The Sourdough School

BALM – Proven as one of the healthiest approaches to bread in the world.

Discover how Baking as Lifestyle Medicine can transform your gut and mental health—through bread. Based in the walled gardens of Dr. Vanessa Kimbell’s beautiful Victorian home in rural Northamptonshire, UK, we teach individuals, bakers, and healthcare professionals to bake Proven Bread.

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A 12 week Gut Reset Course - with Proven Bread ™ bread delivered to your door
Proven Bread being made iby hand in the Artisan Bakery
Before baking
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Botanical Blend flour on the Sourdough School on the table ready to bake with
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A 12 week Gut Reset Course – with Proven Bread ™ bread delivered to your door

From: £59.99 / month for 3 months + £9.99 registration fee

PROVEN Bread ™  Is a course with my Proven bread delivered ready-sliced to your door

by Dr Vanessa Kimbell – The Sourdough School

A course with a loaf of bread with 24 slices delivered to your door every 2 weeks & lessons over 12 weeks

Proven Bread — 12-Week Reset

Create over a decade of research and dietary intervention studies this is a 12 week course where you will receive freshly baked, handcrafted loaves created to the Baking as Lifestyle Medicine Protocol.  This protocol was used in the clinical dietary intervention research for Dr Vanessa Kimbell’s doctorate, and more recently in a Nutritional Psychiatry Study at Kings College London and the bread is — delivered straight to your door.

Alongside each delivery, you’ll follow a fun structured 12-week programme, keeping a simple record of how you feel and any symptoms. We encourage you to do this with your healthcare professional, so you can track your digestion, notice changes, and discover how to enjoy bread in a way that truly supports your health.

Grounded in years of research and brought to life through delicious, nourishing loaves.

  • 30+ plant ingredients
  • 18-hour live-culture fermentation
  • 6g fibre per slice • 24 slices/loaf
  • Hand-blended, stone-milled flour
  • Regeneratively grown grains & botanicals
  • Without synthetic fortification

* Delivery cost is UK ONLY and  £9.99 per month packaging & delivery charge per month added at checkout 

Limited number of subscriptions available – due to the small batch Process.

 

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Proven Bread Course  — 12-Week Bread & Gut Health Reset

Start timeline: it will be ~2 weeks before your first loaf is delivered (onboarding + milling to order).
Thereafter, bread is delivered every 2 weeks while you follow the 12-week course at your own pace.

You have  access to the 12-week syllabus made up for podcasts and task and videos on How to Eat Bread pre-recorded lessons. It does not include any personalised support or direct interaction with Dr Kimbell

Alongside your bread, you’ll complete a self-assessment and a fun, accessible weekly learning activity designed to deepen your understanding of truly good bread. Over the 12 weeks you will:

  • Discover how to eat bread in a way that supports gut health and wellbeing

  • Learn the principles behind nutrient-rich, slow-fermented loaves

  • Connect your daily bread to the soil, the seasons, and your community

By the end of the programme, you will not only feel the difference in how you digest and respond to bread — you’ll understand why. And if you wish, you can continue with a bread-only subscription, enjoying Proven Bread with the confidence that you know exactly how to make it part of a nourishing diet.

With 6g of fibre per slice, Proven Bread  is designed to support digestive health, balance blood sugar, and complement a wide range of dietary needs.

WHEN WILL MY BREAD START ARRIVING

We hand blend the flour, mill it and then rest the flour a week.  It is then baked, rested, and sliced before being hand packed and posted to you. So your first delivery is 2 weeks AFTER your first payment your bread is delivered every 2 weeks for 5 further weeks. so please note that the 1st delivery will be 2 weeks after your order and usually arrives on Thursdays.

You get access to your syllabus immediately.

12-Week Course Schedule

This is the first-ever course that posts out bread and that transforms the simple act of eating bread into a structured, empowering practice. Combining microbiome science lifestyle medicine, and nutrigenetics to reconnect food, body, and the wider food system, your course is a combination of podcasts, infographics, and lectures and a 12 week self assessment that empowers you to understand bread and the way it impacts you.

12-WEEK LEARNING SCHEDULE
Baking as Lifestyle Medicine in Action
This isn’t just a subscription. It’s a conversation — between you, your body, your microbes, the soil, the farmers, and the people who’ve shaped this bread. Each week you’ll receive not just a loaf, but a lesson. You’ll be asked to check in — not just with the system, but with yourself. This is about learning to nourish, to notice, and to connect. You are not a passive participant. You are the connector. This is the system, and you are at the heart of it.

