FAQ

Why do your breads suitable for a gluten-free diet say 'may contain gluten'?

We make every effort to keep our naturally gluten-free breads free from gluten, including a separate area with a dedicated mill, mixing bowls, baking tins, containers, utensils, but we also make bread with gluten in the same bakery. Our risk assessment concluded that we cannot guarantee that every loaf will be 100% gluten-free. We have many satisfied customers for our gluten-free bread, including coeliacs and those with gluten intolerance - see What people say.

Please don't be disappointed - our bread is the best (naturally) gluten-free bread you can buy. We don't want to be criticised for following the law but we are about making REALLY TASTY and HEALTHY bread because it is the only bread we would eat ourselves.

We are following the legally prescribed way to label our products. All labels have been passed by Trading Standards.

By law a producer has to do a risk assessment, and the words 'may contain gluten' are legally prescribed if a gluten contamination is found to be a possible risk. You will see lots of 'may contain' labels on the shelves. The ingredients have to be listed first - then you have to repeat known allergens by saying contains:... and then you have to say 'may contain' if there is a risk. It does not mean you put it there.

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What does 'naturally' gluten-free mean?

Legislation prescribes us to use the term "Made with non-gluten containing ingredients" and we are allowed to say "naturally gluten-free". As we also make gluten containing products in our bakery, we add "may contain gluten" (similar to reading "may contain nuts" on a product which has no nuts in it) and to explain that we make our bread with non-gluten-containing ingredients. It does not mean that we add gluten.

In their natural state these ingredients do not contain gluten. Other bakeries may use Codex wheat starch. You may see a product which is ‘gluten-free’ (food containing less than 20ppm of gluten) or 'very low gluten' (foods containing between 20 and 100ppm gluten) but it lists 'wheat' as an ingredient. The gluten is removed from the wheat in a technical process that we are not familiar with - probably highly processed. This starch is called 'Codex' starch. Codex Standards promote mass production of food - we feel we can provide a natural alternative to breads 'glued' together with Xanthan gum, egg powder (probably from factory farming) and potato flour. These breads are not naturally gluten-free. The grains we use have by NATURE no gluten - BIG DIFFERENCE.

Gluten is a protein present in many grains, such as wheat, rye, spelt and barley. These grains are not gluten-free by nature. Artisan bread only uses naturally gluten-free grains such as rice, quinoa, buckwheat and millet as well as legumes, like pea and soya.

You can buy Coeliac-approved bread in chemists and Supermarkets which is so horrible that you might as well eat a bowl of rice - much nicer. It may be gluten-free but it is also full of additives and stabilisers and Xantham Gum to hold it together. We see no health giving-property in that and certainly no pleasure in eating it. The choice is yours.

Our bread is not just for people with a food intolerance. Our aim is to make bread that tastes good for everyone and is as healthy as possible too. If you like our bread, then please tell all your friends about us. Please let us know what you think if you are going to buy the bread! Enjoy.

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Xanthan gum – how did that stuff get from the oil rig into bread?

Xanthan gum – E415 is produced by fermentation of glucose or sucrose from corn, wheat, soy or whey with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris (the bacterium responsible for the black rot on cabbage). It was discovered by a research team at the United States Department of Agriculture, it is largely used to thicken drilling mud in the oil industry to prevent blow outs. It was approved for use in foods after extensive animal testing for toxicity in 1968.

The gluten free myth

The excuse for using Xanthan gum in bread is that gluten-free bread is apparently crumbly? Sticky rice is gluten-free - nothing crumbly about that. Our bread is not crumbly and yet contains no gum. The art of making good gluten-free bread is to understand how the starch molecules absorb water. In our experience gluten-free flour is also very sensitive to oxidation, we found that after just one week gluten-free flour tastes bitter.

These bitter tastes need masking in gluten-free bread – this job can be done with potato flour and egg. We mill all our flour fresh for each bake from the whole grain/seed/legume. We also sell the fresh flour on our internet shop. We recommend you refrigerate or freeze the flour for a clean sweet taste. Especially linseed oxidises within 1-2 hours after milling. Yet once baked it is stabilised, there is nothing as delicious as a crusty linseed loaf!

