What Sourdough Breads Are Low FODMAP?
Choosing a low FODMAP bread can be a difficult challenge on the low FODMAP diet, as many contain high FODMAP ingredients like wheat flour, honey, high fructose corn syrup or inulin. Sourdough breads made from wheat, wholemeal wheat, and spelt flours are low FODMAP because they contain reduced levels of fructans and GOS (2). This means they can make a great low FODMAP bread option.
How is sourdough bread made?
The tradition of making sourdough bread is thousands of years old. A culture (also known as a sourdough starter) is made from water and flour and left to ferment for several days with regular additions of water and flour (3). The culture develops the naturally occurring yeasts and lactobacilli found in the ground grain (3 4). Next this culture is added to the bakers dough. The yeast and bacteria in the culture feast on the carbohydrates in the flour creating gas, which causes the dough to rise slowly and leaven over a period of time (5).
Why are some sourdough breads Low FODMAP?
According to Monash University, the levels of fructans and GOS in the flour are reduced during the sourdough fermentation process (1). The yeasts and healthy bacteria in the sourdough culture/starter ferment the FODMAPs during the natural leaven process while the bread rises (1). This fermentation process breaks down the FODMAPs in the wheat or spelt flour and creates low FODMAP sourdough bread.
What flour bases for sourdough breads are low FODMAP?
Not all sourdough breads are low FODMAP. Some flours are higher in FODMAPs than others, and the fermentation process may not reduce the FODMAPs to a low FODMAP level.
- White Wheat Sourdough Bread is low FODMAP and the recommended serving size is 2 slices (109g or 3.95oz) (2).
- Spelt Sourdough Bread is low FODMAP. This type of bread sometimes contains a mixture of flours. Choose one with a higher percentage of spelt flour. A low FODMAP serving size is 2 slices.
- Wholemeal Wheat Sourdough is low FODMAP and the recommended serving size is 2 slices (97g or 3.42oz) (2).
- Oat Sourdough Bread contains moderate levels of FODMAPs. The recommended low FODMAP serving size is 1 slice (26g or 0.91oz), whereas 2 slices (52g or 1.83oz) of oat sourdough bread will contain moderate levels of GOS (2).
- Kamut Sourdough Bread is high FODMAP and can contain high levels of fructans, fructose and GOS (2). It is recommended that you avoid kamut sourdough bread during the elimination phase of the low FODMAP diet.
- Rye Sourdough Bread is high FODMAP and can contain fructans and GOS. It’s recommended that it is avoided during the elimination phase of the diet (2).
How do you choose a low FODMAP sourdough bread?
- The most important thing to check when choosing a wheat or spelt-based sourdough bread is that it contains a sourdough starter or sourdough culture. These contain the healthy bacteria and yeasts that break down the FODMAP content of the bread.
- Check for high FODMAP sweeteners. Always check the ingredient list for high FODMAP sweeteners like honey or high fructose corn syrup (5). In theory, the fermentation process should reduce the FODMAP levels in the sweeteners, but it is unclear by how much. If possible choose a sourdough bread that is made without honey or high fructose corn syrup.
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- If you don’t tolerate one brand of sourdough bread, try a different brand. Each brand will be made slightly differently.
Note on Yeast
Sourdough breads that contain yeast are consider low FODMAP. Previously, it was suggested that adding yeast (additional to the sourdough starter) to sourdough bread could mean it has a higher FODMAP level as it might take less time to prove. However, this hypothesis is not supported by evidence and we have low FODMAP certified sourdough bread that contains added yeast. Additionally, yeast itself is low FODMAP. This means we do not need to worry about added yeast. Just focus on choosing a wheat or spelt sourdough bread and test your tolerance to it.
Final Thoughts
Sourdough bread can be a tasty addition to the low FODMAP diet! However, you need to check that it is made from white, wholemeal wheat, or spelt flour and that it is made using a sourdough starter/culture. Also, remember to keep an eye on your portion sizes.
More Tools to Help
We know that taming your gut symptoms can be challenging but we’re here to help! We can support you through your journey from starting the low FODMAP diet to reintroducing FODMAPs and finding your food freedom in our FODMAP Made Easy programme.
Explore our 1000+ delicious low FODMAP recipes, plan your meals with our weekly meal plans, track your symptoms, and get extensive help for all the stages of the low FODMAP diet through our e-courses. All our resources are dietitian reviewed. So what are you waiting for? Come and join us in the FODMAP Made Easy programme!
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Hi
Is Irish soda bread made with spelt flour low fodmap?
