The Effect of Sourdough on the Microbiological Shelf life and Sensory Properties of Barbari Bread

This study examined sourdough LAB containing specific starter cultures used to produce barbari-style bread and evaluated their microbiological shelf life and sensory properties. The effects of sourdough fermentation time (8, 16, 24h), fermentation temperature (28, 32, 36°C) and type of starter culture (Lactobacillus sanfransicencis, ATCC 14917; Lactobacillus plantarum, ATCC 43332; a mixture of both LABs) were analyzed in a completely randomized design factorial experiment with four replications. The microbiological shelf life of samples was determined by placing serial dilutions on plate count agar for one to seven days. The sensory properties of the bread were determined 1, 24, 48 and 72h after baking using AOAC standards. The results showed that sourdough had a significant effect (p≤0.05) on improving the microbiological shelf life and sensory properties of barbari bread in comparison with the control sample. Moreover, the sample produced with Lactobacillus plantarum (24h fermentation time and 32ºC fermentation temperature) had the maximum microbiological shelf life and the sample produced with a mixture of both LABs (16h fermentation time and 28ºC fermentation temperature) had the best sensory evaluation 72 h after baking.