CHARACTERIZATION OF SOURDOUGH BREAD FERMENTS MADE IN THE LABORATORY BY TRADITIONAL METHODS

Sourdough ferments were reconstitued in the laboratory according to th ree traditional procedures used in rural areas for building sourdough ferments. The ferments were subcultured on wheat flour to make four ge nerations, which were then used to study the micro-organisms involved in the fermentation of sourdough bread and the characteristic flora th at may remain in the ferment for a long time. The analyses carried out on the ferments of the four generations included determinations of la ctic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts and physico-chemical characteristi cs (pH. titratable acidity and dough-rising capacity). The results sho wed that Lactobacillus plantarum, L. delbruckii, Leuconostoc mesentero ides and Pediococcus pentosaceus were the most frequent species in all of the trials. Some other species including Lactobacillus buchneri, L . casei and L. sanfrancisco were also isolated in high proportions and in many samples. In some trials the microflora was dominated by LAB a nd the yeast counts decreased significantly in the fourth generation d espite the leavening action of the ferments.