Frequently asked questions
No! Virtually all of our products are made with an ancient technique called Wild Yeast rather than Sourdough. This technique is fairly unknown, or “Forgotten” as it tends to be more technical than Sourdough. The main differences between our Wild Yeast products, and that of Sourdough, is that it has a wider range of taste, softer texture and better digestibility, which is why we went in this direction. It is also synonymous with our name of Forgotten Flavours, which reflects the fact that this technique has been largely lost to time—we’re bringing it back!
Short answer: No, we cannot claim that our product is gluten free, as we use flour and various other grains.
Long answer: The reason so many of our loyal customers associate our breads, pastries and pastas as gluten-free, is that our exclusive Wild Yeast and Long Fermentation process, naturally break down glutens, carbohydrates and other enzymes that negatively affect the body, making it safe for most people to consume.
Three part answer:
No, sugar is not an ingredient we add in any of our breads, and there are limited reasons we can think of that would require us to do so. The only form of sweetener we add to any of our breads is honey, which is added to our Oats & Honey, and Cinnamon Raisin bread, and only a limited amount.
Generally speaking, sugar is not an ingredient that is required in bread. That said, there are naturally occurring sugars (Carbohydrates) found in grains. If/when you speed the bread making process up too much, supplementing or replacing the natural fermentation process with rapid commercial yeasts, these carbohydrates are not effectively broken down, leading to an increased sugar intake for the body.
This is not the case with Forgotten Flavours products. We do not allow Commercial yeast in our bakery, let alone put it in any of our products. The vast majority of our products go through a long fermentation process of 48hrs, using the naturally occurring sugars (carbohydrates) and proteins (glutens) as its food source to effectively raise the bread or pastry, breaking them down and digesting them before your body is forced to do so.
Not unlike Sourdough, Wild Yeast is an ancient process for making bread. The fundamental difference however, is that with Wild Yeast, you are fermenting Organic materials such as Fruit, Vegetables, Dairy, Grains etc. rather than fermenting flour (Sourdough). The main benefit to Sourdough, and likely the reason it has stayed the test of time, is that it has a starter that can be kept, or revived by feeding it water and flour. Wild Yeast is more of a knowledge, it has to be made fresh constantly.
There are few bakeries that we know of who follow this technique, and likely even fewer that have the breadth of Wild Yeast starters that we have created, giving us a very unique product you cannot find anywhere else. And, we continue to grow our assortment of products made with this technique, now offering Wild Yeast Pastries, Pastas, Cereals and more.
Not all of our products are made with our exclusive process, but the vast majority of them are. The only exceptions in our assortment are our cookies, biscotti, and honey cake.
Please note, where these products are NOT made using our Wild Yeast and Long Fermentation process, thus should not be consumed by those trying to avoid Gluten, they are still made with only the best ingredients and techniques, and enjoyed by many.
Two part answer:
Yes, the mission of our Levain Ball, was to create a “no fuss” natural starter for our delicious breads. The majority of the hard work of growing and cultivating the Wild Yeast is already done for you. Just pull the Levain Ball from your pantry, follow the instructions of Activate, Mix, Shape, and Bake, and you will have smell of our delicious bread right in the comfort of your own home.
Making our Wild Yeast breads do share some similarities to Sourdough, but the fundamental differences is in the starter process. With sourdough, you need to keep feeding the starter daily, building up its strength before using it, which is where the majority of challenges arise for people. The key benefit to a sourdough starter is, you can keep using it again and again, providing you can keep up with the feeding. With the Levain Ball, this is not the case, you can only use it the one time as there is no way to feed the Wild Yeast cultures.
All of our Flours and Grains are locally sourced (Manitoba) directly from farmers, Millers and Wholesalers. We do our best to source only ethically farmed, organic, and Non-GMO products, ensuring we are only adding the best ingredients to our strenuous process.
All grains sourced are milled fresh as we make our products, ensuring the best possible nutrient availability. This includes, but not limited to Wheat, Rye, Oats, Buckwheat, Wild Rice, Flax, and ancient grains like Einkorn, Spelt, and Khorasan.
It mainly depends on which of our Wild Yeast cultures we are using. As we grow our assortment of Wild Yeast cultures, we will continue to expand our bread assortment, which will be predominantly vegan.
Currently, our Whole Grain and Light Rye are made with our “Sweet” starter, which has no animal products in it. All other breads at this time are made with our “Creamy” starter, which are cultures grown and cultivated using dairy.
There is no simple answer to this question, as we don’t know the environment it is in. But there are no preservatives in our breads, so they will not last as long as other breads, and that's a good thing. The best way we can explain how to use our breads is as follows.
Day 1 - Rip or Cut into it, serve fresh with butter
Day 2 - Best day to slice it, use it for sandwiches or toast.
Day 3 - Refresh it by making Grilled Cheese, or French Toast, or freeze it, it will thaw like it’s fresh.