The Fresh Loaf

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Optimising mash souring (sourwort/flas)

PANEMetCIRCENSES's picture
PANEMetCIRCENSES

Optimising mash souring (sourwort/flas)

When it comes to successfully making sourwort/flas for baking, there are four parameters to be taken care of in order of diminishing importance: (i) lack of O2, (ii) initial pH (iii) temperature and (iv) time.

(i) One common way brewers (and not only) use to achieve this is by CO2 purging. For this purpose I use an inexpensive gadget i.e., a bicycle CO2 inflator to pour CO2 over the mash (do this gently as to avoid gas turbulance) and purge the head space of the souring vessel. Then an airlock of some kind must be fitted as well to avoid expansion accidents.

(ii) This can be done by adding to the mash a variety of food-grade chemical acids like lactic (most common), ascorbic, acetic (vinegar), tartaric or alternatively use a backslope from the previous sourwort batch. The amount used for each one is determined by aiming for an initial (before souring starts) pH near the 4.3 point. This is called chemical or technical acidification as oposed to the natural/wild bio-acidification that proceeds during souring.

(iii) Souring must take place in the neighborhood of 110F. Here, one can be more relax with the accuracy, as compared with the above two.

(iv) The soured liquor can be strained clear from the mash after 36 to 48 hours. No harm if left longer, it will simply become more sour (up to a point). If so, adjustments must be made in the bread recipe, not to hurt gluten.

A successful souring can be judged by a few signs as: Smell - should pleasantly remind of soured apples. Clearness - no signs of mold. Also, a slippery feel when gently rubbed between fingers (this slight viscous attribute probably works wonders for gluten sheets in the dough with all subsequent benefits from that).

 

The sandwich bread shown in the photos below was made using this mash with initial pH4.3, temp 103-108F, soured for 46 hours:

500g         water

150g         cracked rye malt

3.8g|1tsp  apple cider vinegar 5%

 

 

Savvas

 

 

GaryBishop's picture
GaryBishop

Thanks for posting. I'm loving experimenting with this.

I'd like to get more sour tang.

Ming's picture
Ming

Boil it to get the solution more concentrated. I boiled mine and it was sourer than before. 

PANEMetCIRCENSES's picture
PANEMetCIRCENSES

Another idea might be to add into the dough the soured-softened malt berries after mashing them in a mixer down to puree consistency. Or dry them in an air-drier or oven (or the sun!) and then grinding them to flour consistency (as a dough improver). 1-2 tablespoons of either might alter taste to match personal goals.

Or make some culinary use of them like souring soups and the like. If only day were more than 24h long :)

 

Ming's picture
Ming

I think drying and grinding the spent mash into powders is making solod in Russian bread tech which is supposedly used as a dough conditioner. 

I did a boil of the sourwort just as an experiment, my hope was to keep it in the fridge longer without worrying about those LABs eating up all the good stuff in in. 

Actually, a thought crossed my mind that I could use sourwort for something else other than bread like fermenting vegetables, etc. its usage is limitless due to its acids. 

GaryBishop's picture
GaryBishop

My wife will be away Tuesday morning, I'll dry it then in case it stinks up the place...

I believe the mash could be added directly to a loaf as a mixin. People use rye chops and these don't seem much different. 

GaryBishop's picture
GaryBishop

I tried a tiny loaf with 20% mash added instead of the usual oat soaker. The flavor is not good. 

Ming's picture
Ming

Good to know. Once the mash is spent, I am not sure what flavor it would have left, but apparently they can make something of out fermented malt per article linked below.

Russian Red Rye Malt – Solod | Beets & Bones (beetsandbones.com)

Ming's picture
Ming

Haha, I like you call it sourwort much better because it is really a wort that is sour. Good instructions. Thanks. 

GaryBishop's picture
GaryBishop

I wonder what are the tradeoffs between flooding with CO2 vs vacuum sealing? 

I'm dubious of the CO2 inflators physical safety (given the reviews) and the purity of the gas which doesn't matter for inflating bike tires but contamination could be a problem for food items. Melamine in infant formula leaves a lasting impression.

 

PANEMetCIRCENSES's picture
PANEMetCIRCENSES

Gary, I share your concern about food safety. If you want to be on the safe side though you can use one of those sodastream  home-gadgets found in abundance in the market. Of course they come dearer than a bicycle inflator. CO2 is used extensively in the food industry like beer kegging for instance.

Ming's picture
Ming

Gary, on a different subject, I have tried 50% sourwort in one dough and I did not notice a gluten degradation, so you could bump that sourwort liquid up more to get more pronounce sourness per your liking. I did notice the fermentation went faster so just watch out for that. For a pullman's loaf it is probably not a big deal with a faster rise as you would keep a watch on the dough in the pan anyway. 

GaryBishop's picture
GaryBishop

Thanks! I'm glad you tried that. I've been meaning to but got interrupted. 

I'll give it a try.

Ming's picture
Ming

I think 50% sourwort might still be not sour enough for you, so I would jack it up to like 80% to see what happen. Can't it be too sour for you :)?

GaryBishop's picture
GaryBishop

Yes! I have made bread that was WAY too sour and that was a good thing because then I knew I could back off and get what I wanted. 

Alcophile says he's been holding off on trying it because no one has said it was too sour.

GaryBishop's picture
GaryBishop

I already own a vacuum pump...

PANEMetCIRCENSES's picture
PANEMetCIRCENSES

Not sure. But it is a common practice amongst brewers and wine makers to use CO2 (or nitrogen) purging as preference. However if you already own a reliable vacuum pump you can use that instead, its fine (you remove air, you remove O2 after all). That is what I did in my first experiments with results as good. Maybe CO2 purging is trying to be more scientific than needed in our case :(