Breadhead The microbes are local, plus, I’m sure, in the flour you buy. Wild yeast is no doubt also in the flour. It’s the local ones that come to dominate. In San Francisco, one of the local strains of LAB is Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis, which is a producer of acetic acid which is what makes SF sourdoughs so tangy. Regrettably, my local LAB seems to produce more on the lactic acid end, though keeping Vinnie in the fridge has soured him somewhat. It’s funny, my first couple of loaves were quite sour, but whatever LAB was producing the sour has gradually been overcome by "gentler" microbes that tend towards lactic acid production.
I’ve often wondered if maybe using a tablespoon or two of vinegar (in place of water) might not help with tang. I’ll try that one day soon. BTW, since it’s the LAB that produce most of the flavor and since they need more time than the yeast to do their thing, that’s why I am not concerned about Vinnie being at his peak when I make a batch of dough. It just takes him a little longer and slow is the name of the game.
Thanks so much for all your help and advice in getting me started on this bread craze.
Addition: I just noticed that Peter Reinhart (in Crust and Crumb) makes two mistakes. First he refers to L. sanfranciscENSIS as L. sanfrancisCO and, second, he states that it is unique to San Francisco, which contradicts Wink, who says it is found worldwide. Apparently, it is a dominant microbe in San Francisco and, alas, not so dominant where I live.
I’ve often wondered if maybe using a tablespoon or two of vinegar (in place of water) might not help with tang. I’ll try that one day soon. BTW, since it’s the LAB that produce most of the flavor and since they need more time than the yeast to do their thing, that’s why I am not concerned about Vinnie being at his peak when I make a batch of dough. It just takes him a little longer and slow is the name of the game.
Thanks so much for all your help and advice in getting me started on this bread craze.
Addition: I just noticed that Peter Reinhart (in Crust and Crumb) makes two mistakes. First he refers to L. sanfranciscENSIS as L. sanfrancisCO and, second, he states that it is unique to San Francisco, which contradicts Wink, who says it is found worldwide. Apparently, it is a dominant microbe in San Francisco and, alas, not so dominant where I live.
Comment