Sourdough bread: A contemporary cereal fermented product

Abstract

Nutraceutical products have gained prominence nowadays owing to their plethora of suggested positive health attributes. Several types of foods have likewise been indicated to provide a wide variety of functional health properties. Especially, functional foods with probiotic properties, such as fermented milks containing lactic acid bacteria and yeast, have generated considerable regard, sourdough bread has received recent attention as wheat fermentation could improve essential mineral bioavailability and provide additional health and nutritional benefits including the provision of probioticmicrobes. Sourdough fermentation is also associated with anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties that can improve bread shelf life and quality including the provision of attractive organoleptic characteristics. In addition, this review succinctly highlights the fermentation of wheat from Pakistani perspective, antinutritional factors, and their pros and cons, allergic compounds in wheat and their degradation by fermentation and various other methods to improve nutritional value and quality that have appeared in the recent research. Practical applications The field of sourdough microbiology and technology is currently limited by the number of comprehensive review articles with study on novel microorganisms known to degrade gluten, with much research focus on phytic acid and gliadin degradation. This review article will broaden the knowledge of food scientist who are working in the field of sourdough bread. This review article also discusses the microbiota responsible for nutraceutical bread production in baking industry. Sourdough technology is mushrooming in many areas of the world due to its myriad health and quality benefits.