claimed to be the main reasons. Luckily, this phenomenon has not been documented in Modern times.

I didn”t have any personal encounters with ergot fungi, but earlier this year I spent an hour  in the National Museum of Ancient Art in Lisbon, examining the figures of the Hieronymus Bosch painting called The Temptations of Saint Anthony. Of course, I brought my sourdough starter with me to the museum He is a stiff starter named Luigi, and I always travel with him.. The painting was something out of this world, and I was absolutely mesmerized by it. Bosch lived during the most grim time of the Little Ice Age and some authors (like Laurinda S. Dixon) see the ergot poisoning and hallucinations as the main source of Bosch’s unique and grotesque style. So the painting that impressed me so much could really be the result of infected rye bread. 

While Eating bread during Medieval times could make you a victim of ergotism or dancing plague, it could also protect you–or even save your life. Shockingly, people made what they saw as protective bread using ingredients like urine or blood.

It’s certainly hard for us to imagine why people would do something so disgusting. Perhaps this idea was a product of ergot toxicity, but according to these bakers, this bread was supposed to protect you from witches and witchcraft. An Important note about the ingredients: only girls’ urine was supposed to be used. Only 2 witch cakes still exist and both of them are housed in UK museums. The cakes resemble spiky bagels and were clearly not made to be eaten. Basically, they are just containers for urine.

And if you think that this urine cake is the most bizarre bread recipe around, I have found an even weirder one.

The Medieval period was also known for its vampire stories and as you can imagine, anti vampire bread recipes existed as well in many East European countries. Supposedly, When the grave of a vampire was found, blood was extracted in order to make bread that would protect you from vampires. But in contrast to witches cake, you had to actually eat it to achieve protection.

All these stories now belong to a true Cabinet of Curiosities of baking history, and I feel blessed and privileged that I don’t need to be afraid of rye bread or to make bread with bodily fluids. I also feel sorry for all people who suffered from ergotism and it’s side effects.

This episode was recorded in the beautiful downtown of Bratislava Slovakia.

You can find the text version on my website mykolanevrev.com 

Many thanks to Mandy Jones and Pilota Creative for producing this podcast.

I’m looking forward to sharing another story in two weeks. Until then, please don’t add anything unexpected to your bread.

Sorces
https://www.britannica.com/event/dancing-plague-of-1518
https://bigthink.com/the-past/dancing-plague-middle-ages/
https://engines.egr.uh.edu/episode/258
https://www.britannica.com/science/ergot