Microbial Consortia Involved in Traditional Sicilian Sourdough: Characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Yeast Populations

Abstract

Sourdough is one of the oldest starters traditionally used for making baked goods, offering several advantages to the sensory, rheology, and shelf life of final products. The present study investigated, for the first time, the microbiota of spontaneously fermented Maiorca dough samples collected from bakeries located in Sicily (Italy). Four sourdough samples (M1, M2, M3, and M4), were produced using Triticum vulgare Host. var. albidum Koern (Maiorca grain) were subjected to LAB and yeasts isolation and identification at the species level. The in-depth characterization of the lactobacilli population revealed that Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Levilactobacillus brevis unquestionably dominated the Maiorca sourdough ecosystem. Concerning the yeasts community, high species diversity was found. Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Wickerhamomyces anomalus were the most frequently isolated species. In addition, Torulaspora delbrueckii, Pichia kluyveri, Candida boidinii, and Candida diddensiae were also detected. Investigations on both pro-technological and functional traits of the isolated strains could lead to the selection of starters for the production of baked goods.