Salt as an important and problematic ingredient
In addition to sodium chloride, which is added to the bread in the form of table salt, researchers identified lactic acid and acetic acid as particularly definitive tastants. Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts create these tastants in the dough during sourdough fermentation. Already used in breadmaking in ancient Egypt, sourdough is essentially a dough consisting of flour and water with live lactic acid bacteria and yeasts, whose fermentation give the bread dough its distinctive aroma and taste while adding volume to the bread.
The researchers also investigated general possibilities for reducing the salt content in bread, since bread can account for a significant portion of daily salt intake. The findings could help reduce the health-relevant amount of sodium in the dough while retaining the unique flavor of the bread. The taste essences were evaluated by a team of trained human testers.