Thanks
Hi Karen,
You might find you can enjoy 1 slice of that bread during the first phase of the low FODMAP diet, however more than that might become high FODMAP. If you want to eat a larger serve of bread then swap to a traditionally made spelt sourdough bread as the fermentation/leavening process will help reduce the FODMAP content.
Is bakers delight sourdough fodmap friendly
Hi Donna,
Bakers Delight actually make a low FODMAP loaf that has been tested and certified as safe for the low FODMAP diet. Try asking for that when you are in store.
Hi,
A serving size of two slices, does this mean 2 slices per day or per meal?
Hi Daniela,
Two slices per serve is for each meal. You can repeat foods throughout the day just leave 2 to 3 hours between each serve. I hope that helps!
Is Wholewheat flour the same as Wholemeal flour
Hi Joyce,
Yes wholewheat flour is the same as wholemeal flour. I hope that helps!
I have in’s, started aa sourdough starter with gold medal all purpose flour, white, am going to make my own sour dough bread, was going to use gold medal white flour to make bread. Is this Low FODMAP?
Hi Charlene,
Thanks for leaving a comment. Providing the gold medal all purpose flour is made from wheat or spelt flour then your sourdough bread should be low FODMAP at a 2 slice serve. Let us know how it turns out!
Hi
Can I ask you if i have gluten intolerance is that mean I have to eat gluten free or i can eat sourdough bread
Or lowfood map because it’s really complicated for me
Thanks for your help
Hi Mariam,
Our answer to you is it depends on what you’ve been diagnosed with. If you’ve been diagnosed with coeliac disease then you need to avoid all gluten. If you’ve been diagnosed with IBS then you might find that you are sensitive to the fructans in the wheat instead of the gluten. That means that some people with IBS end up tolerating low FODMAP sourdough bread well.
Hello again. A few days ago, I posted a question about making bread with a mixture of gluten free flour and spelt flour. Now I can’t find my question on the website to find if I received a reply. My doctor handed me a 1-page sheet about the FODMAP diet, but offered no guidance, and to my knowledge, there are no dieticians or nutritionists in my area familiar with it, so I’m on my own. I’ve had some confusion about appropriate breads, as the doctor’s list only stated GF bread OR “100% spelt bread” but didn’t mention sourdough. I have had some success with the diet over the past several weeks. Could you please direct me to the correct page where I posted my bread/flour question, if it still exists? Thank you.
Hi Linda,
Sorry about the slow reply. We’ve been having a few issues with comments disappearing! It looks like your comment might have been one of those. Okay so we tend to recommend traditional spelt sourdough bread or traditional wheat sourdough bread as the sourdough culture helps gobble up the fructans in the spelt or wheat flour which lowers the FODMAP content. This has been confirmed by laboratory testing by Monash University. It is possible that the list of foods your doctor gave you might be out of date so you might want to cross-reference it with the Monash Low FODMAP app. What flours are you going to use with your sourdough starter?
P.S. I am in the process of making a sourdough starter at this time.
Sorry, I’m just now discovering your reply. 🙂
My spelt starter failed. It was working, so I mixed dough for bread, left overnight to rise, and it didn’t rise at all, and I checked the starter and it appeared to have died, so I threw it all out, dough and starter.
I am this morning attempting again to make a starter, and this time will start with white all purpose for the starter. Hopefully it will “start” better than spelt.
I intend to use spelt flour for my sourdough bread (if my starter survives), but since sourdough does “gobble up the fructans” (and since I have a new bag of all purpose and no other use for it!), I might try a combination of spelt and all-purpose wheat, as the mixture might create a lighter loaf.
Thank you so much for your feedback.
Hi Linda,
Thanks for the update! I’ve got my fingers and toes crossed that your next start works and that you end up with a lovely sourdough loaf!
UPDATE: After my “new” starter had a week to “work” it seemed to be ready. I mixed dough and left overnight (a full 12 hours) to rise. Maybe it needed even more time, as it did not rise much if at all, but was very sour smelling. I was determined to have bread, so I decided to proceed and dissolved a packet of yeast in warm water, kneaded it into the dough, left to rise a few more hours, then baked. The result was a good loaf, but I was disappointed that I’d had to add the yeast so it wasn’t true sourdough.
After feeding my starter for a couple more weeks, I decided to double the amount of starter per loaf. The recipe I had been using, and most recipes I have seen, called for 1/2 cup starter and 3 cups flour per loaf; I used a full cup of starter this time, left dough to rise overnight, and it doubled nicely this time. After kneading and shaping into pan, it took only a couple of hours to rise above top of pan (even though the recipe said 6-8 hours)! This made a beautiful, delicious loaf!
