Fermented Wheat Flour: The “clean label” trick in your bread

Have you ever grabbed a loaf of bread and thought, “Great, no additives!” — only to see it stay fresh for weeks? One sneaky culprit might be fermented wheat flour.

It sounds wholesome, like something a traditional baker would make. But don’t be fooled. This is more of an industrial trick than old-fashioned baking. It borrows the word “fermented,” but it doesn’t behave like a slow-ripening sourdough starter. Instead, manufacturers control the process to churn out propionic acid — a preservative that keeps bread soft and mould-free.

Here’s how it works: they ferment wheat flour with certain bacteria, which produce propionic acid. This chemical and its salts, like calcium propionate, are the same preservatives listed as E280–E283 in other breads. The clever twist? By labelling it as “fermented wheat flour,” companies skip listing the E number altogether.

Let’s break down what it is and what it does:

So while the label looks clean, chemically speaking, fermented wheat flour produces the same propionates (propionic acid and its salts, like calcium propionate) as the E numbers E280–E283. That means:

• Health-wise, any effects linked to calcium propionate or propionic acid would also apply to fermented wheat flour.
• Functionally, it acts as a preservative in exactly the same way.

Here’s the tricky part: the word “fermented” sounds natural and wholesome. In reality, it’s about shelf life, not nutrition.

The final crumb

Want traditional sourdough? Grab authentic sourdough or bakery loaves that skip “fermented” or “cultured” grains. Those ultra-soft, long-lasting supermarket loaves? They’re hiding propionic acid in plain sight. Don’t just take our word for it — the Real Bread Campaign has called this pesky ingredient out too.

We’re not saying it’s necessarily bad but it’s certainly not traditional and can have a negative effect on the taste and aroma of the bread.

Loaded Bagel

We have a banging bagel recipe coming up for you! A twist on the classic combination of cream cheese and smoked salmon. This upgraded version combines the saltiness of capers and smoked salmon with the creaminess of cheese and avocado. Add some fresh herbs into the mix and the tangy notes from the sourdough bagel and you have yourself a flavour powerhouse.

Get ready to make your jaw work overtime as you bite into the ultimate loaded bagel.

Ingredients

Good In Bread sourdough bagels (plain or everything bagel)

Cream Cheese

Smoked Salmon

Red Onion

Avocado

Cucumbers

Capers

Chives

Dill

Instructions

1.      Slice the cucumber, red onion and avocado.

2.      Chop the chives & dill and put these aside.

3.       Slice a couple of bagels in half (horizontally) and pop them in the toaster.

4.       Place several generous dollops of cream cheese onto a chopping board.

5.       Add pieces of smoked salmon and capers onto the cream cheese.

6.       Add the sliced vegetables from step number 1.

7.       Sprinkle on the chopped chives and dill.

8.       Chop and mash everything together and blend into a patty shape.

9.       Using a spatula, place inside the toasted bagels and slice in half (vertically).

10.     If you want, add more fresh dill on the top of the filling like in the photo below.

Good In Bread Pops Up at Shreeji Newsagents

We are very excited to announce that our first Pop-Up takes place this weekend in collaboration with Shreeji News and co-host Laura De Gunzburg from The Artichoke.

To celebrate we’re doing a giveaway, where we’re offering our first five visitors free Sourdough bread goodie bags! To be eligible, please follow the steps below:

Good In Spread

This week we’re all about spreading the loaf, so we’re eager to see your Good In Spread creations. 
Everyone loves their toast a different way; at Good in Bread, Jess prefers savoury over sweet, always opting for marmite, whereas Emily stays loyal to salted butter and honey. 

Which one are you? 

To spread the loaf, we’re encouraging you to DM or email us with your favourite spreads, and in return we’ll send you a free spread of your choice from our selection!

Please note that spreads will only be sent with an accompanying bread purchase (subscriptions are included in this).