WEEK 0: BASELINE SELF-ASSESSMENT
Focus: How do you feel — physically, emotionally, digestively — before you begin?
Lesson: You can’t measure change without knowing where you started. This self-assessment will help you track what shifts over the next 12 weeks.
Action: Download and complete the baseline form before your first delivery. This is your anchor.

WEEK 1: WELCOME, STORAGE & HOW TO BEGIN
Focus: A loaf is arriving — and with it, something more
Lesson: This week is about starting gently. Learn how to store, slice, and enjoy your bread. If you’re histamine- or blood sugar-sensitive, this guidance matters more than ever.
Action: Slice and store your loaf. Take a quiet moment to notice how you feel. If you’d like to share a photo or reflection, tag @sourdoughclub or @vanessakimbell on Instagram.

WEEK 2: TOLERANCE TRAINING & DIGESTIVE AWARENESS
Focus: Eating slowly, kindly, consciously
Lesson: This week isn’t about restriction. It’s about respect — for your body, your digestion, your nervous system. Especially if you’re rebuilding tolerance after antibiotics, IBS, or histamine issues.
Action: Sit down. Breathe. Eat slowly. Reintroduce a more fibrous or gluten-containing slice, and notice how your gut responds. Jot down what you learn. This is you, learning to listen.

WEEK 3: SEQUENCED EATING & MEAL COMPOSITION
Focus: It’s not what you eat — it’s how and when
Lesson: The order you eat your food affects blood sugar and microbiome health. Eat your greens and dressing first, add protein and fat, then your bread. Making a vinegar is part of this week’s practice.
Action: Make a simple vinegar dressing. Create a sequenced plate using one of my recipes — perhaps the dal, curry, or probiotic butter salad — and eat mindfully. Share your plate if you’d like: @sourdoughclub / @vanessakimbell.

WEEK 4: THE SIX PILLARS OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE
Focus: Bread as a tool for real change
Lesson: The six pillars — nutrition, movement, sleep, stress, connection, and reducing harm — are more than theory. You’ll begin to see how one loaf touches every part of your life.
Action: Share your bread with a friend. Dance to a song you love. Eat a slice in the evening and feel how it helps you sleep. Say no to something ultra-processed. Say yes to nourishment. This is participation.

WEEK 5: SOIL – SEED – STARTER
Focus: Where your nourishment begins
Lesson: Before this bread reached your plate, it began as a seed in living soil. That cycle continues in your starter — and in your gut.
Action: Learn the name of your farmer or miller. Think about the story in each slice. This is food with roots.

WEEK 6: FLOUR & MILLING METHODS
Focus: Stone-ground, slow, and full of life
Lesson: Most flour is lifeless. This isn’t. Discover how stone milling preserves nutrients and why flour integrity matters to your microbes — and to the people growing your grain.
Action: Compare a commercial flour with your Botanical Blend. Feel it. Smell it. Think about what you’re feeding — not just yourself, but your gut garden.

WEEK 7: FIBRE & DIETARY DIVERSITY
Focus: 30 plants in a single loaf — and counting
Lesson: Fibre feeds your microbiome. Polyphenols shape it. Diversity sustains it. This is how we rebuild resilience.
Action: Add more plants to your plate this week. Make a symbiotic meal — a dal, a curry, or one of my probiotic butter salads — and count how many different ingredients you’re feeding your gut.

WEEK 8: THE MICROBIOME & MENTAL HEALTH
Focus: Mood, microbes, and the messages between
Lesson: Your microbes don’t just digest food. They talk to your brain. They modulate mood, emotion, and cognition. This week we focus on that quiet dialogue.
Action: Count how many new diverse foods you’ve eaten this week. Just count. And reflect on how you’ve felt — physically and mentally.

WEEK 9: SYMBIOTIC & MINDFUL EATING
Focus: Food synergy — not just ingredients, but relationships
Lesson: The bread works best in context — alongside fermented foods, bitter greens, seasonal veg, and mindful pauses. This is eating as ecosystem.
Action: Build a symbiotic plate. Sit down. Eat with attention and appreciation. If it feels right, share it with someone — or with me, @sourdoughclub.

WEEK 10: DIGESTION & TOLERANCE PRACTICE
Focus: Calming the gut, feeding with care
Lesson: If you’ve been sensitive to gluten, fibre, or fermentation, this week is about building back gently. Understanding your vagus nerve, chewing slowly, and giving the body what it needs — not what it fears.
Action: Eat a slightly more complex meal or slice. Sit. Chew. Breathe. Track how you feel. This is gut training, not gut testing.

