What Makes Sourdough Sour | How To Make Sourdough More Sour - Cultures For Health (2024)

Previous | Next

  • by CFH Admin
  • June 23, 2022
  • 3 min read

What Makes Sourdough Sour | How To Make Sourdough More Sour - Cultures For Health (1)

Did you know that the term ‘sourdough’ doesn't necessarily refer to flavor, but actually refers to the process of souring or fermenting bread dough?

Whether you prefer a tangy flavor to yoursourdough breadkitor a more mild taste, you can learn to manipulate your sourdough starter and dough to produce a bread that tastes great to you and your family.

Click to download our Sourdough Guide today, which contains tips and tricks on making sourdough bread that is more sour and flavorful to get the desired results.

HOW TO MAKE A MORE SOUR SOURDOUGH

There are two main acids produced in a sourdough culture:lactic acidandacetic acid.Acetic acid, or vinegar, is the acid that gives sourdoughmuch of its tang.

Giving acetic acid-producing organismsoptimal conditions to thriveand multiply will producea more tangy finished product. Here are some ways to achieve this.

1. Adjust the Starter

  • Maintain your starter at alower hydration level.This means using a higher ratio of flour to water.Acetic acid is produced more abundantly in adrier environmentlike this while lactic acid-producing organisms seem to thrive in a wet environment.
  • Use whole-grain flours, which the acid-producing bacteria love.
  • Keep thehoochor brown liquid layer that forms on a hungry sourdough starter instead of pouring it off. Retaining hooch can add acidity to sourdough and help it develop tang.

2. Adjust the Bread Dough


$50.99

This sourdough bread kit contains everything you need to get started making beautiful, tasty, artisan-style sourdough bread at home! Equipment in the sourdough bread starter kit may appear different than pictured. INCLUDED IN THE KIT Each Kit Contains 1 x San Francisco Style Sourdough Starter Culture. 1 x Bread Lame...


While it may take a little trial and error, attempting to achieve alonger, slower risemay also contribute to a more sour sourdough. Try creating a slower rise by doing the following.

  • Find a cooler spot for rising the dough. (Remember, warmer temperatures speed up fermentation and cooler temperatures slow down fermentation.)
  • Punch down(degassing) the dough at least once, if not twice, before the final shaping of the loaf.
  • Perform thefinal riseforat least four hoursorovernight in the refrigerator. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and let itsit at room temperature for about 30-60 minutes before baking.Although many experts recommend that the last rise be a quick one done in a warmer environment, you will have a better “oven-spring” by putting a cooler loaf into a hot oven.

HOW TO MAKE A LESS SOUR SOURDOUGH

To create the opposite effect from above and create a more mild flavor in your finished sourdough, try these adjustments.

1. Adjust the Starter

  • Feed your starter regularly. The temperature of your culturing area and the strength of your starter will influence how often your starter needs feedings, which can be anywhere from8 to 24 hours. Try increasing the frequency of your feedings to create a more mild taste. This should minimize the alcohol content and reduce the overall acidity of the sourdough.Less acidity means less tang!

2. Adjust the Bread Dough

  • Use moresourdough starterin the dough. A larger percentage of sourdough starter in the dough allows it to both rise in a cooler locationandhave ashorter rising time. Both of these conditions help to tamethe sourness in sourdough bylowering acetic acid production. (The amount of starter may need to be adjusted by season: more starter in the winter and less in summer.)
  • Add baking soda. Baking soda is an alkaline substance. Adding it to sourdoughneutralizessome of the acidity and gives the dough a little extra leavening boost.

Each sourdough starter is unique, so keep adjusting until you produce a bread that is ideally suited to your taste.

WHAT TO DO WITH IMPERFECT SOURDOUGH BREAD

As you experiment with adjusting the sourness of your sourdough bread, there may be times that your bread doesn't turn out the way you wanted it to. It's okay, it happens, and it truly is the best way to learn and perfect your sourdough baking.

Luckily, not-so-perfect sourdough doesn't have to go to waste. Try one of these recipes to use up any sourdough that doesn't turn out perfectly.

  • Sourdough Panzanella
  • 10 Uses for Stale Sourdough Bread

START MAKING PERFECT SOURDOUGH WITH CULTURES FOR HEALTH

The easiest way to start making sourdough at home or to continue making it - Cultures for Health.

We've got everything you need to make the best sourdough possible includingour amazing sourdough starter kitandmultiple sourdough startersin tons of different styles including:

  • San Francisco Style Sourdough Starter
  • Whole Wheat Sourdough Starter
  • Rye Sourdough Starter
  • Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter

On top of all of that, we haveall the toolsof the trade you need to make sourdough at home.

Click here to check out our large selection of sourdough starters and tools now!

Download your copy of our Sourdough Guide and Recipe Book today!

Ready to Learn More?

  • A Complete List of Sourdough Baking Terms

RELATED BLOG POSTS

The Best Yogurts for Probiotics: Store-Bought and Homemade Probiotic Yogurt Options

Buttermilk Yogurt Substitute: Can You Use Yogurt In Place of Buttermilk?

Kombucha On Keto: Can You Enjoy Kombucha on a Keto Diet

What Makes Sourdough Sour | How To Make Sourdough More Sour - Cultures For Health (2024)

FAQs

What Makes Sourdough Sour | How To Make Sourdough More Sour - Cultures For Health? ›

Whole grain and rye flours provide minerals and enzymes that can influence acid production in sourdoughs. The higher mineral content of whole grains acts as a buffer in the dough so that more acid can be produced during extended fermentation.

