MOST STORE-BOUGHT SOURDOUGH ISN'T TECHNICALLY SOURDOUGH—THESE BRANDS MAKE THE REAL THING

It’s hard to remember a time when sourdough wasn’t the end-all, be-all of breads. Especially after Taylor Swift entered the chat, home bakers everywhere were trying their hand at making their own sourdough (Funfetti versions included).

But keeping a starter alive can be even trickier than developing a green thumb. In that case, you might be more comfortable in the grocery store than in the kitchen. However, keep in mind that even though a loaf might be labeled “sourdough,” that doesn’t mean it’s the real thing.

How To Tell If Bread Is ‘Real’ Sourdough

Traditional sourdough is made from only three ingredients—flour, water, and salt. It rises thanks to a sourdough starter, which is a live mixture of flour and water that ferments over time and gives sourdough its tangy flavor profile.

A good guide for finding traditionally made sourdough at the store is to look for that simple ingredient list of flour, water, and salt. Extra ingredients don't necessarily mean a bread isn't sourdough, however.

Added baker's or commercial yeast tells you the loaf wasn’t exclusively leavened by its sourdough culture, but some natural fermentation may have occurred.

Added vinegar or acids are bigger red flags, since sourdough naturally produces organic acids. Those ingredients may be used to boost or mimic the sour flavor that develops during fermentation.

So which brands are most likely selling the real deal? Let’s investigate.

Bread Alone

Bread Alone Bakery was founded in 1983 in the Catskills and now makes breads that reach grocery stores all across the country. Their organic sourdough is the real deal, containing only organic wheat flour, filtered water, and salt.

Bread Srsly

Bread Srsly’s classic sourdough is gluten-free and made with wild-fermented sourdough using a combination of organic white rice, organic millet, and organic sorghum flours, along with arrowroot, xanthan gum, and sea salt. Both arrowroot and xanthan gum are popular ingredients in gluten-free bread to help mimic gluten and improve the texture and structure of the bread.

Tartine

Tartine Bakery’s Country Bread can be found at many Whole Foods Market locations. Tartine got its start as a small bakery in San Francisco and has since been deemed one of the most influential bakeries in America. Its sourdough includes only the requisite flour, water, and salt. The company also ships its sourdough nationwide via Goldbelly.

La Brea Bakery

This Los Angeles-based bakery has been around since the late ‘80s and uses wild yeasts from the skin of organic Concord grapes to make its sourdough starter. In its store-bought sourdough, the company uses unbleached enriched flour, water, sour culture, salt, and semolina. It can be found in many local grocery stores, as well as at Whole Foods, Target, and on Amazon.

Which Breads Come Close To The Real Thing?

Aldi’s Specially Selected Sourdough, Izzio Artisan Bakery Sourdough, and Sprouts’ Organic Sourdough come pretty close—but they have “enzymes” on the ingredient list. While enzymes are naturally present during sourdough fermentation, they can also be added during commercial breadmaking to improve the texture, flavor, and shelf life of the loaf.

Their presence doesn't mean the bread wasn't fermented with a sourdough culture, but it does distinguish these loaves from the simplest traditional formulation of flour, water, salt, and starter.

Popular Store-Bought Brands That Might Not Be Traditional Sourdough

Brands that sell bread labeled as sourdough but probably don’t qualify as the real thing include Pepperidge Farm, Dave’s Killer Bread, Trader Joe’s, Marketside, Nature’s Own, Essential Baking, The Rustik Oven, San Luis Sourdough, Stop & Shop, Panera Bread, Great Value, Lidl, and many other popular grocery store finds.

Instead, head to the fresh-made bakery section of your grocery store for a better chance to find authentic sourdough. If all else fails, hit up a local bakery.

2026-08-07T22:54:00Z