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ysabetwordsmithThe hidden microbes that decide how sourdough tastes
The microbes living in sourdough starters don’t just appear by chance—they’re shaped by what bakers feed them. New research shows that while the same hardy yeast tends to dominate sourdough starters regardless of flour type, the bacteria tell a more complex story. Different flours—like whole wheat or bread flour—encourage different bacterial communities, which can subtly influence flavor, texture, and fermentation.
Bakers have known this for some time. If you want something consistent, use a commercial starter. If you want something more interesting, but still reasonably predictable, catch your own with white flour and water. But if you want to hunt the rarer, more enchanting possibilities -- bread that tastes of flowers, of wine, of forest -- then you should experiment not only with different flours but also dropping things into it that naturally contain yeast and other beneficial microbes. Among the best options for fruity and floral flavors are bits of fruit that have a white bloom on the surface, such as grapes or blueberries. Raw fruit juice, such as fresh-pressed apple cider, is another good bet. For alcoholic flavors, spent grain is excellent. It doesn't take much, as the microbes will multiply rapidly in the starter.
Don't be afraid to start 10 jars and only keep the best of them; you can toss the rest on the compost. Do keep records of which combinations worked best, in case you want to repeat them later. If you search online or in old hippie cookbooks, you can find many different recipes for sourdough starter to try. It's fun to experiment.
Sourdough starter is a simple blend of flour and water that bakers rely on to make bread rise. For scientists, it is also a powerful way to study how living organisms change over time. The familiar chewy texture and tangy flavor of sourdough come from a complex mix of microorganisms that ferment the dough. Research over the years has uncovered more than 60 types of bacteria and over 80 kinds of yeast in sourdoughs from different regions of the world. "We can use sourdough as an experimental evolution framework, to see what happens over time," said evolutionary biologist Caiti Heil, Ph.D.
In a recent study published in Microbiology Spectrum, Heil and researchers at North Carolina State University in Raleigh set out to explore how flour choice affects the microbes living in sourdough starters. Their analysis showed that yeasts from the genus Kazachstania were consistently the most common across all starters. In contrast, the bacterial communities varied depending on the type of flour used..
Not that "in the same genus" does not necessarily mean exactly the same type of yeast or that it will have exactly the same type of flavor. If you want to pin that down precisely then you will need to separate individual yeast and bacteria types and run a chemical analysis on their output. That should identify some of the elusive flavors. But it's also possible that some flavors come from interactions between the outputs of different microbes. It is certainly true that the symphonic flavor profile of a good sourdough comes from the confluence of its many inhabitants working together.
Further Resources
Books
Adventures in San Francisco Sourdough Cooking & Baking
The Allure of the Tassajara Bread Book
The Best Sourdough Books for 2026
Books -- The Sourdough Journey
Popular Sourdough Books -- Goodreads
Ways to Make a Sourdough Starter
6+ Different Types of Sourdough Starters
9 Ways to Make a Sourdough Starter
Includes birch sap, whey, beer, kombucha, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, wine, and soy sauce.
10 Different Types of Sourdough Starters and How To Use Them
The Best Flour for Sourdough Starters: An Investigation
DIYeast: Capturing Yeast
Easy Recipe for Sourdough Starter with Honey for Reduced Acidity
Making Your Starter (with fruit)
A Science of Sourdough Project: Capture wild microbes and turn them into bread – for science!
Sourdough with Spent Beer Grains
What Flour To Use For Sourdough Bread (Complete Guide)
Recipes with Sourdough
40+ Sourdough Recipes That Aren't Bread
40 Ways To Serve and Eat Sourdough Bread
75 Sourdough Recipes to Transport Your Senses to Taste Paradise
The microbes living in sourdough starters don’t just appear by chance—they’re shaped by what bakers feed them. New research shows that while the same hardy yeast tends to dominate sourdough starters regardless of flour type, the bacteria tell a more complex story. Different flours—like whole wheat or bread flour—encourage different bacterial communities, which can subtly influence flavor, texture, and fermentation.
Bakers have known this for some time. If you want something consistent, use a commercial starter. If you want something more interesting, but still reasonably predictable, catch your own with white flour and water. But if you want to hunt the rarer, more enchanting possibilities -- bread that tastes of flowers, of wine, of forest -- then you should experiment not only with different flours but also dropping things into it that naturally contain yeast and other beneficial microbes. Among the best options for fruity and floral flavors are bits of fruit that have a white bloom on the surface, such as grapes or blueberries. Raw fruit juice, such as fresh-pressed apple cider, is another good bet. For alcoholic flavors, spent grain is excellent. It doesn't take much, as the microbes will multiply rapidly in the starter.
