Identification and exploitation of competitive properties of sourdough starters for the production of tasteful bread

The production of bread requires leavening of the dough, before baker¿s yeast was available it was the only biological leavening agent. Sourdough obtained from spontaneous fermentation of flour, water and salt was refreshed every day. The sensorial properties of such traditionally prepared sourdough bread are highly appreciated. The diversity of strains of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts which has been already reported implies the use of molecular taxonomy to avoid mis-identification and debates on metabolism in different environments. Starch, proteins, pentosans are the main components of flour. Hydrolysis of these macromolecules by enzymes provides substrates for the lactic acid bacteria and yeasts and leads to modification of the physico-chemical properties of the dough and to the final quality of the bread. It is the aim of this proposal to study how the metabolism of pentosans polyfructosans and proteins can affect: - the microbial ecology of sourdough, - the physico-chemical properties and machinability of dough, - the organoleptic quality and shelf life of bread, - the preparation of starters. Stand der Arbeit: