Citric acid as a preservative
I really have enjoyed baking ~ 3# size loaves of pane integrale (25% whole wheat, 75% bread flour, 70% hydration) using a pre-ferment that uses ~ half of the total amount of flour used. But I've been having issues with the bread molding before I and friends could finish it. Having read so much in TFL about sourdough breads that have longer keeping qualities but also having found the whole sourdough thing to be too much work for my personal bread baking style, I decided to do a small experiment. I began adding food quality citric acid to the loaves I bake in increasing quantities until I reached a point at which the bread keeping quality was extended to 5-6 days but I still couldn't detect the flavor of the citric acid. For me this was using 1/4 tsp of citric acid in a 3# loaf. The citric acid is added to the dry ingredients (along with fine-grained salt) during the second day just before adding the water, yeast and pre-ferment.
If anyone wishes, I will post the complete recipe.
aloha,
Dave Hurd, Hilo, Hawaii