Sourdough Critter Growth Rates
Posted by Hans Fugal
Fellow sourdough freaks, I give you a graph of the growth rate of the two primary sourdough critters, Lactobacillus sanfransiscensis (the sourdough bacteria) and Candida milleri (the wild yeast), by temparature (Celsius), as described in the sourdough FAQ and I believe also in this paper by Gänzl et al. There are graphs in the paper, but they're not superimposed. My imagination is imperfect so I made graphs based on the curve equation given.
The take-home lesson is that the bacteria grow faster than the yeast at higher temperature, so if you want more sour proof at a higher temperature. Rumor has it that "flavor" develops better at cooler temperatures though so you might be trading "flavor" (whatever that is) for more sour. I think they mean the elusive bread faeries that seem to visit when you retard your dough in the fridge or in autolyse or something.
I think I ought to clarify: I do believe you get more complex and interesting flavor with autolyse or cooler rising. I don't believe in bread faeries. I just don't know any of the science behind this flavor, hence the quotes.
I'm not sure If autolysis will give more interesting flavour. I though that autolysis was for gluten development.
It definitely is for gluten development, but I think it imparts flavor as well. Or rather, being dough (flour + water) for a longer period imparts more flavor, and autolyse meets that condition.