Commercially produced sourdough contains vitamin C as an additive to improve leavening action.  I've been thinking about using fresh organic lemon juice as an alternative and wondering whether anyone has tried this yet?

+Wild-Yeast

Hi

I'd like to bake loaves with a higher wholemeal content ( 60 wholemeal:40 white or 70 wholemeal: 30 white) and am wondering if the addition of ascorbic acid will help to make them lighter. Does anyone routinely use ascorbic acid in wholemeal/spelt  bread making, and if so, what is your purpose in using it. Does anyone deliberately avoid it, and if so why?  Also, does anyone know where in London (UK)  I could buy it? If I were to use straigh vit C pills, how much would I add say per 3 cups of flour? Thanks.

I understood that there'd be occasions to use ascorbic acid in whole grain breads.  I've been searching for a reasonable local source, but have found it to be questionably dear.  When I researched online sources, I found that a crushed 250mg vitamin C tablet will do in place of 1/8 teaspoon ascorbic acid to a loaf of bread.  Great, because I have a lot of vitamin C tablets otherwise going to waste.