Puratos study finds pulse-based sourdough boosts protein and gut health

Pulse-based sourdough bread offers 45% more protein, better amino acids, and potential gut health benefits than traditional whole wheat bread, a study reveals. The bread also imparts enhanced flavor and aroma — highlighting the potential of fermenting plant-based ingredients to “redefine functional bakery innovation.”

Through this research, the teams from Puratos and the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy, focused on developing new bread recipes using pulse flours like faba bean and yellow pea and tested different lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeast combinations to optimize sourdough preparation.

Fermentation in pulse-based sourdoughs reduces antinutritional factors, supports digestive comfort, and boosts polyphenols that enhance antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, underscores the study. 

“Fermented foods have gained a reputation over recent years for being beneficial to health. But apart from yogurt and other cultured dairy products, there’s actually very limited concrete evidence on the specific health benefits of fermented foods,” Dr. Sara de Pelsmaeker, Group Health & Well-Being director, Puratos, tells Food Ingredients First.

“The more science is uncovered, the better, as it can be passed on to today’s health-savvy consumers. After all, 67% of consumers globally now choose foods based on their health benefits, according to Puratos’s latest Taste Tomorrow ‘always-on’ insights.” 

HealthFerm Consortium — a joint European-Swiss research project investigating innovative pulse and cereal-based food fermentations — conducted the study. The consortium is funded by the EU, and also studies the health effects and consumer perception of novel fermented foods.

Belgium-based Puratos and the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano are members of the project, which aims to discover new and optimized bread formulations. 

Pulse-based flours offer unique taste, texture, and protein levels comparable to cereal ingredients in sourdough, says De Pelsmaeker.

Boosting health benefits

The findings, published in Future Foods, discuss the functional potential of microbial resources and pulse-based flour for sourdough breadmaking.

Puratos states that the research team shortlisted 17 starter-initiated sourdoughs from the 288 it examined for transitioning to fully stable sourdoughs with “markedly better microbiological maturity and functionality.”

Six of these emerged as the most promising. They had a higher protein content, improved amino acid balance, and elevated levels of bioactive compounds such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and lysine — both linked to metabolic and cognitive health. 

The team found that co-culturing Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Saccharomyces cerevisiae with yellow pea flour lowered anti-nutrients, which improves nutrient absorption and digestibility, contributing to better gut health.

Fermented bakery products with gut health benefits are essential as consumers increasingly lean toward natural, healthy, and sustainable foods, says Dr. Vimac Nolla Ardèvol, co-author of the study and research manager of Metabolomics at Puratos. 

“Gut health has always been a cornerstone of our product development, especially as more consumers recognize its benefits within a holistic approach to well-being.”

Elevating bread flavors

Fermentation produces various volatile organic compounds that impart enhanced aroma and sensory appeal to breads, notes Puratos. 

Specific LAB partners with yeast to drive fermentation, enhancing protein quality and the release of bioactive compounds. This highlights the potential of microbial innovation in creating appealing and functional leavened bakery products. 

The team also found that LAB employs specific enzymes, which produce acids that “help break down the bonds of anti-nutritional factors — releasing polyphenols from their bound forms,” De Pelsmaeker tells us.

“Pulse-based flours bring a different taste and texture to sourdough formulations, while their protein content and essential amino acid profiles are mostly on a par with cereal ingredients.”

De Pelsmaeker shares that during the study, the team faced challenges in modifying traditional sourdough with pulse flour to manage the flavors.

“However, this was solved thanks to the careful selection and screening of LAB and yeast strains.”

Sensory testing in the study found that participants rated the overall taste of the sourdough breads “highly, with scores comparable to those of the control whole wheat bread,” she adds.

The research emphasizes the potential of microbial innovation to create functional bakery products with health benefits.

Closing the “protein-enriched” gap in bakery

De Pelsmaeker emphasizes that protein continues to be a “must-have” health ingredient, with 29% of shoppers worldwide actively checking product packaging for protein content. 

“In Asia-Pacific, this figure rises to 40% and in North America, it’s 30%. Sourdough is not usually associated with high protein claims, but with online conversations about protein-enriched baked goods projected to grow by 17% in 2026, we knew there was a gap in the market.”

“We thought that using pulse-based ingredients could be a way to increase overall protein content while providing a wider variety of essential amino acids.”

He emphasizes that the findings can help manufacturers create breads with a “high in protein” claim. 

“With the right inclusions, it could also lead to better complementary essential amino acid profiles, which support key health functions such as muscle growth and repair,” she concludes.