What makes sourdough more sour? ›

Whole grain and rye flours provide minerals and enzymes that can influence acid production in sourdoughs. The higher mineral content of whole grains acts as a buffer in the dough so that more acid can be produced during extended fermentation.

What makes sourdough so healthy? ›

Potential Health Benefits of Sourdough Bread

This is due to the way that the lactic acid bacteria in the bread interacts with these nutrients. These bacteria destroy certain types of acid commonly found in other types of bread, which increases the availability of nutrients like folate, potassium, and magnesium.

Does citric acid make sourdough more sour? ›

Hack: Citric acid, ascorbic acid, and others. Like ACV, adding powdered acids can simply add sour flavor to bread. I'm not a proponent of these methods but if you want to try them look up the specific ratio you will need as some of these acids are very concentrated and you only need a very small amount.

What bacteria makes sourdough sour? ›

The yeasts cause the dough to rise by creating carbon dioxide bubbles, while the lactic acid bacteria provide the sour flavor (in the form of acetic acid and lactic acid) and preserve the bread by lowering its pH, which prevents the growth of food borne pathogens.

Why is store bought sourdough so sour? ›

The Science Behind the Sour Flavor in Sourdough Bread

This is done by using a ripe and active starter to mix into bread dough. The dough goes through a fermentation cycle until it is ready to rise and bake. A sourdough starter is made up of wild yeast and bacteria working together.

What is the secret to sourdough? ›

The secret to sourdough is simple: water. The more water you add to your dough will affect how open the crumb (bigger holes and softer texture) will be once it's baked.

What is the healthiest sourdough bread? ›

When choosing a sourdough loaf, look for ones that have whole wheat, spelt or rye, Rizzo adds. Some studies suggest that Einkhorn wheat, a type of "ancient grain," may offer more nutritional benefits. When comparing nutrition labels, try to opt for the one with fewer ingredients and less sodium and sugar.

Is sourdough bread inflammatory? ›

The best bread to reduce gut inflammation is bread made from whole grains. Refined grains, such as the grains found in white bread and white pasta, are known to increase inflammation across the whole body. Sourdough bread and rye bread are both good options for an anti-inflammatory diet.

Is it okay to eat sourdough bread every day? ›

Is it healthy to eat sourdough everyday? You could eat sourdough every day, but it isn't necessarily healthy to do so. A healthy diet is characterized by balance and moderation. Whether or not it is healthy for you to consume sourdough every day depends on the rest of your diet.

How to get tangy sourdough? ›

HOW TO MAKE A MORE SOUR SOURDOUGH
  1. Maintain your starter at a lower hydration level. This means using a higher ratio of flour to water. ...
  2. Use whole-grain flours, which the acid-producing bacteria love.
  3. Keep the hooch or brown liquid layer that forms on a hungry sourdough starter instead of pouring it off.

Should I stir my sourdough starter between feedings? ›

stir your starter in between feedings - try stirring it twice in between feedings and really give it a chance to get oxygen into the mix. This will help to activate your starter without too much effort.

Does salt make sourdough less sour? ›

Salt inhibits the acid producers more than the yeast, which means that once the levain is mixed into the main dough, the ability to produce acid is somewhat diminished. To achieve a “more sour” bread, it's important to add a larger quantity of acid and acid producers to the main dough.

Is sourdough bread actually healthier? ›

Sourdough relies on a mix of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria, rather than baker's yeast, to leaven the dough. It's richer in nutrients, less likely to spike your blood sugar, contains lower amounts of gluten, and is generally easier to digest than bread made with baker's yeast.

Is sourdough good for your gut? ›

The fermentation process for sourdough bread can lead to an increased number of prebiotic- and probiotic-like properties, which help improve gut health, according to a 2021 review in the journal Microorganisms.

How old is the oldest sourdough starter? ›

The World's 'Oldest' Sourdough Starter Was Made With 4,500-Year-Old Yeast. There's no bread quite like sourdough. In addition to being tasty as a sandwich bread, delicious as sourdough croutons, and even great just toasted with butter, sourdough's production process is decidedly unlike other breads.

How to get sourdough to rise more? ›

So don't leave your dough in a warm oven, on a radiator or in sunlight. It will likely be too warm and will dry out your dough too. Instead, find a cosy spot, with no drafts, for your dough to rise. And, if your sourdough starter is struggling to get going, consider finding it a warmer spot too.

How to make your sourdough more airy? ›

How to get big airy holes?
  1. Feed starter and wait for it to double in size (at-least) or past the float test (4-8 hours in warm temp)
  2. Mix together ingredients (I skipped the autolyse…)
  3. Perform slap and folds for 5 minutes.
  4. Then stretch and folds every 30 minutes x3.
May 16, 2023

How to make your sourdough starter more active? ›

The following will help increase fermentation activity in your starter:
  1. Keep your starter warm, 74-76°F (23-24°C) or warmer.
  2. Use more whole grains in each feeding.
  3. Feed your starter when it's ripe (not too early, and not too late)
  4. Don't place it into the refrigerator.
Jun 6, 2022

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Margart Wisoky

Last Updated:

Views: 6286

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (78 voted)

Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Margart Wisoky

Birthday: 1993-05-13

Address: 2113 Abernathy Knoll, New Tamerafurt, CT 66893-2169

Phone: +25815234346805

Job: Central Developer

Hobby: Machining, Pottery, Rafting, Cosplaying, Jogging, Taekwondo, Scouting

Introduction: My name is Margart Wisoky, I am a gorgeous, shiny, successful, beautiful, adventurous, excited, pleasant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.