ABSTRACT
The primary role of a sourdough starter is to aerate a bread dough. Sourdough starter typically accounts for no more than 50% of the bread dough. Traditional sourdough production is quite a labour-intensive and time-consuming process, considerably more so than the conventional ‘straight dough method’ that uses a commercial yeast to leaven bread. In recent times, there has been a global upsurge in demand and consumer appreciation for the flavour and taste of authentic, artisan-style sourdough bread. Traditional sourdough fermentation is a complex process. The microflora involved in the fermentation process are composed of stable associations of cultures of symbiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria and wild yeasts. Several salient compounds are subsequently generated from pyruvic acid through one of two fermentation processes characterised by different general metabolic paths: lactic acid fermentation and alcohol fermentation. The heritage, art, and skill involved in the production of high-quality sourdough bread are undeniable.
