Sourdough microbial system and sourdough breads

Sourdough bread has gained special interests in recent years due to its nutritional, technological, and sensory characteristics and this process can be defined as the rediscovery of sourdough technology. Sourdough is considered one of the oldest, diverse, and most popular fermented food products in the world. Although baker’s yeast is still in use as the main leavening agent, sourdough is important as a natural starter as it offers a traditional approach to novel problems. Sourdough fermentation provides some solutions to extend the shelf life of a product, reduce the use of additives and increase the nutritional value. The microbiological activities of sourdough as an intermediate product can also have crucial roles affecting the final bread quality. This chapter summarizes main characteristics of sourdough fermentation and technological properties of sourdough bread, such as texture, flavor, shelf life, and nutritional value in terms of bioactive compounds, digestibility, antinutritional factors, and irritable bowel syndrome.