Don't be afraid to start 10 jars and only keep the best of them; you can toss the rest on the compost. Do keep records of which combinations worked best, in case you want to repeat them later. If you search online or in old hippie cookbooks, you can find many different recipes for sourdough starter to try. It's fun to experiment.
Sourdough starter is a simple blend of flour and water that bakers rely on to make bread rise. For scientists, it is also a powerful way to study how living organisms change over time. The familiar chewy texture and tangy flavor of sourdough come from a complex mix of microorganisms that ferment the dough. Research over the years has uncovered more than 60 types of bacteria and over 80 kinds of yeast in sourdoughs from different regions of the world. "We can use sourdough as an experimental evolution framework, to see what happens over time," said evolutionary biologist Caiti Heil, Ph.D.
In a recent study published in Microbiology Spectrum, Heil and researchers at North Carolina State University in Raleigh set out to explore how flour choice affects the microbes living in sourdough starters. Their analysis showed that yeasts from the genus Kazachstania were consistently the most common across all starters. In contrast, the bacterial communities varied depending on the type of flour used..
Not that "in the same genus" does not necessarily mean exactly the same type of yeast or that it will have exactly the same type of flavor. If you want to pin that down precisely then you will need to separate individual yeast and bacteria types and run a chemical analysis on their output. That should identify some of the elusive flavors. But it's also possible that some flavors come from interactions between the outputs of different microbes. It is certainly true that the symphonic flavor profile of a good sourdough comes from the confluence of its many inhabitants working together.
Further Resources
Books
Adventures in San Francisco Sourdough Cooking & Baking
The Allure of the Tassajara Bread Book
The Best Sourdough Books for 2026
Books -- The Sourdough Journey
Popular Sourdough Books -- Goodreads
Ways to Make a Sourdough Starter
6+ Different Types of Sourdough Starters
9 Ways to Make a Sourdough Starter
Includes birch sap, whey, beer, kombucha, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, wine, and soy sauce.
10 Different Types of Sourdough Starters and How To Use Them
The Best Flour for Sourdough Starters: An Investigation
DIYeast: Capturing Yeast
Easy Recipe for Sourdough Starter with Honey for Reduced Acidity
Making Your Starter (with fruit)
A Science of Sourdough Project: Capture wild microbes and turn them into bread – for science!
Sourdough with Spent Beer Grains
What Flour To Use For Sourdough Bread (Complete Guide)
Recipes with Sourdough
40+ Sourdough Recipes That Aren't Bread
40 Ways To Serve and Eat Sourdough Bread
75 Sourdough Recipes to Transport Your Senses to Taste Paradise
Bread recipes
Date: 2026-01-22 12:26 am (UTC)SO, two more pieces of advice:
The breads in "Laurel's Kitchen," the original hippie edition from the 1970s are just as friendly but the authors DO make suggestions to help them correct potential missteps. Plus, there are plenty of international breads to make!
My favorite ever pizza dough recipe is from the television show, "Reading Rainbow." It was hands down the easiest, fastest, and most satisfying pizza dough I'd ever made, and I made it thereafter, for YEARS.
https://jae.tumblr.com/post/223398089/reading-rainbow-pizza-dough
Here's one last bonus tip: Instead of shaping the dough into a pizza, make eight or twelve round balls from it and put them in a cake tin, brush with butter, and bake for about 20-25 minutes (check the oven at 18, then keep an eye on it) for fast dinner rolls. Roll the dough flat, brush with butter and cooked garlic confit or a bit of dry garlic powder, not raw fresh garlic, then roll it up and cut into pinwheels that bake in the same amount of time for gorgeously garlicky rolls. Use the dough to make pierogi.
Everu single one of these breads can be made brilliantly with sourdough.
I won't tell anyone, and the dough will absolutely love to serve.
Re: Bread recipes
Date: 2026-01-22 01:44 am (UTC)That's Zen for you. The approach appeals to some but not others. Thanks for sharing more ideas!
Re: Bread recipes
Date: 2026-01-22 02:29 am (UTC)I also like mixing grains-- my favorite pancake recipe is 1/2 unbleached wheat flour and 1/2 corn meal, but when I get rye flour, I adore making the sourdough starter with rye, then using half rye and half wheat plus the sourdough starter.
Honestly, bread is VERY forgiving.
Re: Bread recipes
Date: 2026-01-22 02:41 am (UTC)Re: Bread recipes
Date: 2026-01-22 03:18 am (UTC)