CONTROLLED PRODUCTION OF ACETIC-ACID IN WHEAT SOUR DOUGHS

Sour doughs are characterized by their pH value, their total amount of titratable acidity (TTA) and their fermentation quotient (FQ=mol ratio lactic acid/acetic acid). At comparable TTA, the FQ may evidently affect the sensory properties and the shelf life of breads. Therefore, attention should be directed to controlling FQ by enhancing or suppressing the production of acetic acid. Over a limited range, this is possible by setting to appropriate levels the process parameters temperature and dough yield. Alteration the availability of the hydrogen acceptor (via fructose or invert sugar supply) is another way of influencing the FQ directly by shifting the heterolactic pathway from the ethanol to the acetate branch and vice versa. The objective of this investigation was to combine the effects of dough yield and temperature with those of fructose supply in order to improve the control of FQ. The central composite design was used to arrange the experiments to quantify the effects of temperature (25-40-degrees-C), dough yield (180-320) and fructose supply (0-10 g/100 g flour) on fermentations of sour dough started with Lactobacillus brevis 25 a. In this way, it was possible to modulate the FQ levels between 0.9 and 4.5. The results indicate, that temperature has no significant effect, and that fructose is more efficient in influencing the FQ than dough yield. No interactive effects were detected.