Tip - Acetic Sour Test

For those that are interested to taste the results of increased acetic acidification through retardartion, here is a simple and effective test.

• take a piece of well fermented dough (200g or so) and cut off a small piece and retard the remainder
• fry that small piece of dough in oil, then taste. We call them Beignets in New Orleans
• next day do the same and continue each day until you are satisfied with the results.

My wife like Beignets! I mix up a batch of my favorite San Francisco SD and use that dough for Beignets. I’ve made them for years and each and every time we comment how the acidity increases over each consecutive day. It is obviously noticeable. For us, that means they taste better as time in retardation increases.

As Dabrownman and others have asserted over the years, retardation develops Acetic Acid which is derived from the LAB in the starter. Vinegar is Acetic Acid. It has a very sharp flavor.

On the other side of the LAB spectrum is Lactic Acid which is more smooth, similar to yogurt. Since LAB produces 2 distinct flavors, various types of “sour” are possible with extended fermentation using sourdough.

Danny