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In one form or another naturally fermented foods have played a major role in every culture. This was done to either preserve the food or to make it more digestible. The fermenting organisms are divided into two main classes: the aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic (without oxygen), respectively yeast and bacteria, enzymes with the role of the catalyst.
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In every fermentation process, may it be for making cheese, sauerkraut, soy sauce, wine, beer, bread, etc., the same type of organisms are responsible for the fermentation. These living organisms are all microscopic in size and therefore have had a mythical connotation dating back to ancient times.
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The changes that take place in these foods are obvious, but what makes these changes was not understood until the invention of the microscope. Currently we have isolated certain strains of these bacteria, but there still is a huge amount that we are trying to find out.
Traditional fermentation practices emphasize working with multiple wild occurring microorganisms compared to monocultures of today. Everything needs to be predictable and conform to a standard, industrial application where machinery has to be consistent. The inherent trait of a machine is not only that it cannot think but has much more limitation as to the flexibility of a human hand, nose, sight, etc. Our ancestors became proficient by diligently following practices according to tradition and therefore the outcome was relatively predictable, and even then the odd ‘oops’ occurred, so you went to your neighbor (since it was a common practice back then) and got a new starter culture from him/her, and on it went. Working with these bacterial-yeast cultures was highly venerated, not only because of providing food for the table, but also because of this myth factor: the unseen had spiritual influence and so in religious realms these foods were referred by many as ‘Foods of/from the Gods’, (plural in those days, since most cultures had more than a single god).
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If we dig a little bit in the ashes, and appreciate what we know today about these organisms, we quickly come to the conclusion that we may have better controlling mechanisms and know roughly what all happens on the microscopic level, but there still is a vast world of the unknown. It is no secret in the scientific community that we are just starting to appreciate this immense unseen world. Even now that we have the tools to explore it, it is of such staggering dimensions and variety that the research will keep us busy for a long time to come.
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Envision all the people on our planet in a two liter bucket of starter culture. This is what the microbacterial world is like. The individual diversification would never be appreciated, only general traits and characteristics could be
identified. This micro world reminds me a lot of the macro world (Universe), which we are still in the process of exploring. We know a bit about our galaxy,
but relatively little about the rest and we have just come to the tip of the iceberg.
The lactic acid strains of bacteria are a huge group of microorganisms which encompass not only beneficial but also bad bacteria. The determining factor for what makes lactic acid is that it digests carbohydrates. Isolating specific strains of lactic acid via microscope is virtually impossible even today. Only through culturing strains (multiplying them by specific feeding techniques) can differences be noted and they get classified into general groups, isolating and multiplying only the desirable ones. As we start to appreciate this unseen world and our limited knowledge
about it, we realize and are able to fathom what we are working with.
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Only through experience and observation, just like thousands of years ago, can we achieve the desired result at the end. Temperature control, type of food ingredients, and purity of original starting culture are some of the tools in the repertoire of a fermented foods maker. There are other parameters that also influence the outcome and they, too, need to be taken into consideration when working professionally with these wild fermentation cultures. There are also modern factors that need to be considered that were not encountered back then. We now need to watch for herbicides, pesticides, chemical fertilizers, pollution, etc.
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Another determining characteristic for flavor and consistency of the bread is the specific regionally occurring bacteria, since bacteria as well as yeast are present in every breath of air we take. These multitudes of factors are what give every batch of bread its uniqueness. Relative consistency in this method of baking is achieved by intimate knowledge of controlling mechanisms but then, this is what makes it a ‘Signature Bread’ after all. This is probably the most rewarding aspect once mastered, since proficiency in it is reflected in the great tasting bread that no one is able to duplicate.
In days past, sharing this type of bread with visiting tribal friends and relatives increased the pride in one’s ability to master and create that special loaf of bread; the feeling of living with nature and not against it. Later on, as baking became an actual trade and a full time occupation/profession, it was the individual baker’s pride on mastering this art of baking. Sadly, today’s baker is only rehashing either the bread base, frozen dough, or using other modern shortcut devices, much to the detriment of the trade.
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In our bakery we are devoted to the ancient traditional way of baking sourdough bread. For the past fourteen years we have sharpened our expertise. By being able to concentrate on sourdough bread full time we have achieved and mastered this type of baking. Using only the best possible ingredients, starting from our own ground organic flour from our Tyrolean Natural Stone Mill, and using Crystal Clear Water from our Natural Mountain Springs, we are as close to our ancestral bread as possible. We are in symphony with nature.
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We pride ourselves in the variety of breads we bake, and we work hard to masterfully craft our unique style and signature into each loaf and thereby revive the ‘Taste of the Past’.
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