ABSTRACT
The use of sourdough in breadmaking is an ancient practice, common in Spanish bakeries and in other European countries (Barber et al., 1981). Traditionally, many positive characteristics on the quality of both the bread dough and bread have been attributed to the sourdough. In the bakery, it is considered that the benefits of sourdough utilization are as follows:
reduces the development time of the dough shortens the period of fermentation favors volume development in the oven improves the volume, aroma, and flavor of the breads
II. COMPOSITION OF SPANISH SOURDOUGH
Sourdough provides microorganisms needed for fermentation, contributing CO2 evolution, rheological changes, and flavor development (Barber et al., 1981, 1983, 1991a,b; Hansen and Hansen, 1996; Wehrle and Arendt, 1998).