Just one single teaspoon of Xanthan gum will turn a glass of water into thick glue. We baked this glue in an old muffin tin to see what happens - the tin came out shiny and clean! What does Xanthan gum do to the human digestive system if it cleans carbon coated metal? The recommended dose for baking a loaf is two teaspoons of Xanthan gum, but it still left a hole in loaf we picked randomly from a Supermarket shelf.

Artisan v Genius

The Telegraph compared Genius Bread to ABO Bread on 20th January 2011. In the discussion that followed a number of people concluded that Xanthan Gum was causing them heart burn. Genius would not give any information on the use of enzymes when Rose Prince asked them whether they use enzymes to keep the bread soft. Read the Telegraph article.

Allergy Symptoms

Wendy Cohen reports on her website celiac.com that some people are allergic to Xanthan gum, with symptoms of intestinal gripes, diarrhea, temporary high blood pressure, and migraines.

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Spelt is wheat isn’t it?

Some spelt (triticum spelta) species are crossed with common wheat (triticum aestivum) to enable farmers to use fertiliser to increase the yield. Both are part of the wheat family triticum but have many different properties (it’s like calling red cabbage and Brussels sprouts the same – they are both from the cabbage family but are quite different). These spelt breeds are known not to have been crossed with wheat (triticum aestivum): Sirino (a biodynamic breed), Oberkulmer Rotkorn, Frankenkorn, Schwabenkorn, Bauerlaender, Steiners Roter Tiroler and Holstenkorn. We only buy spelt from farms who can specify the breed of spelt that they grow. See website for farm of origin.

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Why do so many people have problems with wheat but seem to be ok with Spelt?

Not only do spelt (triticum spelta) and wheat (triticum aestivum) plants and grains look different, behave differently in baking, have botanical differences, but according to Dr. D'Adamo they also react differently with the lectins in your blood, making spelt suitable for blood Group 0 (unless you have an allergy). Since blood group 0 make up around 50% of the population this may explain the endless speculations why wheat is ok for some and not for others. We therefore label our spelt bread suitable for blood group 0, whereas wheat bread is not suitable for blood group 0.

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I have Candida. Can I eat this bread?

The carbohydrates in artisan bread are prepared for the human organism rather than feeding fungal organisms that might be present in our bodies as is the case when people suffer from Candida overgrowth. Starved of yeast and sugar, these fungal organisms can be held in check by the body. See the list of practitioners on our website that recommend ABO bread for more advices on how to fight candida.

See Suzanne Ducket's report on fighting Candida in What the papers say.

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Is your bread yeast free?

Artisan Bread does not use baker's yeast...

Bread is an essential part of daily nutrition for many of us, but it can also be a burden to the digestive system.

Using leavening agents such as yeast or baking soda does not change the unripe nature of the grain, making it difficult to digest. The body produces mucous in reaction to the constituents of the grain, which is in a form designed for long-term storage. The baking ferment method replicates the process of sprouting as the grain changes to provide nourishment for the living organism.

This process also produces less acid residue in the body.

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What’s wrong with yeast?

This paragraph will attempt to explain the difference between baking with baking ferment, sourdough.

Baking ferment is used instead of yeast in many Demeter (Biodynamic) bakeries across the world.

At Artisan Bread we bake very special organic bread and it gives us great pleasure to see it appreciated and enjoyed by so many people.

What happens in a yeast factory...

In order to find even cheaper ways of producing yeast and to satisfy the demands of the modern baking industry, extensive programmes for strain development of S.cerevisiae (Baker’s yeast)are taking place using genetic manipulation and some strains have even been patented. These programmes involve gene-altering techniques such as mutagenesis, hybridization, protoplast fusion, transformation and DNA technology. Starting from a pure culture of selected strains it only takes about 6-8 days to produce thousands of kilos of baker’s yeast. The growing yeast requires a source of sugars, alcohol and organic acids. Nitrogen is also essential for yeast growth. Cane and beet molasses were initially found to be the cheapest growing medium; whey (from milk) and corn syrup are even cheaper. S. cerevisiae (Baker’s yeast) does not have the necessary enzymes to utilise the lactose in whey, so a new strain has been developed through genetic engineering! Sources of nitrogen used to be based on ammonia, but it is now possible to use urea.

Comment:

Undoubtedly this helps to produce yeast cheaply and quickly but do these companies ever consider what effect this has on our health and the environment?

Baking with yeast...

Conventional bread making used to involve a ‘sponge dough’ method. About two-thirds of the flour, mixed with water and yeast is left to ferment, and then the remaining flour, water and salt is added and mixed to smooth dough. The dough is then divided into pieces and moulded, while being allowed to rest for short periods in between these operations.

During the proving periods, fermentation and leavening of the dough continued. Finally the bread is baked in a hot oven. The fermentation action of the yeast produces carbon dioxide. Trapped in tiny bubbles in the dough this gas expands further in the heat, causing the bread to rise. Steam and alcohol evaporate and the coagulated gluten sets to form the crumb.

This conventional sponge dough technology requires about 15 hours, but much faster industrial methods have been developed.

Factory Baking...

Fermentation of the dough has been replaced by intense mechanical working and the addition of chemical bread ‘improvers’ and lots of enzymes to add flavour. The dough is ready for baking in minutes!

Industrial baking uses around 2% yeast: coupled with high speed mixing, industrial dough is ready for baking in minutes. Baker’s Yeast (S. cerevisiae) is usually a genetically modified single strain variety. (According to BIOREAL, makers of organic yeast, 1 tonne of industrial yeast produces 1/3 of its weight as poorly degradable effluent; containing: 75kg ammonia solution, 15kg sulphuric acid, 11kg phosphoric acid, 4kg magnesium sulphate and 10kg detergents). ‘Effluent’ from organic yeast production is mixed with fruit juice and sold as an organic drink.

Comment:

Since baker’s yeast is a single strain variety, it will only metabolise those parts of the grain that are necessary for that particular strain to grow. Many microorganisms that become active in sourdough or our baking ferment process, combined with long proofing periods are responsible for the development of aroma, taste and digestibility. These are missing entirely in yeast and can hardly be replaced by the use of chemical ‘bread improvers’ and added enzymes. The old-fashioned ‘sponge dough’ method, which allowed the dough to ferment overnight, has been abolished in large bakeries.

WE DO NOT USE YEAST!

Yeast is only suitable for the production of wheat breads since it relies on the wheat gluten, which is only available in wheat, forming a viscoelastic film to retain the gas.

Baking with sourdough...

This dough is fermented with the aid of wild yeasts and airborne acid-producing bacteria. Sourdough creates the conditions that make rye flour bakeable: rye has less starch and less protein than wheat but more soluble sugar and water-binding pentosans; it also contains more enzymes for breaking down starch; sourdough helps to give rye bread structure and elasticity. Sourdough allows the natural enzymes to form the dough structure. Sourdough produces lactic and acetic acid for taste and aroma.

There are several methods to produce sourdough, from a single phase to a three-phase process. Basically, a sourdough is started by mixing equal parts of rye flour and water with a starter culture of pure selected strains of bacteria and a small amount of sourdough starter from the previous day’s baking. This dough ferments and can be used all week as a sponge dough for bread making. At the end of the week the remains form next week’s starter dough. The ‘right’ sourdough used to be a closely guarded secret amongst baking families and was handed down through the generations. Artificial sourdoughs are often used today, which give the bread an acidic taste. These doughs do not have the enzymatic properties of a real sourdough, which aids the digestibility and taste of rye bread. Some bakers also add yeast to sourdough bread to speed up the fermentation process.

Biodynamic - more than organic!

