Sourdough is an excellent model system for studying interactions between microbes
Sourdough is an excellent model system for studying the interactions between microbes.
February 4, 2021
In a study of 500 sourdough starters on four continents, scientists have gained new insights into how environmental factors 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, an applied ecologist at North Carolina State University. We looked at what those microbes are doing and how those microbes coexist with each other.
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.
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
Date Time
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.”