[Sca-cooks] Sourdough Article

[Terry Decker]

>Bear commented:
>> Since yeasts tend to be highly localized and there are a great many
>> species
>> and variants of Lactobacillus, the hypothesis that sourdoughs in
>> different
>> areas have different Lactobacillus is a pretty good bet.  Most of us
>> who
>> work with sourdough think the variations in the yeast and lactobacillus
>> account for the variations in flavor.
>You are saying that the yeast makes more of a difference in the taste
>of the resulting bread than does the choice of flour or other added
>ingredients? Or do you just mean variations in taste of loaves made in
>different localities but made with the same ingredients? I would think
>using whole wheat instead of a white wheat or a soft wheat instead of a
>hard wheat would make the biggest difference in taste, but then I'm not
>a baker. Or at least haven't been for about 30 something years.
>Stefan

Different locales produce different mixes of yeast and lactobacillus.

The flavor of a sourdough is primarily a function of the lactobacillus, all
other ingredients being equal.

Differences in the activity of the yeast and the hardness or softness of the
flour are more likely to influence texture than flavor.

Bear