Organic bread is only truly organic if the yeast or raising agent that is used is certified organic – amazingly this so far only required for biodynamic bread! The Soil Association does not require yeast to be organic in organic food. The same applies to whether a bread is vegan or not, as non-organic yeast may be grown on whey, a by-product of the dairy industry. But as this does not have to be declared on the label you never know! We oppose factory farming and you will not find any meat or dairy products or by-products in our bakery.

Biodynamic (Demeter Certified) IS more than organic!

Only in Demeter certified bread has organic bread to be made with organic yeast - a positive step in the right direction:

No GM in Demeter certified bread - no other certifier goes this far!

Demeter International e.V. has finally taken a stand on the issue of non-organic yeast in bread: From 1st July 2009 bakers have to prove that the yeast they use is either certified organic or has been grown on organic substrates. Only if neither is available may conventional yeast be used with a written confirmation that the yeast used is not genetically modified.

Bioreal - Makers of organic Yeast...

‘The effluent from commercial yeast production contains 75 kg ammonium solution, 15 kg sulphuric acid, 11 kg phosphoric acid, 4kg magnesium sulphate and 10 kg detergent per ton of yeast’.

The ‘effluent’ from organic yeast production, mixed with fruit juices is sold as a vitamin- and mineral-rich health drink. Ask the questions – demand more!

Start asking makers of yeast extracts, patés, breads, stock cubes, ready meals etc.:

• Are your products made with yeast really suitable for vegans and vegetarians?
• Do you know how the yeast in your products is made and what processing aids(genetically modified) are used?
• Are you aware that you can significantly reduce pollution by using organic yeast?
• If yes, why haven’t you switched to organic yeast?

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What is baking ferment?

Baking ferment was developed in the laboratories of the Institute of Biodynamic Ecology in Darmstadt in 1965 sponsored by Dr. Peter von Siemens. In a book by Ada Pokorny there are even recipes for cakes using baking ferment.

Baking ferment is made from wheat or maize flour (in the case of gluten-free baking ferment), legumes (pea flour) and honey from certified organic sources. These ingredients are mixed to a dough. The proteins in the legumes allow the development of the nectar yeasts in the honey, with the cereal forming the main function in the spontaneous fermentation that follows. Honey contains around 24 different nectar yeasts which allow all round assimilation of all available nutrients, resulting in a better dough where more of the nutrients become available for human nutrition. Baker's yeast on the other hand only needs a few key nutrients to thrive and does not leaven the dough at a broad spectrum.The resulting dough is then dried and granulated. In biodynamic terms baking ferment is in perfect harmony with nature as represented by the Demeter flower symbol. The flower is represented by honey; the soil is represented by the legumes and the leaves and stem by the cereal.

Using a baking ferment leaven is similar to using a sourdough...

With baking ferment the process is similar to the sourdough method described earlier. A dough is prepared by mixing flour, water and the baking ferment granules, which is then proved over approx. 15 hours. Each time we bake we use a small amount of this leaven to produce sponge dough, which is then ‘soured’ i.e. allowed to ferment naturally to produce lactic and acetic acid overnight. Myriads of nectar yeasts and enzymes contained naturally in biodynamic cereals and in baking ferment become active and prepare the grain for easy assimilation by our digestive system by starting to break down the starch and protein. Next day more flour and water is added to the dough, which is ripened to maturity before it is finally baked.

It shouldn’t really work! - the unique action of baking ferment...

Bread baked with baking ferment leaven tastes less acidic than bread baked with sourdough as the fermentation is more evenly balanced; the acetic acids are kept in check by the naturally forming lactic acids, resulting in milder tasting, more easily digested bread. The unique action of the baking ferment allows the vitality in the grain to fully develop. Slow mixing and a long fermentation and proofing process allows the bread to develop taste, vitality and good keeping qualities.

Unlike yeast, which can only be used when baking with wheat, or sourdough (mainly used for rye bread), baking ferment makes tasty bread from the ‘unbakeables’ like barley, oats, millet, buckwheat and cassava. We are the first bakery to bake quinoa bread, pea bread or bean bread.