WEEK 11: GENETICS, NEURODIVERGENCE & FAMILY HISTORY
Focus: The blueprint behind the bread
Lesson: Our genes — MTHFR, B-vitamin pathways, neurodivergence — all influence how we respond to food. And our bread can support these needs, when baked with care.
Action: Talk to someone in your family about health history. Consider what you’ve inherited — and what you might prevent. Reach out to someone neurodivergent and reflect on how food can support their wellbeing.

WEEK 12: ACTIVISM, CONNECTION & SOCIAL CHANGE
Focus: This is more than bread
Lesson: What you’ve learned isn’t just personal. It’s planetary. This is bread as activism — as connection — as a form of social medicine.
Action: Share your bread. Share what you’ve learned. You’re not just eating differently — you’re living differently. And you are now part of something much bigger.

 

Storage freezing and portion guide

STORAGE, FREEZING & PORTION GUIDANCE

How long does the Proven Bread ™ loaf last?

Proven is a naturally preserved sourdough with an 18-hour fermentation and high-fibre content. If kept in a cool kitchen in a paper or linen bag, it will stay fresh for up to 7 days.

However, due to the therapeutic nature of the bread — and its suitability for people with histamine sensitivity or blood sugar issues — we recommend freezing it on the day of arrival if you do not plan to eat it within 48 hours.

Why should I freeze it?

Freezing is not just about preserving freshness — for some people, it’s an important part of health management.

  • For histamine-sensitive individuals: Like all fermented foods, sourdough can naturally generate biogenic aminesover time — particularly histamine. Freezing the loaf immediately halts this microbial activity and prevents further amine development, making it more suitable for those with histamine intolerance or DAO impairment.

  • For blood sugar regulation: Freezing and then toasting or reheating the bread enhances the formation of resistant starch — a form of carbohydrate that slows glucose release, supports glycaemic control, and feeds beneficial gut bacteria. This process can be especially helpful for people managing insulin sensitivity, energy dips, or metabolic concerns.

How should I freeze and store Proven?

  • Slice the loaf (if not already pre-sliced)

  • Wrap tightly in parchment and then place in a freezer-safe bag or container

  • Store for up to 3 months

  • Toast straight from frozen or allow to thaw at room temperature — do not microwave

How should I eat proven Bread?

HOW SHOULD I EAT PROVEN BREAD?

Proven™ isn’t just bread you eat — it’s bread you have the option to learn with.

As part of your subscription choices , you have access to a 12-week learning programme developed by Dr Vanessa Kimbell, rooted in her doctoral research and the BALM Protocol: Baking as Lifestyle Medicine™. This structured series is designed to support you as you eat the bread — with weekly lessons that guide your understanding of how, when, and whyto eat Proven in a way that supports your gut, mental health, and wider system connection.

The learning starts before your bread even arrives.

In Week 0, you’ll complete a baseline self-assessment to help you reflect on your symptoms, energy, digestion, and mood. Then in Week 1, you’ll be guided through how to store, slice, freeze, and begin introducing the bread into your life.

From there, you’ll progress through weekly lessons covering:

  • Sequenced eating to support blood sugar balance and improve metabolic response

  • The six pillars of lifestyle medicine and how Proven fits within a broader approach to wellbeing

  • The science of fermented fibre, polyphenols, and gut microbial diversity

  • The impact of 18-hour fermentation on nutrient absorption, gluten breakdown, and postbiotic formation

  • The importance of flour integrity, regenerative farming, and avoiding glyphosates

  • How to eat bread in a way that supports IBS, histamine sensitivity, and gradual gut retraining

  • Insights into nutrigenetics — including MTHFR polymorphisms, B-vitamin absorption, and personalised nutrition

  • The emotional, social, and ethical power of sharing bread, and why Proven is part of a systems-level solution for better health and planetary care

You’ll also be invited to complete a final reflection and assessment in Week 13, and in Week 14, you’ll explore your next steps — whether that’s continuing your subscription, joining the Diploma, baking your own Proven-inspired bread at home, or diving deeper into the research through Dr Kimbell’s books and resources.

This isn’t just bread education — it’s a structured reconnection to food, body, and soil.

Whether you’re returning to bread after years of avoidance, or simply seeking a more meaningful, informed way to eat, this programme gives you the tools to eat Proven with confidence, clarity, and care

WHO MAY PARTICULARLY BENEFIT

WHO MAY PARTICULARLY BENEFIT

Proven Bread™  was formulated for people who need more than just sustenance — for those seeking a therapeutic relationship with bread that nourishes both body and mind.

