Sourdough Analysis

Sourdough is the result of a fermentation process in which flour and water are mixed and fermented with microbes, especially LAB and yeasts (De Vuyst and Neysens 2005; Corsetti and Settanni 2007a; De Vuyst and Vancanneyt 2007; De Vuyst et al. 2009). Nowadays, sourdough is extensively used for the manufacture of a variety of products particularly breads and others, such as cakes, crackers, pizza, various sweet baked goods, and gluten-free products (Gobbetti 1998; De Vuyst et al. 2009). De Vuyst et al. (2014) stated that sourdoughs are worldwide products and considered specific ecosystems distinguished by a low pH around 4.0, high concentrations of carbohydrates, limited oxygen, and higher amounts of LAB [≥108 colony forming units (CFU)/g] compared to yeasts (≤107 CFU/g).
2003; De Vuyst and Neysens 2005; Huys et al. 2013). A mature sourdough refers to a sourdough, in which constant cell densities of LAB and yeasts, acidification and leavening properties, have been reached in a number of days (5–7 days) based on the flour type (Ercolini et al. 2013). Sourdoughs have a very high diversity of LAB species and strains. Numerous studies have shown that around 50 different species of LAB are present in the microbial composition of cereal sourdoughs (Gobbetti 1998; Hammes et al. 2005; Vogel and Ehrmann 2008; De Vuyst et al. 2009). In addition to genus Lactobacillus, typical for most sourdough ecosystems, other genera like Leuconostoc, Weissella, Pediococcus, and very small amounts of lactococci, enterococci, and streptococci are found in sourdoughs (De Vuyst and Neysens 2005; Arendt et al. 2007; Corsetti and Settanni 2007a; Chavan and Chavan