Hope this info is helpful to others who might be having similar issues.
Awesome work! I hope your tummy is also enjoying your traditional sourdough loaf.
I make all my bread at home with all purpose flour. I haven’t gotten to sourdoughs yet though. Is all-purpose flour with salt, water, and yeast, low FODMAP?
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for commenting. It’s the bread making process that makes the sourdough bread low FODMAP. Your traditional bread is likely to only be low FODMAP at 1 slice serve and then will become high FODMAP. To enjoy a larger serve you would need to add a sourdough culture to the bread and allow it to rest/prove for around 12 hours. The bacteria in the sourdough culture will break down some of the fructans in your all purpose wheat flour and reduce the FODMAP content. Does that make sense?
Is it possible to make sourdough bread with brown or white rice?
Yes, we have seen sourdough bread made from brown or white rice flour that is low FODMAP. You might need to contact your local gluten-free bakeries to see what options they have available.
Hi, my son and I are making a rye starter as we were given a kit for it. If I use 100 spelt flour to make bread using the rye starter will this still be high fructan because of the starter?
Hi Sara,
The fermentation process in the starter will reduce some of the fructan content in the rye flour used in the starter. However, unless the bread is laboratory tested we won’t know the FODMAP content of the overall loaf. My gut feeling is that if you stick to a 2 slice serve of the spelt sourdough bread with the rye starter it will probably be well tolerated. This means we would recommend testing your tolerance to the homemade bread.
I’m new to the FODMAP diet and just began the elimination phase. Still very fuzzy on the sourdough ingredients. I walked away from a bakery loaf because it listed wheat flour but, after reading the posts, this may not have been necessary? These are the ingredients: “unbleached unbromated wheat flour ((wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), malted barley flour), filtered water, natural sourdough starter, organic whole wheat flour, sea salt”. Is this low FODMAP? Is it ok to eat? When is wheat flour ok? If it’s ok, can you explain why so I can begin to understand? Thank you 🙂
Hi Doreen,
Sourdough bread made from wheat flour is low FODMAP because the sourdough starter helps break down the fructans. We would suggest trying a small 2 slice serve of that sourdough loaf and see how your body goes. In theory, we think it meets low FODMAP criteria.
Also here is an article on wheat and the low FODMAP diet which will help answer your question: https://alittlebityummy.com/can-you-eat-wheat-on-the-low-fodmap-diet/
Hi there, I have found a company that ships sourdough but I’m still kinda new to all this so can you tell me if these ingredients are Low FODMAP…. organic unbleached wheat flour, organic sourdough culture, organic apple cider vinegar, water, sea salt. Thank you
Hi Jennifer,
Those ingredients look good. I think that sourdough bread would be worth trying. Let me know how you get on.
Hello, Alana.
In a low FODMAP support group, it was recently said that the malted barley in sour dough has yet to be tested as safe. I find this in many on- shelf sour dough breads. I saw it listed in the ingredients in an above question, but it wasn’t mentioned in the answer. So I was hoping you might be able to shed some light on this particular ingredient. I’ve been avoiding sour dough since reading this (in group); however, I am getting ready to make my own soon. I’d just like to know for those times I’d like to just grab a loaf.
Thank you for your time.
Hi Mary,
That is correct – malted barley is currently untested for FODMAPS. I’ve been doing some looking into why malted barley is added to bread. Apparently the barley malt contains an enzyme that helps break down the starches in the flour and then converts these to sugar. The amount added is normally small – about 3 to 4 teaspoons per loaf. This means the amount per slice of bread, in theory, should be quite low. We suggest trying a slice of sourdough that contains malted barley and just see how you go. I hope that helps!
Hi, I’m looking into starting to bake my own sourdough bread now. Is sourdough made with white flour low fodmap or should I be sticking to spelt or whole wheat? Is one better than the others? I’m having a hard time finding information on this so any guidance is much appreciated!!
Hi Becky,
Thanks for contacting us! Okay so we know that sourdough bread made from white flour is low FODMAP in small serves. That means you should be okay to use white flour in your sourdough starter. We wish you all the best with your sourdough bread making and look forward to hearing how you get on!
I’m sorry, but I’m so confused still. I’m trying to help my spouse who’s been given the lowfod diet, so bear with me. I’m reading the first paragraph. Wheat flour is bad, but wheat and wholemeal wheat is good? or Is it the process of making sourdough? Thanks for the site. I’ll be using it often.
