The Library / Myths, tested

“Sourdough is fine if you can't eat gluten”

It is not gluten-free, and it is not safe for coeliac disease. Some people do find it easier to digest, for a different reason.

Why

Long fermentation breaks down some of the gluten and, more usefully for many people, a good share of the fructans, a group of carbohydrates that cause bloating in sensitive guts. That's a real effect and probably why some people who struggle with ordinary bread do better with a slow sourdough. But plenty of gluten remains.

Further down

For anyone with coeliac disease or a wheat allergy, wheat, rye, spelt and barley sourdough are all off the table however long they fermented. Bread made from gluten-free flours with a gluten-free starter is a different thing, and a different craft.

Words used here Starter

Updated 7 October 2026