Baking ferment leaven acts like a catalyst in bread making. Our leaven is made with less than 2% baking ferment; our bread is made with 0.5% of leaven. The pea flour, maize flour and the honey are totally assimilated in the process and their presence in the final loaf of bread can only be described as ‘homeopathically’ small, yet the effect is far superior to using baker’s yeast, which is up to 1.75% in the Chorleywood process. Artisan bread leaven is made with gluten-free organic baking ferment.

Comment:

You might be as shocked as I was when I found out what happens in a modern yeast factory! The Chorleywood baking process is undoubtedly a great technical achievement, but have the creators of this process considered its effect on human health? Even the Soil Association is approving ‘organic’ ‘bread improvers’ and ‘conditioners’ and ‘flavouring’ incorporating the latest enzymes technology... What ever next???

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What is the squeeze test?

Enzymes have many functions but one of the most important is to keep bread soft. Remember next time you squeeze a loaf to see how fresh it is - industry knows you do that – they call it the ‘squeeze test’ and use it to advertise their enzyme cocktails to bakers! We believe that digestibility can hardly be achieved by making bread in minutes or by adding so-called ‘improvers’, emulsifiers and enzymes of unknown origin (possibly involving animal products like rennet from a calf’s stomach) and often from genetically modified substrates like soya or micro-organisms. Enzymes do not have to be listed on product labels not even if they are GM - but there are moves to make this compulsory. However technology will then just shift to more strain development programmes for GM yeast.

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What is the ABO Natural Leaven?

The leaven in ABO artisan bread is made with organic gluten-free baking ferment, developed by the Institute for Nutrition Research in Darmstadt for people with an intolerance to sourdough, gluten or yeast. The developers also had in mind to enable people anywhere in the world to make delicious, mild tasting and easy to digest bread, even from the so-called ‘unbakeable’ grains like millet, rice and buckwheat or even tropical manioc. This has enabled us at ABO to make the first quinoa bread and other delicious naturally gluten-free breads without having to add any fillers or gums. The universality of the ferment allows us to use it for all our breads, even rye breads, which usually need a sourdough, and wheat breads, which are usually baked with yeast.

Baking ferment is made from naturally gluten-free organic pea and maize flour and organic honey. Honey contains some 24 different nectar yeasts; the pea flour provides the nitrogen and the maize flour provides the carbohydrates to allow a broad spectrum fermentation using a sourdough method which makes this bread so easy to digest as the proteins and carbohydrates are partially broken down and therefore prepared for the human organism to digest.

This ferment is used in tiny quantities – it is so little it can only be described as a catalyst and it shouldn’t really work! Less than half of one gram of ferment (the weight of a small paper clip) per small loaf! The flours and honey are fully assimilated during the 12-15 hour fermentation process and are therefore not present in the finished bread.

Although the honey is not present in the finished product we do not call the bread vegan, as vegans do not use honey due to the cruelty involved in non-organic honey production. However, it might reassure you that organic honey production does not allow the burning of hives, the clipping of wings of queen bees, the practise of destroying the male brood, nor the destruction of bees in the combs as a method of harvesting the honey.

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I have a maize allergy. Can I eat Artisan Bread?

Please read the paragraph above first. If you have a maize allergy please consider that this half gram is composed of pea flour maize flour and honey, so the amount of maize/pea flour/honey is undescribably small to start with as well as being completely assimilated during the fermentation process.

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Is your bread vegan?

Please read the paragraph above on Natural Leaven.

Although the honey is not present in the finished product we do not call our bread vegan, as vegans do not eat honey due to the cruelty involved in non-organic honey production.

However, it might reassure you that organic honey production does not allow the burning of hives, the clipping of wings of queen bees, the practise of destroying the male brood, nor the destruction of bees in the combs as a method of harvesting the honey. Ref: DEFRA UK & EC ORGANIC reg. No 1804/1999.

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What is Biodynamic and Organic?

