First of all, here’s a few reasons why I love sourdough:

For those who just want the gist, here’s a tldr (Too long, didn’t read):

• Sourdough is naturally leavened, meaning the gluten and flavor development processes happen via wild bacteria and yeast (cultivated through your sourdough starter) instead of commercial yeast. We have been making bread this way for thousands of years, and there are starters that get passed down from generation to generation.
• Naturally leavened bread is healthier, more nutritious and easier to digest than conventional bread.
• Sourdough is actually fermented, the wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria (not present in conventional bread) ferment or break down the sugars and gluten in the dough through the rising process and convert them into vitamins, minerals and protein.
• True sourdough bread’s slow fermentation process allows the yeasts and bacteria to pre-digest the gliadin (a component of gluten) in the dough into small enough chunks that they do not irritate the small intestine - this is what makes sourdough generally safe to eat for people with gluten intolerances or sensitivities. It is also better for people with diabetes than conventional bread. (It is still not considered safe for people with celiac disease though).

Research/Resources

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sourdough-bread#section6

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325236398_Novel_insights_on_the_functionalnutritional_features_of_the_sourdough_fermentation

https://www.sourdough.co.uk/research/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1932817/

*The episode “Air” from the limited series “Cooked” on Netflix is great*

I also follow several different sourdough related pages on Reddit, and love the book “Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza” for great recipes and more info on why sourdough is awesome