Sourdough Lactic Acid Bacteria as Functional Microorganisms for Technological Purposes

Sourdough technology has been used in bread and cereal-based products for years. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts forms the microbial flora of sourdough with LAB as the dominant microbial group. Microorganisms in the microbial flora of sourdough produce various metabolites which could result in the formation of positive effects on the texture, taste, and rheology of sourdough and sourdough bread. The increment of the functional and technological properties of sourdough and its breads mainly rely on the activities of LAB species presented in sourdough environment. Understanding the roles of LAB species for sourdough technology is a prerequisite to develop approaches in bread and cereal applications. Therefore, this part of the book chapter focuses on LAB and its metabolites, which are important for sourdough microflora including specific enzymes, exopolysaccharides (EPS), antimicrobial and antifungal agents, organic acids, fatty acids, and bioactive components produced by LAB.