Artisan Bread is licensed ‘organic’ by the Biodynamic Agricultural Association UK6, we will use Demeter quality whenever possible but have opted to list only organic on the label as Demeter is not always available. See website for farm of origin. Demeter product quality is based on the spiritual science of Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925). Bio (organic) dynamic (cosmic forces) is farming organically with homoeopathic preparations to a planetary calendar. Demeter is the trademark for food from biodynamic production. www.biodynamic.org.uk

Biodynamic ingredients will always be our first choice - they are simply more than organic - but there isn't much grown in the UK. Imported biodynamic grain has got very expensive in 2008. We switched our labelling to organic only, despite having spent the last 20 years promoting biodynamic products. We are hoping to encourage more farmers to grow biodynamic grain.

Demeter product quality is based on the spiritual science of Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925). Demeter standards are in addition to requirements for organic products.

Bio (organic) dynamic (cosmic forces): farming with homoeopathic preparations to a planetary calendar, predating organic agriculture. Demeter is the trademark for food from biodynamic production. 'Food is especially nourishing when its inner quality is appropriately and harmoniously developed. Demeter food provides the basis not only for bodily nutrition but also for the soul and spiritual life' (Demeter Processing Standards for Biodynamic Food Production Issue 02, 2005.) What is the difference between biodynamic and organic?

Biodynamic standards are designed to enhance the vitality of the produce and are therefore stricter about the origin of Demeter licensed ingredients.

Isue 60 of the Soil Association [organic] Certification News (Autumn 2007): "We have updated the natural flavour and GM declaration forms, and can now accept flavouring ingredients that may have been made with enzymes derived from GM organisms."

Biodynamic - more than organic!

Demeter food is so much more than organic. It is a science - It is repeatable and it sets the highest standards. Sometimes we need prescribed standards, even if we work above these standards, they prove to the consumer that Demeter food is food you can trust. From the cleaning agents to the packaging via spirituality - everything is covered! Enjoy the difference.

If you want to see the special vitality in biodynamic grains - try the following test: Soak and sprout biodynamic grains on a fruit day and try sprouting organic grains at the same time. Whenever we try this we find that the organic grains sprout to about 60-80% - the biodynamic grains sprout 100%.

NO MORE GM YEAST!

Ingrid Eissfeldt, director of Artisan Bread has been campaigning on this issue for years and we are thrilled that it is finally enshrined in the International Standards for the production of biodynamic bread.

From 1st July 2009 - no more GM yeast allowed in Demeter certified bread!

From that date bakers have to prove that the yeast they use is either certified organic or has been grown on organic substrates. Only if neither is available may conventional yeast be used with a written confirmation that the yeast used is not genetically modified.

Links:

Biodynamic Association and Demeter in the UK
Organic yeast is available in the EU!
Demeter Processing standards

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What is the Blood Type Diet® and GenoType® Diet?

Blood types (also called a blood groups) are defined by differences in antigenic substances on the surface of red blood cells and also in bodily secretions (except in non-secretors). These antigens may be proteins, carbohydrates, glycoproteins, or glycolipids, depending on the blood group system. All grains contain lectins, a type of protein which binds specific carbohydrates in the body.

References:

1. "The wheat lectin stands head and shoulders above all others, it binds to almost everything in the human body. Wheat is one of the commonest foods responsible for intolerance/allergy". (Freed DJ "Dietary Lectins and Disease" Ch. 34 in "Food Allergy and Intolerance" W.B. Saunders Co, p. 479)
2. "The sprouting of beans and grains causes the lectins to disappear over the course of a few days" (ibid. p. 482).
3. Eat Right 4 Your Type (http://www.dadamo.com/)
4. Wikipedia (2011)

For compatibility with your blood group and secretor status or GenoType®, please see the individual product packaging or check out the Blood Group and GenoType Diet page on our website. For further information read the books ‘Live Right 4 Your Type’ or ‘The GenoType® Diet’ by Peter D’Adamo. www.dadamo.com

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How much iodine do I get from the seaweed in ABO bread?

