Novel Breads Co.

05/28/2026

I’ve been busy baking all week for you guys and for The Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books. Check out what’s on the menu at the store this week and take a sneak peek at some of the items we’ll have at the book fest!

05/26/2026

A thoughtful customer shared this post with me and I wanted to share it with all of you. The best way to know if it’s real sourdough bread is to ask the baker and to look for sourdough in the ingredients. Not all sourdough is real and it can be used as a marketing tactic.

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Sourdough has become a wellness signal. People believe it is healthier than regular bread, especially for blood sugar. The biology is real, but it depends on whether the bread was actually fermented. Many supermarket "sourdoughs" were not.

The mechanism. Real sourdough is made with a starter, a living culture of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. Over 12 to 24 hours of fermentation, the bacteria produce lactic acid and acetic acid. These organic acids lower postprandial glucose and insulin through some combination of slower starch digestion and slower gastric emptying. The starch is also partly modified by long contact with acids and enzymes, making it digest more slowly. Same carbs, slower release into your blood.

The human data. Liljeberg and Bjorck (Am J Clin Nutr 1997) showed that adding lactic acid or propionate to bread lowered postprandial glucose and insulin in healthy adults. The acids do the work. Ozer and colleagues (Wien Klin Wochenschr 2023) tested 43 women with gestational diabetes and 38 healthy pregnant women. Same breakfast, same carb dose, different bread. White wheat caused 45 percent more insulin and 9.6 percent more first-hour glucose than sourdough whole grain. Both groups. The difference was the bread.

The industry problem. In the United States, "sourdough" is not a regulated term. Manufacturers can label any bread sourdough. Real Bread Campaign auditors in the UK have documented widespread use of commercial yeast, added vinegar or acetic acid, and "sourdough flavoring" in loaves sold as sourdough. The bread is leavened in roughly two hours, then dosed with acid to mimic the tang of a long ferment.

Why this matters. Added vinegar is not nothing. Liljeberg 1997 showed adding acid to bread produces some glucose-lowering effect. But it does not replicate full sourdough fermentation, which produces both lactic and acetic acid in specific ratios plus slow modification of the starch itself. Commercial "sourdough" with added vinegar gets you a fraction of the benefit.

A note on the data. The Ozer 2023 comparator was white wheat bread, not commercial "yeasted vinegar sourdough." The graphic extends that by inference. Commercial sourdough without real fermentation behaves like white bread plus a small added-acid effect.

A note on labels. Authentic sourdough should list flour, water, salt, and starter. If the label says yeast, vinegar, acetic acid, or "natural flavor," the bread was not fermented in the traditional sense. Hybrid labels ("made with sourdough starter" plus commercial yeast) get some flavor compounds but skip most of the ferment.

The takeaway. The glucose effect of sourdough is real and is one of the more rigorously documented benefits in fermented foods. But the benefit lives in the fermentation, not the label. Check the ingredient list. If it has yeast or vinegar, you are eating fast bread with a marketing claim.

Liljeberg, Am J Clin Nutr 1997 · Ozer, Wien Klin Wochenschr 2023

05/24/2026

Recently, I’ve noticed that many people who are new to sourdough bread have the impression that sourdough is just one type of bread like a baguette or ciabatta or focaccia. A number of people come into my store asking for my “sourdough bread” as if it were separate from my other bread. Over the years, I’ve come to realize that what they’re asking for is the traditional, four-ingredient bread (flour, water, salt and sourdough), which many believe is the only sourdough bread.

