sourfaux en · NOUN
Etymology
From sour + faux. Coined by Chris Young, the coordinator of the Real Bread Campaign, in 2015.
Meanings
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(neologism, qualifier:nutrition, uncountable) A kind of bread that is labelled as sourdough but actually contains cheaper ingredients and is prepared in a way that requires less time.
The Real Bread Campaign recently exposed over 20 examples of ‘sourfaux’ being marketed as ‘sourdough’ and being sold at premium prices, despite being manufactured by a completely different process using baker’s yeast, chemical raising agents and additives.
2024 February 11, Aditi Rane, “The sourdough bread you're buying could be fake, experts share how to tell”, in Express, London:But it is now under scrutiny in a government review over the longstanding claims that a “sourfaux” scandal is undermining the traditional genuine loaf.
2022 April 23, Jon Ungoed-Thomas, “An honest crust? Craft bakeries rise up against ‘sourfaux’ bread”, in The Guardian:The taste’s one thing, says Real Bread’s co-ordinator, Chris Young, but there are also health benefts (including a lower glycaemic index and higher nutritional value) in genuinely slow-fermented bread compared to a ‘sourfaux’ loaded with commercial yeast, sourdough powder or preservatives.
2016 September 3, Amy Bryant, “Food & drink”, in Telegraph Magazine, London, page 65: