Bacteria grows after adding baking soda???

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

chueh

Senior Cook
Joined
Feb 9, 2009
Messages
145
I always see black dots scattered in and around the sourdough after I add baking soda and let the dough sit about an hour or longer. Are the black dots bacteria grown after the acidity is gone???
 
Not sure about bacteria and baking soda. But I do have a question about sourdough. Why do add baking soda? What kind of sourdough do you have?
 
Sourdough is stable because it's a mono-culture. The wild yeast in the starter is more robust, and able to withstand higher acidity than is store-bought yeast from a grocery store. Because of this fact, they stay active when the acids they give off after eating the sugars available in the flour and any added sugar. Eventually, the sugars are mostly gone, leaving live yeast, protein, fiber, and acid. The acid is what gives sour dough its sour flavor.

If you add baking soda, you neutralize the acid, getting rid of the sour flavor. This allows other opportunistic organisms to grow in the more neutral-pH environment, such as molds that commonly float around in the air. Mold grows quickly and could very well be what is creating the black spots. Plus, adding baking powder to the starter, or dough, negates the desired sour flavor of sourdough breads and pastries. Don't add baking soda. It does not leaven the bread. It does not improve the flavor, and will ruin the texture. Also, the bread dough won't rise properly.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
Back
Top Bottom