Sourdough bacterial dynamics revealed by metagenomic analysis in Brazil

This study dealt with the influence of the temperature on the bacterial dynamics of two spontaneously fermented wheat sourdoughs, propagated at 21 ± 1 °C (SD1) and 30 ± 1 °C (SD2), during nine backslopping steps (BS1 to BS9). Proteobacteria was the only phylum found in flour. Escherichia hermannii was predominant, followed by Kosakonia cowanii, besides species belonging to the genera Pantoea and Pseudomonas. After one step of propagation, Clostridium and Bacillus cereus group became predominant. Lactobacillus curvatus was found at low relative abundance. For the second backslopping step, Clostridium was flanked by L. curvatus and Lactobacillus farciminis. From BS4 (6th day) onward, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) became predominant. L. farciminis overcame L. curvatus and remained dominant until the end of propagations for both sourdoughs. At 21 °C, Bacillus, Clostridium, Pseudomonas, and Enterobacteriaceae were gradually inhibited. At the end of propagation, SD1 harbored only LAB. Otherwise, the temperature of 30 °C favored the persistence of atypical bacteria in SD2, as Pseudomonas and Enterobacteriaceae. Therefore, the temperature of 21 °C was more suitable for sourdough propagation in Brazil. This study enhanced the knowledge of temperature's influence on microbial assembly and contributed to the elucidation of sourdough microbial communities in Brazil.