Hi Sarah,
It’s actually the fermentation process that sourdough bread goes through that turns wheat flour from high FODMAP from low FODMAP. That’s why you need to chose a wheat/wholemeal/spelt sourdough during the first phase of the low FODMAP diet. Does that make more sense now?
Hi, do you know if sourdough pizza bases would be classed as a low fodmap? I’ve just started looking into fodmaps recently as have been having abdominal pains and other symptoms since April. I am slightly confused by the different types of information out there. I’ve noticed things like brocolli, orange juice and jam come under high fodmap on some sources but low on others.
Hi Caroline,
Thanks for commenting. We know the low FODMAP diet can be confusing and we are here to help.
I’ve had a quick look into sourdough pizza dough – it does contain sourdough starter culture which is good – this culture is full of healthy bacteria that help break down the fructans in the bread. However, the proving time (rising time) for the pizza dough is quite short (2 to 4 hours) so this might not be long enough for the bacteria to break down a large percentage of the fructan content. This means it’s hard to know what the FODMAP content of the pizza dough will be without laboratory testing.
This means we suggest you test your tolerance to the pizza dough once your symptoms are settled: https://alittlebityummy.com/can-i-eat-this-testing-your-fodmap-tolerance-to-untested-foods/
Now in terms of differing foods lists – most of the food lists you find online will be out of date. FODMAP research is being continuously updated and portion size is also really important. The best place to find up to date high and low FODMAP food lists is in the Monash University Low FODMAP App. Monash University is the lead researcher of the low FODMAP diet and the money you pay goes straight back into research: https://www.monashfodmap.com/ibs-central/i-have-ibs/get-the-app/
Could you tell me if these ingredients are ok or is this not the right type of sourdough bread? The ingredients are: Enriched wheat flour, water, yeast, vegetable oil, fumaric Acid, dough conditioners, calcium propionate, lactic acid, guar gum, dextrose.
Hi Tara,
We would recommend that you contact the company and ask if the bread is made with a live sourdough culture. If the bread is and the company lets it prove for at least a few hours before baking it then it is likely to be lower in FODMAPs. Let us know how you get on contacting the company.
can you add vital gluten?
Yes you can. Or you can make your sourdough bread using spelt flour or wheat flour – if you use these flours then you don’t need to add any gluten.
I am on the low FODMAP diet and have learned to make slow leaved sourdough. I have been making several things. I am currently looking at a recipe for sourdough crackers. it uses all purpose flour and whole wheat flour. In ? this post it says that white wheat flour is low FODMAP when made with sourdough starter. What is the difference between white wheat flour, all purpose flour, bread flour and whole wheat flour? Thank you very much.
Hi Tracy,
The flours you list are all wheat based and the fructan content will be reduced when the sourdough starter is added. The important point here is that the sourdough starter needs to be given time to prove so that the healthy bacteria in the starter can break down the fructan content of the bread. What we would recommend you do is test your tolerance to the sourdough crackers and just see how you go.
Hi,
Do you know if there is a difference FODMAP wise if the dough has been fermented on the counter or over a longer time period in the refrigerator? Thank you!
Hi Christina,
That is an interesting question. We don’t actually have data on temperature and sourdough proving. What we do know is that the sourdough culture needs time to prove the bread and digest the fructans. So as long as you give your sourdough culture time to rise the bread we don’t think it will be an issue if this done on the benchtop or in the fridge. You can always test your tolerance to the different methods if you are concerned.
Thank you!
This article is very helpful. Thank you. I started the FODMAP diet about six weeks ago and I’m starting my second re-introduction week. After the elimination phase, I felt better than I have in a long time. The re-introduction is kind of stressful but I’m learning my food sensitivities. My question is about sourdough bread. I made a loaf that I thought was safe on this diet but now I’m not sure. It is written for a bread machine and it’s a gold medal flour recipe. It calls for yeast to be added to the starter in the beginning and to the bread when you make it. The starter sits for seven days at room temp but I’m not sure about the proving time. It took about four hours for the bread to make in the bread machine which I don’t think would be enough proving. My question is, would I be able to prove the bread longer and then add it to the bread machine so that I get the full 12 hours required to make it low FODmap? Thank you for any advice.