Dr Vanessa Kimbell’s work in nutrigenetics, mental health, and gut health informs every element of this bread’s design. The formula considers how fibre, fermentation, and diversity can support individuals living with:

  • Neurodivergence (including ADHD, autism, anxiety)

  • MTHFR polymorphisms or impaired folate metabolism

  • B-vitamin depletion (particularly B1 and B12)

  • Blood sugar instability or energy crashes

  • Histamine sensitivity

  • Mood dysregulation, often linked to the gut–brain axis

  • Digestive discomfort — including sluggish digestion, constipation, or post-antibiotic dysbiosis

  • Individuals recovering from ultra-processed food diets or restricted eating patterns

This is a bread that pays attention to how your system functions — particularly if your system doesn’t fit within the “norm”.

It was developed to provide highly bioavailable folate, enhance vitamin B1 absorption, and support balanced blood sugar responses — all via long fermentation, fibre-rich prebiotics, and the inclusion of 30 diverse plant-based ingredients shown to increase gut microbial richness.

While anyone can enjoy this bread as part of a nourishing diet, it is especially well suited for people who:

  • Feel dismissed by traditional dietary advice

  • Are looking for a practical, food-based way to support mental well-being

  • Want to increase fermented fibre in a structured, safe, and informed way

  • Are already under the care of a functional GP, nutritionist, or mental health professional and want to integrate food as part of their care plan

If you’ve been advised to increase fibre, improve microbial diversity, or rebalance your digestion — this bread is designed with you in mind.

Who proven Not for?

 WHO IS PROVEN Bread ™ NOT FOR?

Proven™  was designed for everyone — but it is especially relevant for people who need specific, therapeutic nourishment. However, it is also not suitable for everyone. Our loaves are NOT suitable for Vegans as we us real butter to line the tins.

This loaf is made from a range of traditionally grown wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and other gluten-containing grains. Although it is long-fermented using sourdough techniques that break down some gluten and phytates, it is not gluten-free, and must not be consumed by anyone with coeliac disease, a diagnosed wheat allergy, or gluten sensitivity.

If you have:

  • Coeliac disease

  • A medically diagnosed wheat or gluten allergy

  • A known immune-mediated response to cereals

You must not consume this bread.

If you are unsure, please consult your GP or healthcare provider before subscribing.

We do not claim that sourdough fermentation renders the bread safe for those with gluten-related disorders, and no gluten-free version of Proven currently exists. This bread is rooted in transparency, integrity, and responsibility — and that includes saying no, where needed, to protect your health.

Signature Seeded Loaf Ingredients

PROVEN SIGNATURE SEEDED 

Weighing in at a whopping 1.9 kg, this is my Signature Seeded Sourdough – affectionately known as Big Poops Bread. (It’s also sometimes called the Triple Flusher – I’ll let you work that one out!) This loaf is superb for supporting a slow, sustained blood sugar release and delivers a significant level of fermented fibre.

Please note: if you have IBS, seeds can sometimes be more challenging to digest. I recommend opting for the unseeded version if you find seeded loaves cause bloating.

INGREDIENTS (in descending order by weight per mix)

Butter is used to line the tins.

Meadow Blend (70%)

  • Spelt (a type of wheat)
  • Einkorn (a type of wheat)
  • Emmer (a type of wheat)
  • Barley
  • Naked oats
  • Rye
  • Buckwheat
  • Dried peas
  • Dried nettle leaf
  • Dried edible meadow flowers (cornflower, mallow flower, rose petals)
  • Poppy seeds

Botanical Blend (30%)

  • Black wheat
  • Black barley
  • Spelt
  • Rye
  • Emmer wheat
  • Lentils
  • Peas
  • Quinoa
  • Poppy seeds
  • Nettle leaf
  • Kombu seaweed
  • Ground coffee
  • Hibiscus flowers
  • Cocoa husk

Seed Mix (23%)

  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Linseeds (flaxseeds)
  • Sesame seeds (hulled)
  • Black sesame seeds
  • Chia seeds
  • Hemp seeds
  • Poppy seeds

Other Ingredients:

  • Salt
  • Sourdough starter (contains naturally occurring wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria; made from flour and water)

ALLERGEN INFORMATION

Contains:

  • Wheat (including spelt, einkorn, emmer)
  • Rye
  • Barley
  • Oats (naked oats; not certified gluten-free)
  • Sesame seeds

May contain traces of:

  • Other cereals containing gluten
  • Tree nuts and soya, as processed in shared facilities (add this only if relevant based on your production environment)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

  • This bread is made using traditional long fermentation with a natural sourdough starter, which improves digestibility and may reduce gluten content.
  • No artificial additives or preservatives.
  • Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
  • Not suitable for coeliacs.
  • All flours are stone-milled and include the full grain, unless stated otherwise.
  • Ingredients are  sourced where possible from British Farmers  and selected for nutritional diversity, fibre content, and polyphenol richness in line with the BALM Protocol.
  • Store in a cool, dry place. Best consumed within 7 days or freeze on the day of delivery.