Those of you familiar with my yummy creations know that sourdough at Novel Breads Company is so much more than this limited definition. Yes, it is a type of bread known for being leavened with wild yeast (a.k.a. sourdough starter) rather than active dry yeast or chemical agents like baking soda or baking powder. However, at Novel Breads Co., sourdough is the starting ingredient, the essential ingredient of every baked creation I make. Some of our sourdoughs have fruits or vegetables, others with chocolate and dairy. There are even sourdough cookies, croutons and croissants. So, when you step through our doors and ask for our sourdough bread, you’ll have to be more specific!😉 📦

05/22/2026

Attention Beaver Customers! Once again, the market will be graced with rain and cold, but we hope you will still come. We made extra packs of English Muffins this week, because we will not be at the market on May 30. Stock up to last for a couple weeks. Also, we will have the new Brown Butter Bagels, the new Pepperoni Cornbread Focaccia, the newly returned Thai Banana Bread, the frequently requested Lemon Ricotta Bread and Chocolate Addiction Cookies and so much more. See you in the morning (if it’s raining, the market will start at 9:45am).

05/21/2026

At Novel Breads Co. this week…

05/21/2026

05/20/2026

New to the menu…Brown Butter Bagels!!! Back by popular demand…Lemon Ricotta Braided Loaves! Roasted Orange Martini Baguettes and Pesto Italiano are those bright flavors perfect for the season and available this week. Stop in the store Thursday-Saturday, 10-2 or the Beaver Farmers Market, 10-1 to find these goodies and more!

05/19/2026

Last week, Novel Breads Co. along with a handful of other Mars’ businesses met with Adams Township and Mars Borough Supervisors to talk about the hot topic in town, The Merger of the two entities. The decision to merge will ultimately be decided by the voters at the polls in November, but in the meantime, these supervisors are trying through meetings, social media and more to spread the word about what this merger will mean for residents and businesses. This is what I understand from the meeting. Mars will benefit from the merger by having taxes lowered while Adams Township will have a central downtown; both will greatly benefit from a shared identity and especially from shared assets that will address infrastructure and community needs including building a new Mars library. What really hit home for me is that the time is ripe for change, especially for Mars. It is a quaint town, teetering on the precipice, needing to grow or be left behind. As a business owner in town, I agree with the point in time in which Mars finds itself. Like me, a number of the business owners expressed the same concern…if Mars doesn’t start attracting more people into town, our businesses will not be sustainable. I would love to have my store open more days and for longer hours, but there is not enough consistent traffic in town to make it possible. This merger could potentially bring activity and business development into town. While I am for this merger, I do understand how residents have concerns with what this change will mean. I do want to see Mars figure out a way to grow while enhancing the things that are working ( easy, walkable streets, unique identity, interesting business, quaint history, etc).So, I encourage those of you who will be impacted by this merger to attend the regular meetings, talk with the supervisors and get a better understanding for yourselves. The power truly is in your hands and it’s up to you to wield it with knowledge and understanding. To become informed, sign up for the next meeting scheduled on June 2 at www.adamstwp.org or contact the supervisors directly.

05/15/2026

Happy Birthday to my favorite person on the planet! Many of you get to see my mom at farmers markets, events, meetings, classes and more. She is always the helper and encouraging force behind this endeavor, Novel Breads Co. She, along with my dear friend, Kristy, and amazing helper, Glo, have all been my huge support, making it easier for me to create delicious breads for all of you and manage the many facets of running a small business. If you see my mom tomorrow at the Beaver Farmers Market, please be sure to wish her a happy birthday! ❤️🎂🎉

05/14/2026

In addition to the Triple Chocolate Brownie Bread and the Cinnamon Babka, we have some savory options including the hearty Fireside Bread and the new Rustic Garlic Sourdough. Focaccia, English Muffins and even some day old options complete the bread menu. Also, fresh eggs are available for the next two weeks at the store, Thursdays and Fridays only starting today. Open until 2pm today.

05/13/2026

Are you dreaming about chocolate or cinnamon or both? Either way, Novel Breads has something delicious for you with the Triple Chocolate Brownie Bread and the Cinnamon Babka. Stop in the store this week (Thursday-Saturday, 10-2) or come to the Beaver Farmers Market (Saturday 10-1). You deserve a sweet treat!