Hi Yvonne,
That is a great question. It sounds like you are using a live sourdough culture to make the bread? If you are then that’s good – it’s this sourdough culture that will breakdown the fructan content of the white wheat flour or spelt four and make the bread low FODMAP in a 2 slice serving. We are also starting to find that sourdough breads with shorter fermentation times are also low FODMAP. That means if you are tolerating the bread as it is now then leave it in your diet. If you are still having symptoms, then either let the loaf prove for a little longer and see if that helps or remove the bread from your diet for a week and see if your symptoms settle.
I have just completed my 6 week elimination phase. Based on what I have read above, if I make Sourdough Challah with All-purpose flour (maple syrup in place of honey) and allow for a long fermentation process it should be low FODMAP? I believe all my sourdough recipes have long fermentations but my Challah is under 12-hours. I can easily change the fermentation time. I don’t use Rye or the Karmut Flours. I just use bread flour that is freshly ground except for Challah. Let me know if I am on the right track. Thank you in advance.
Hi Ann,
Thank you for messaging. Your sourdough sounds like it should be low FODMAP. Recently some sourdough breads with shorter fermentation times have also been classified as low FODMAP. That means we’d suggest you make your sourdough bread and test your tolerance to a 2 slice serving size. We hope that helps.
Is French sourdough bread low FODMAP? I believe they add yeast to speed up the fermentation.
Hi Sarah,
When it comes to sourdough bread you want it made from wheat flour or spelt flour and it needs to include a traditional sourdough starter. The starter contains an active colony of wild yeast and good bacteria and this is what helps break down the FODMAP content. If that starter is present then it’s a good sign that the bread should be lower in FODMAPs even if it contains added yeast.
Hi! My husband has SIBO and I am trying to find a local sourdough bread that he can eat, because he is super picky and wants the real thing. I looked up all the approved brands and am either not finding them locally or they’re gluten free which he hates. I found a local baker that says they use a starter and add “high gluten flour” to the starter. I tried to ask more about the flour and she said it was “bleached, so its wheat based”… sooooo would he be able to eat that?
Thank you!
Actually I just found another one that has the ingredients listed, it’s the whole foods Sourdough Boule, ingredients are: Organic Wheat Flour (organic whole grain malted barley flour), Organic Semolina Flour, Water , Sea Salt, Organic Cultures, Organic Sunflower Oil. Is this one or the first one okay?
Thanks!
Hi Stephanie,
This one contains semolina which we know also contains some fructans. This means we’d suggest he tries the other bread first and then comes back to this one at a later date.
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for commenting. We’d suggest your husband tries this first option. We aren’t worried about the gluten content as gluten isn’t a FODMAP. Instead we want to make sure that the predominant flour being used is either spelt based or wheat based. We’d suggest he tries a two slice serving and see how he goes.
Question: I do see where store bought kamut bread is not advised for Fodmap. But what about if I’m making homemade sourdough Kamut bread with no sugars at all: kamut, water, olive oil and salt. Would this be fodmap?
Hi Amber,
Thanks for commenting. Kamut sourdough bread is high in GOS, fructans and fructose. The fructan (and potentially GOS) content is most likely from the kamut flour. This means making the bread at home is unlikely to reduce the FODMAP content. What we’d recommend is that you avoid homemade sourdough kamut bread until you’ve done your FODMAP reintroductions, then you can test your tolerance to the bread.
Hi! This is a 2 part question. 1) is bread labeled as slow fermented the same? 2) if sourdough starter is in the ingredients list (in the top) is it low FODMAP?
Thanks
Hi Nicole,
Thanks for commenting. In order to answer your questions we would need to see the ingredient lists for the bread. Do you want to leave us a comment with those?
Hello. I am receiving a starter tomorrow from a friend to try to make my own sourdough bread. What recipe should I follow? Can you post a link? Thanks!
Hi Janelle,
We’d suggest trying a recipe like this and using wheat-based bread flour: https://www.theclevercarrot.com/2020/06/whole-wheat-sourdough-bread/
Just remember to limit your serving to 2 slices.
Thanks for the great article explaining this! Do you happen to know if emmer would be ok? I found a local bakery that makes a sourdough spelt loaf, but it includes emmer as well and I’m not sure if that would be ok at 1-2 slices.
Hi Dylan,
That is a great question. We don’t currently have FODMAP data for sourdough bread made from emmer. We do know that emmer is a high FODMAP flour. It is possible that the sourdough culture will help break down the FODMAPs in that flour too. What we suggest you do is test your tolerance to the spelt & emmer sourdough bread. Start with 1 slice – if there is no change in your symptoms over 24 hours then try a 2 slice serving. Again, if there is no change in your symptoms, then you can use a two slice serving of the spelt & emmer sourdough loaf.