The big fat sourdough study: researchers reveal surprising diversity, tackle baking myths
Scientists peered into those sourdough starter jars to see what makes it tick.
When the pandemic started, sourdough bread boomed almost overnight. Stuck inside their homes, many turned to this comforting ancient craft and baked, at least for a while, delicious sourdough bread.
There’s a deceptive complexity to this craft, however. In a new study, scientists mapped the microbial life of sourdough starters in unprecedented detail and confirmed two things: sourdough starters really are different from one another but despite this, you can make delicious bread regardless of where you are on the globe.
Updated:
January 27, 2021 20:57 IST
Here are some of the most interesting research papers to have appeared in top science journals last week
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Parts of the molecules attracted to or repulsed from water, shown in purple and blue respectively, orient and guide the molecules to form a nanostructure. Credits: Peter Allen
Here are some of the most interesting research papers to have appeared in top science journals last week
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Cobra’s defence
It is well known that snakes use their venom to hunt or to kill prey. However, researchers at the U.K’s Bangor University s School of Natural Sciences have found that, in one group of spitting cobras, the venom evolves as a means of protection, from their ability to spit venom to escape from their predators. The study conducted on three different lineages of cobras showed that these snak
Sourdough bread is notoriously difficult, as it relies on a live culture starter
In the study, scientists analysed 500 starters from home bakers in 4 continents
While many bakers claim San Francisco has the best sourdough bread, geography does not appear to play a role in the effectiveness of starters
Those containing acetic acid were also found to be vinegary and didn t rise wll
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Intercontinental Study Sheds Light on Microbial Life of Sourdough
In a study of 500 sourdough starters spanning four continents, scientists have garnered new insights into the environmental factors that contribute to each sourdough starter’s microbial ecosystem, and how different types of microbes influence both a sourdough’s aroma and how quickly the sourdough rises. The results may surprise sourdough enthusiasts.
“We didn’t just look at which microbes were growing in each starter,” says Erin McKenney, co-author of the paper and an assistant professor of applied ecology at North Carolina State University. “We looked at what those microbes are doing, and how those microbes coexist with each other.”