How Was Proven Developed ?

Proven Bread ™ is no ordinary loaf. It is the result of over two decades of pioneering research by Dr Vanessa Kimbell into the connections between diversity, fermentation, fibre, gut health, and mental health. Developed as part of her doctoral studies, this bread was used in clinical dietary intervention research and stands as the flagship formula within the Diversity Bread range.

Terms & Conditions

TERMS & CONDITIONS

These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) apply to your purchase and participation in the Proven Bread Subscription (“Subscription”) from The Sourdough School Ltd, operated by Dr Vanessa Kimbell. By subscribing, you agree to be bound by these Terms in full.

1. PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

The Proven Subscription is a 12-week programme that includes:

  • One sourdough loaf delivered every two weeks (six total loaves)
  • Access to an educational platform with structured video lessons
  • Self-assessment tools and supporting resources

Each loaf is handcrafted, made with freshly milled flour, and delivered on a fixed schedule as outlined on our website. Postage is included in the subscription fee.

2. SUBSCRIPTION STRUCTURE & PAYMENT

  • Subscriptions are billed monthly over the 3-month period.
  • By subscribing, you commit to the full 12-week programme.
  • Subscription fees are non-refundable once the first delivery has been dispatched.

3. PERISHABLE GOODS – NO RETURNS

Our bread is a perishable product and therefore exempt from the right to cancel under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, Regulation 28(1)(c).

Once a loaf has been dispatched, we cannot accept returns, offer refunds, or provide replacements unless the product is faulty, misdescribed, or damaged in transit.

4. DAMAGES & MISSING ORDERS

If your delivery arrives damaged or unfit for consumption:

  • You must notify us within 24 hours of delivery
  • You must complete our Returns & Incident Form
  • Photographic evidence of damage must be included (clearly showing the item, the outer packaging, and shipping label)

We will review your form and, at our discretion, may offer a replacement or partial/full refund.

We do not take responsibility for:

  • Parcels not received because the customer was unavailable
  • Spoilage due to missed deliveries or delays caused by incorrect addresses

5. DELIVERY TERMS

  • You must ensure someone is available to receive the parcel on the scheduled delivery day.
  • Our couriers may deliver without signature. By subscribing, you accept that delivery may be made to a safe place.
  • We are not responsible for failed deliveries due to absence or inaccessible addresses.

If your address changes, you must notify us at least 7 days before your next scheduled delivery. Changes submitted later may not be honoured in time.

6. SUBSCRIPTION PAUSE OR CANCELLATION

  • Subscription pauses are not permitted during the 12-week programme.
  • You may cancel future renewals but will remain enrolled for the duration of your current subscription term.

7. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

All educational materials, lesson content, and associated materials are the intellectual property of Dr Vanessa Kimbell and The Sourdough School Ltd. You may not reproduce, distribute, or share any content without explicit written consent.

8. DATA & PRIVACY

We process your data in accordance with UK GDPR. By subscribing, you agree to the processing of your self-assessment data solely for the purpose of personal monitoring and education. We do not share your personal information with third parties.

9. EQUITY-PRICED SUBSCRIPTIONS

A limited number of subsidised places are available each quarter at £29.99/month + Postage. Applicants must email  contact us with a brief explanation and proof of their circumstances. We respond within 14 days and issue access on a discretionary basis.

10. CONTACT

If you have any questions or concerns, please email us at:
[email protected]

Part of a wider systems change Programme

Diversity Bread® and the Proven Subscription is part of a wider systems change programme 

Bread was never meant to be built on a single grain.

The Proven Bread™ Subscription is part of the Diversity Bread® range — a system of breads baked by artisan bakers that is rooted in biodiversity, fermentation, nourishment, and equity. Proven  is not the only diversity loaf. It’s one expression of a broader movement — and one informed by over two decades of research into nutrition, gut health, the microbiome, and the food system.

