We meet the occasional person who tells us they’ve bought their sourdough at the supermarket. Usually, that admission is followed by a complaint.
“I really didn’t like it.”
“The texture was horrible.”
“I don’t see what the big deal is. I paid almost $7 for a small loaf.”
We usually nod along with the complaints and then explain why there’s a huge difference from what we bake and what you can buy at the supermarket.
Traditional sourdough differs significantly from most commercial sourdough, with core distinctions in ingredients, fermentation process, production speed, and health benefits:
Ingredients:
Traditional sourdough uses just flour, water, and salt—fermented by a wild starter of naturally occurring yeast and bacteria. Commercial versions often include added baker’s yeast, preservatives, flavorings, ascorbic acid, vegetable oils, and other additives to speed up production and improve shelf-life.
Leavening & Fermentation:
Traditional sourdough rises solely via wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria in the starter, requiring a long, slow fermentation (often 12–36 hours). This process develops flavor and improves digestibility.
Commercial-grade sourdough often uses commercial yeast (for rapid rising in a few hours) and sometimes only a token amount of starter for flavour, rather than full fermentation. Some “sourdough” loaves may not even use starter as the main leavening agent.
Flavor and Texture:
Traditional sourdough is more complex, has a tangy-flavoured, open, irregular crumb and thicker crust due to long fermentation.
Commercial sourdough generally has a milder flavour, a uniform crumb and often a softer crust that is designed for consistency and wider appeal.
Nutritional Benefits:
Traditional sourdough’s slow fermentation makes nutrients more bioavailable, lowers levels of anti-nutrients like phytic acid, and fosters easier digestion.
Commercial sourdough may lack these digestive and nutritional advantages due to rushed processes or the use of modern additives.
The bottom line is you get what you pay for. The best part about Rock n Rise sourdough? You’re not going to pay much more for our breads than you would in a supermarket for commercial-grade sourdough.
In other words, store-bought sourdough is a non-starter.