We use Seagreens® seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum, Fucus serratus and Fucus vesiculous) to replace some or all of the salt in our breads, the only seaweed approved to E.C. Demeter & Organic regulations 2092/91.

You can also buy the entire range of supplements for man and beast from the ABO web shop. See the website for the amazing complexity of this valuable ingredient. The iodine levels in Seagreens seaweed have been measured at 0.067g of iodine per 100g of dried seaweed. The RDA for iodine is 150µg.

100g of ABO bread provides between 10-76% of the RDA of iodine. Artisan Bread is a member of the Seaweed Health Foundation. www.seagreens.com

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How much calcium do I get from ABO bread?

We add a small amount of calcium to our range of naturally gluten-free breads. Aquamin F is a natural calcium source produced from mineralised seaweed (Lithothamnion sp.) off the West coast of Ireland and North West coast of Iceland from clear pollution free Atlantic waters. It is certified organic.

Calcium levels in our rye and spelt breads is around 23mg whereas calcium levels in our naturally gluten-free range is between 112 and 184 mg per 100g bread which delivers between 14% and 23% of RDA (800mg).

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How do you revitalise the water in ABO bread?

Artisan Bread is made with filtered water, which has been revitalised with the Grander System. The Grander process involves a field effect generated by highly structured water ("information water") developed by Johann Grander. The water which passes near the information water takes on a new structure (is "revitalised"). For more information visit: www.granderwater.co.uk

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What is ABO doing about food Security & Future Foods?

Even in our small world we have experienced serious supply shortages and wildly fluctuating prices for ingredients in recent years. Our quest for nutritious, gluten-free, high protein ingredients that could be grown in the UK or Europe has led us to make Pea bread! It ticks a lot of boxes including the all-important ‘does it taste good’ box. It won ‘festival loaf’ at the Real Food Show in London in 2010. Our Soya bread impresses with nutrition statistics and taste too! With only 11 carbs and yet only 99 kcal and 6g protein per slice this must be a winner.

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Can I freeze/toast the bread?

Yes, however please use a freezer bag or freezer tubs (both available cheaply in our web shop) to preserve bread from drying out or taking on other flavours. The bags the bread comes in are not freezer bags. Before you put the bread in the freezer check the ‘best before’ date on the product. Some of the products have a longer life as we pasteurise them in the oven (no chemicals involved) – so you may not need to freeze it at all. Buy the freezer tubs with assortments - they defrost quickly and are very convenient. Bread is best defrosted overnight in a bag/tub. For best taste freeze for no more than 2 months.

Toasters are rated around 1200 Kw to produce a browning effect. Burnt toast is high in acrylamide, a chemical that is produced when burning starchy foods. EU advice is to take caution when eating burnt food. Our breads don’t burn as easily as white bread and it is possible to toast any of our bread without letting it go too brown. It’s probably better not to toast the linseed bread to avoid burning the valuable omega 3 oils in the seeds. The temperature inside bread when it’s baking is only about 102°C. Russel Hobbs inform us that the temperature inside a toaster reaches 400°-420°C.

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How should I store Artisan bread?

'Best Before' Date...

Manufacturers have a legal obligation to supply a product with a ‘best before’ date and with appropriate storage instructions. Storage instructions are printed on each bread bag and on our leaflets.

With perfect care some of our breads can be stored for up to 14 days. We are aware that perfection does not exist and have therefore adjusted the ‘best before’ dates accordingly.

These are the ‘best before’ dates summer/(winter) that we stamp on our bags:

• darker breads 6/(7) days
• naturally gluten-free range 4/(5) days
• lighter breads 5/(6) days
• Essene, snack pack, pizza bases 7-21 days
• Longer life bread (21 days)

Your responsibility...

Do not leave bread in the sun in the car etc. – bread can turn mouldy by the next day. Blemishes, flour veins and variation in colour etc. are often mistaken for mould. This is not chemical laden bread in bags containing fungicide – this is a living food and stored and handled correctly some can keep up to 14 days or even longer!

How to care for artisan bread...

