Sour dough processes

Traditional pitta bread is made by a sour dough process but it can be made using manufactured yeast. If the sour dough process is used a relatively large portion of sour dough (approximately 20%) is used, giving a more rapid fermentation than most sour dough products. 

A natural approach to avoid the use of additives in bread products may be reached by returning to the sour dough process using starter cultures. The use of selected strains with production of specific enzymes is the basis for production of the enzymes and dough conditioners directly in the sour dough. At present, two groups of enzymes are of particular interest in this respect amylases and proteases. 

While the future of preserving bread by the addition of an organic acid seems secure, an alternative means for producing bread without the need for preservatives is receiving much interest in Britain. This is the use of the sour dough process. Although this process is popular on the continent and in parts of America for the production of rye bread, it has not been used in Britain except by small speciality bakers. In this process, dough... 

For other product classes, it is characteristic that the flavour only forms or is changed significantly during production. Thermal, enzymatic and microbiological processes can be responsible for these changes. Examples are the ripening of salami and sour dough fermentation. In both cases, undesired bacteria can cause off-flavour formation. 

Kline, L., Sugihara, T.F., and McCready, L.B. 1970. Nature of the San Francisco sour dough French bread process. I. Mechanics of the process. Bakers Digest 44, 48-50. 

Marklinder, I., Haglund, A., and Johansson, L. 1996. Influences of lactic acid bacteria on technological, nutritional and sensory properties of barley sour dough bread. Food Qual. Pref. 7, 285-292. Marter, A.D. and Timmins, W.H. 1992. Small scale processing of sweetpotato in Sichuan province, People s Republic of China. J. Trop. Sci. 32, 241-250. 

Fig. 15.38. Time requirement for various sour dough development methods (according to Rothe, 1974), 1 A three step process, 2 short sour, 3 dough souring agents used...

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