SC - Re: Bread making Platina style (long)

[Decker, Terry D.]

Amylase is also contained in parts of plants.  In this case, it is found in
the grains of wheat, which when converted to flour have enough surface area
which when properly moistened release sufficient amylase to catalyze the
reaction that will fuel the fermentation.  IIRC, there is also a maltase
reaction involved in the fermentation process, but the amylase is what is
critical to triggering the fermentation.

Yeasts spores are ubiquitous and I have been given to understand that
lactobacilli produce spores which are fairly common.  Milling flour is not a
sterile process.  Flour contains spores which represent no particular
problem since dry flour normally does not provide an ideal environment for
spore growth.  On the other hand, damp flour promotes spore growth, but the
amylase reaction weights the conditions toward the yeasts and the
lactobacilli and fermentation.  The fermentation process produces hostile
conditions for most molds.

I've had mold infect a starter, but I may not have been feeding it enough
water and flour and I do have a high concentration of airborne mold spores
in the local area. 

There are some scientific papers on the sourdough fermentation process.  One
in particular, is a study of San Francisco sourdough which includes far more
detail than my simple explanation and even discusses optimal ratios between
yeast and lactobacilli.

Bear

> -----Original Message-----
> Okay....a question here....where does the amylase come from?  (it's a 
> catalyst found in saliva and excreted by the pancreas in humans)..and 
> lactobacilli in flour??  How does it get there?  If you were 
> moistening with 
> milk, it would make sense...but....water??  (btw..this is wonderful 
> information...I just love learning how things work)
> 
> Etain