• Unpack carton upon arrival and store on wood or wire racks where it can breathe, away from the sun, freezer or fridge. Unpack bread (wash hands first) to store in a clean bread crock.
• Only in extremely hot weather should the most sensitive breads like the gluten-free bread go into the fridge, otherwise refrigeration is not recommended as it stales bread prematurely.
• Clean your bread crock often with a strong solution of spirit vinegar to combat mould and sweep up old crumbs - they can carry mould spores to fresh bread.
• Freezing is not recommended for Essene bread as it will destroy the special vitality.
• To freeze bread put it in strong freezer bags and freeze for no more than 2 months.
• The freezer tubs should be frozen on arrival and are best before 2 months.

Celebrate Artisan Bread Organic as real, live, whole food!

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Can I buy Artisan Bread in a supermarket?

Artisan Bread is never sold in a supermarket!

Buy local - see website for your local store! Buy organic - for you and the environment!

Buy online - if there is no store near you - never sold in a supermarket!

Artisan Bread Organic Unit 16/17 John Wilson Business Park, Whitstable, Kent CT5 3QJ, UK

Order line: 01227 771 881

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What is the best before date?

Please see our storage instructions.

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Where can I buy Artisan Bread Organic?

This bread is only sold in specialist stores, never in supermarkets. See our stockist list, some of whom have a mail order service. Also available from this web shop.

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Do you ship to any countries outside the UK?

Sorry, this bread is currently only available in the UK and Ireland, but we are working on it...

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I am going on holiday - where can I buy Artisan Bread Organic abroad?

We can sell you slightly longer life bread which has been oven sterilised as a special order. Please call the office Mo-Fr 9-5pm or send us an email with your contact details. Our bread is also available in Ireland. We recommend you take some SP5 snack packs and Essene bread - these have all been heat-sterilised for a longer shelf life and make great travel packs. Send us a photo of you eating your Artisan Bread and the most exotic locations will be published online...

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I can't have wheat or dairy, what do I put on my sandwiches?

See our sandwich recipes.

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My children can't eat wheat or dairy. What can I give them?

Try organic almond butter on RS (Rye and Spelt) bread with grated carrot - sweet, nutritious and no bits - they usually love it.

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Do you sell sliced bread?

Our snack packs contain 5 slices. The bread in the freezer tubs for common wheat-free diets are sliced.

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How can I find out my GenoType®?

Buy the book The GenoType® Diet by Dr. Peter D'Adamo

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How can I find out my blood group?

Give blood.

Check your maternity records.

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Why is the E (Essene bread) suitable for all blood groups?

Blood groups are defined by the difference in the type of carbohydrate on red blood cells and also in bodily secretions (except in non-secretors). All grains contain lectins, a type of protein which bind specific carbohydrates in the body. Sprouting destroys these lectins and makes these breads suitable for individuals of all blood groups, except in the case of allergies.

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What is a 'non-secretor'?

Please read the information on blood groups and secretor status.

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References

"The wheat lectin stands head and shoulders above all others, it binds to almost everything in the human body. Wheat is one of the commonest foods responsible for intolerance/allergy". (Freed DJ "Dietary Lectins and Disease" Ch. 34 in "Food Allergy and Intolerance" W.B. Saunders Co, p. 479)

"The sprouting of beans and grains causes the lectins to disappear over the course of a few days" (ibid. p. 482).

Eat Right 4 Your Type (http://www.dadamo.com/)

Encyclopedia of Food Science, Food Technology & Nutrition - Vol 7, ‘YEASTS’ 1993: Academic Press. Vol. 4, ‘YEASTS’ 1992 John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Ada Pokorny (1989) ‘Backen von Brot und Gebäck aus allen 7 Getreidearten mit dem Spezial-Backferment’. Arbeitskreis für Ernährungsforschung.

Andrew Whitley‚‘Bread Matters’

Organic yeast is available in the UK! For more information visit www.bioreal.de

For Demeter processing standards visit the Biodynamic Association web site.