Sourdough use in Bread Production: Review

The nutritional, economic, and social value of bread as a staple food commodity leads to the interest in optimizing its production and extending its shelf life through the enhancement of its flavor, textural and nutritional properties and delaying staling and microbial spoilage. However, the freshness, flavor, and textural quality are still major concerns and areas of development for the bread-making industry. Sourdough technology as a tool for enhancing the quality of pan bread, as discussed and studied by many researchers worldwide from different viewpoints, was reviewed in this article. The increased interest in sourdough-produced bread is a result of consumers’ demand for natural, flavor-intensive bread with good keeping qualities and shelf life to satisfy their quest for a more natural and healthier lifestyle. This review focuses mainly on describing the natural sourdough techniques developed by the conventional and modern approaches over the past decades in the production of healthier bread. The methods used in the production of sourdoughs as well as their effect on the quality of the various bread types are also reviewed.