Puratos opens Sourdough Institute in Belgium

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Puratos opens Sourdough Institute in Belgium

4 Jun 2024

Annie Hollon

Annie Hollon is a journalist, copywriter and social media strategist from the Dallas, Texas area. She found a love for magazine writing during her time at the University of Alabama where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, double majoring in public relations and English. Beyond writing, you can find her expanding her library, attempting to teach herself the guitar and trying new hobbies.

BRUSSELS — Puratos, a global bakery, patisserie and ingredient company, announced the opening of its Sourdough Institute in Sankt Vith, Belgium.

“Puratos’ history with sourdough dates as far back as the 1980s — we have always been passionate about improving and advocating the flavor and health and well-being properties of sourdough products,” said Karl de Smedt, sourdough librarian for Puratos. “Now with fast-growing consumer interest in recent years, there is a huge appetite for all things sourdough, which is why it’s the perfect time to open the Sourdough Institute.”

The Institute — which houses the Sourdough Library, which is dedicated to the conservation and promotion of sourdough globally and stores 153 types in-house — is a hub dedicated to the art and science of sourdough. Through various tailored master classes led by de Smedt and select bakery experts, bakers will learn the science behind sourdough and the associated health attributes, as well as best practices, techniques and recipes.

“Since every sourdough is unique, it’s even more important that we improve our collective knowledge in this area.” — Karl de Smedt | sourdough librarian | Puratos

In addition to the master classes, the Sourdough Institute will conduct research on the benefits and potential applications of sourdough. As part of this research, Puratos is working on a predictive model that provides measurements such as digestibility score, sustainable credentials, flavor and shelf life to help bakers improve the taste, sustainability and health profile of their baked goods. This will be done in collaboration with universities and researchers such as Professor Marco Gobetti from the Free University of Bolzano.

“Unbelievably, research on sourdough is still in relative infancy,” de Smedt continued. “Since every sourdough is unique, it’s even more important that we improve our collective knowledge in this area. We want to become, and help our customers become, not just leaders, but pioneers in health, taste and sustainability. And by preserving sourdough’s heritage, furthering our research and educating bakers on best practices, we want to ensure its benefits continue to flourish for many more generations to come.”

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