Here we go again!
Coles is now doing the same thing as Woolworths.. selling bread labelled sourdough when it isn’t.
What that means for me.. 2 days of feeling unwell. It has other consequences as well.. loss of productivity, mood swings, worry and concern.
Having had a stroke, everytime I feel unwell my concerns return to the symptoms of the stroke. It is debilitating at best.
COLES sells sourdough bread made by Laurent Boillon.
It has two versions:
- Coles Finest By Laurent – Sourdough = IS sourdough
- Coles Bakery Stone Baked By Laurent = NOT sourdough
1. Coles Finest By Laurent – Sourdough
This bread is a genuine sourdough with it’s dough a true sourdough. Note the packaging.
I have been eating this bread for 2 years without issue until August 2020. A loaf purchased instore produced the side affects described here.. lethargic, drained, listless and tired. Not quite ill or sick but feeling very low.
I hope this loaf was a one-off mistake by Laurent.
2. Coles BAKERY | STONE BAKED By Laurent – NOT Sourdough
This bread is baked instore by COLES not stone baked by Laurent.
It is NOT 100% sourdough
The dough has not gone through the 24 hour fermentation process. It is a standard dough with a sour flavouring (citric acid) added to yeast and then sold as ”sourdough”
It is sold in a plastic bag labelled Coles Finest By Laurent – Sourdough, not the black paper/plastic bad that the genuine product comes in.
Moral of this story: Buyer Beware!
What makes sourdough different?
Sourdough is ‘sour’ because it’s made with a starter culture – a mixture of flour and water that ferments to create good bacteria and yeast. This differs to ordinary bread which may not contain a starter culture.
What about the ‘holes’ inside? Well for many artisanal bakers, holes in bread are sought-after. Through a range of fermentation steps and stone baking, air pockets are formed by the yeasts. It’s these air pockets that help make bread light and delicate.
Does stone baking make a difference too? It certainly does. Baking the bread on stone provides an earthy flavour and a traditional thick crust that may not be seen in standard loaves baked entirely on metal trays. This method of baking dates back thousands of years.
Our Coles Finest by Laurent range is produced at a state-of-the-art purpose-built facility in Braeside, Victoria. The 30 hour recipe includes the entire process from when the dough is mixed, to when it is left to rest and rise and stone baked, with the final baking stage taking place in store by one of our bakers to create a soft, light texture with a caramelised crust, so you can enjoy this authentic quality bread daily.
Call for regulation
Bakers across Australia are calling for the definition of sourdough to be regulated, as it is in France, saying it is unfair that major supermarkets and bakeries sell an inferior bread at the same price.