Meet Nathan and Sage and Eden of Barn Owl Bakery.  They live in a modest cabin on a large farm.   They make all organic, naturally leavened breads by hand with Washington grown whole grains in a wood-fired oven on Lopez Island.

The term “naturally leavened” is the key to getting to the bottom of the gluten-intolerance-craze that seems to be taking over our society like an epidemic.  If you want the truth, ask some bread people such as this family.

And through our own experiences, using a sourdough starter, we can attest to the power of real bread.  My partner Jess, who suffers from whole body inflammation after a binge of today’s popular wheat items, can eat this bread without the same ill effect.

The process takes longer to make a loaf, but it is this extra time which allows for a full fermentation.  This is time that the community of microbes in the live culture can process the gluten and turn it into something our bodies can process.

One by one, celiacs and other gluten-free peoples of the world are realizing that its not the gluten as much as the ingredients and methods that their bread is produced.  And while I have the iron stomach of the family and seem to be able to eat/drink anything at anytime, I like to remember how the mighty Roman soldiers got their protein: sourdough bread.

If we can cook 1-2 loaves a week while living on a small boat, I bet you can find the time too.  Its kind of fun.  Enjoy the pics.

Find Barn Owl Bakery this summer at the Lopez Island Farmer’s Market.

Want to know more about real bread, here’s a good article.