What You Need to Know
The natural starter culture, consisting of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria, ferments sugars and produces lactic acid, carbon dioxide, and ethanol. This process, which can take 4-24 hours, gives sourdough its characteristic flavor and texture. The bread is then baked in a hot oven for 20-40 minutes.
Steps
- 1.
San Francisco Sourdough (USA (California Gold Rush era)): Distinctive tang from local Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis strain
- 2.
Pane di Altamura (Italy (Puglia region)): Protected designation bread using durum wheat and long fermentation
- 3.
Rye Sourdough (Roggenbrot) (Germany): Dark, dense bread using rye flour's natural acidity
The Science
Primary Reaction
Lactic acid fermentation