BALM – Proven as one of the healthiest approaches to bread in the world.
Based in the walled gardens of Dr. Vanessa Kimbell's beautiful Victorian home in rural Northamptonshire, UK, we tutor individuals and train bakers and healthcare professionals in Baking as Lifestyle Medicine (BALM). Personalising bread to your lifestyle, gut microbiome, and unique genetics for optimal health—tailoring fermentation, fibre, and diversity so that your daily bread becomes the foundation of your health.
The kind of flour you use is up to you. I use British white, rye, spelt wholemeal, heritage grain, chocolate (using 20% cocoa powder) and beetroot (using pureed beetroot instead of water). I recommend three things though. Firstly that the flour you use is organic, secondly that it is freshly milled, and lastly that it is stoneground. This will give your microbes the best nutritional support and it adds extra microbes via the flour, which also supports the health of the ferment.