In a world where commercial food production rewards monoculture, secrecy, and profit-first thinking, we’re doing things differently. This is not about guarding intellectual property for personal gain. It’s about creating a protected, fair, and evidence-based framework that ensures real bakers, not corporations, lead the return to meaningful nourishment.

That’s why Diversity Bread® is protected. It is available by licence only — exclusively to artisan bakers, not supermarkets or industrial manufacturers. This licence protects the integrity of the system, the values behind it, and the people who bake and share it.

Why it matters

Most modern bread is built on a single grain — bred for yield, stripped of nutrients, and pushed into ultra-processed forms that harm health and degrade soil. This is not food. This is commodified filler.

Diversity Bread® is the opposite.

It reclaims bread as nourishment — not just for the body, but for the soil, the microbes, the baker, and the wider food system. It uses a foundation of diverse whole grains, seeds, legumes, and botanicals — all carefully selected to support gut microbial diversity, blood sugar balance, and regenerative agriculture.

It’s part of a wider, necessary response to:

  • The gut health crisis

  • The collapse of agricultural diversity

  • The appropriation of sourdough by mass bakeries that sell factory bread under the guise of craft

This is a system. A living, breathing system — made by humans, for humans. Open your eyes, and you will see not a single species, but a world of relationships and symbiosis — between soil and farmer, miller and baker, eater and land.

Proven Bread: The Subscription 

The Proven Bread ™  Subscription is just one  entry point into a  system change.

It’s not just about eating the bread. It’s about understanding it, learning how to eat in a way that supports your body, and participating in a different kind of food economy — one based on education, empowerment, and integrity.

After the subscription, you may:

  • Continue receiving the bread

  • Learn to bake your own under licence

  • Join the Diploma

  • Or become part of the wider baking-as-lifestyle-medicine movement

Integrity matters

Mass industrial bread producers who mimic sourdough without fermentation,  strip meaning and profit from the craft, erodes the integrity of bread.  You can hear me talking here on BBC radio 4 food Programme about Sourfaux. That is why Diversity Bread® is protected — to ensure it remains with those who bake with intention, and share it in a way that honours the system it came from.

This is baking as it should be — vibrant, diverse, nourishing, and alive.

What is Proven Bread?

Proven Bread ™ is no ordinary loaf. It is has been created according the the BALM Principles and is the result of over two decades of pioneering research by Dr Vanessa Kimbell into the connections between diversity, fermentation, fibre, gut health, and mental health. Developed as part of my doctoral studies, this bread was used in clinical dietary intervention research and stands as The Sourdough School’s  flagship formula within the Diversity Bread ™ range.

This is the also first-ever learning programme that transforms the simple act of eating bread into a structured, empowering practice — combining microbiome science, lifestyle medicine, and nutrigenetics to reconnect food, body, and the wider food system with a 12 week learning programme and a self assessment to monitor how you feel.

This is the also first-ever learning programme that transforms the simple act of eating bread into a structured, empowering practice — combining microbiome science, lifestyle medicine, and nutrigenetics to reconnect food, body, and the wider food system with a 12 week learning programme and a self assessment to monitor how you feel.

Crafted with 30 unique plant-based ingredients — including grains, seeds, legumes, flowers, and botanicals — it meets the threshold identified by the American Gut Project for significantly enhancing gut microbial diversity.

It is:

  • My Botanical Blend Flour ™ is  is hand blended and milled to order from regeneratively farmed grains by Hodmedods

  • Each loaf is hand made with my starter and naturally fermented for 18 hours to enhance bioavailability

  • It is baked, sliced and then delivered to you in sustainable packaging and pre cut into in 24 slices, with 6g of fibre per slice (12g per two-slice serving — enough to fill the UK’s daily fibre gap)

Yes Proven is more than a loaf — it is a reconnection to the food system as a whole.

From soil to seed, from farmer to miller, from baker to doctor, and finally to the person eating the bread, this is a circular, shared system. And through this model — food as medicine, baking as care — we reawaken the original purpose of bread: not just to feed, but to heal, to connect, and to empower.

The development of Proven was supported by many:
Advisors, farmers, scientists, millers, and doctors who helped along the way — including Professor David Veale (King’s College London), Dr Alexandra Davidson, Dr Miguel Mateos,  Nick Saltmarsh and Josiah Meldrum, Ben Johnson, and Baker Peter Cook and family, with encouragement inspiration for many years from Tim Spector, my amazing students over the past two decades and of course my husband parents and children— each contributing insights that shaped the final product.

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