Sourdough recipe with vinegar
I use a sourdough starter to bake my breads. I read somewhere that adding a touch of vinegar will help with the oven rise. What are the implications of adding vinegar to my recipe?
Best Answer
There are several conversations about this on The Fresh Loaf, which you can search. Issues raised include (a) acetic acid used as a preservative in manufactured bread (lowering the pH), (b) yeast performing best in a neutral to slightly acid environment, suggesting vinegar might be helpful when using instant yeast, (c) vinegar helping the rise in gluten free situations, and (d) the idea of vinegar, not for help in fermentation, but to strengthen the dough, thus creating a better structure for capturing fermentation gasses. All of these use vinegar in small amounts (1 - 1.5% of flour).
My concern, in sourdough situations, would be too much acid. Starter is typically acidic to start with. When feeding, much of the starter is removed and replaced with fresh flour and water. In part, this keeps acidity in check. Too much acid inhibits yeast and bacterial activity.
If you bake often, why not try an experiment? Use the same recipe and baking conditions, except add 1% vinegar to one. Let us know what happens!
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Can I add vinegar to sourdough?
For those who don't like the smell of lemon juice in their bread dough, milk and vinegar can work. Adding just equal parts milk, vinegar, and baking soda to the recipe will yield enough yeast. Baking this cake will not take as long due to the early rise in the dough.What does vinegar do to sourdough?
Acetic acid, or vinegar, is the acid that gives sourdough much of its tang. Giving acetic acid-producing organisms optimal conditions to thrive and multiply will produce a more tangy finished product.How much vinegar do I add to sourdough bread?
Can you use vinegar in yeast bread?
Enhancing FlavorMixing vinegar into yeast bread dough also enhances the bread's flavor, especially in sourdough bread not made with naturally harvested yeast from a starter. Vinegar is weak as acids go, but it helps with the breakdown of proteins and starches into their more flavorful components.Busy Mother's Sourdough Secret - The Easy Way to Make Sourdough Starter and Sourdough Bread
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