Whether we think about it or not, we’ve all experienced
fermentation whether it’s via imbibing my favorite breakfast, lunch or dinner
grape juice based beverage or whether we simply pushed a little harder in the
gym and experienced that muscle burn the next day. In a nutshell, fermentation
simply is the biochemical process when sugars are converted into either acids,
alcohol or gas. In culinary speak, fermentation is responsible more much more
than your favorite malted alcoholic beverage or bottle of vino.
Human Fermentation
Homolactic fermentation occurs in your muscle tissue when
oxygen isn’t being delivered at a fast enough pace for actively metabolizing
muscle tissue. Like when you’re pushing your cardio to the point that you feel
like your lungs are about to exit your mouth. Or when you try to speak to your
cardio buddies next to you but simply drool when you open your mouth. Under
pure aerobic (with oxygen) conditions when you can actually speak to your gym
buddies, one molecule of glucose produce 2 molecules of pyruvic acid which then
enters the Krebs Cycle (remember, biochemistry?) which then produces a gaggle
of NADH molecules for energy. However under anaerobic (devoid of oxygen) conditions,
that one glucose molecule creates 2 molecules of lactic acid and actually uses
energy leaving you with that lactic acid muscle burn.
Microbial
Fermentation
Microbial fermentation in the culinary world occurs
primarily via either yeast which produces alcohol and carbon dioxide under
anaerobic conditions or lactic acid and carbon dioxide under aerobic conditions
or via lactobacilli or other bacteria which produces lactic acid.
I’m sure everyone has participated in that high school
chemistry experiment where you mixed a packet of Fleischman’s yeast with
Welch’s grape juice and water, placed it in a one gallon bottle and sealed it
with a one-way valve that allowed the carbon dioxide to escape but didn’t allow
oxygen back into the bottle. After one week, VOILA! Home brewed Mogen David!
That’s because in the absence of oxygen, Saccharomyces
cerevisiae creates ethanol instead of lactic acid. Of course if you
purchase your vino directly from specialty wine shops, Saccharomyces is often assisted by wild-stock yeast like Kloeckera, Candida and Pichia to
create that boutique bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.
And when oxygen is readily available, Saccharomyces main contribution to the
culinary world is carbon dioxide to make bread dough rise.
Saccharomyces’
bacterial cousins primarily contribute to cuisine by producing lactic acid
which either pickles or produces new food products. Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus
thermophiles are the two main microbes responsible for the fermentation of
milk to yogurt. Sauerkraut is assisted by the Leuconostoc species of bacteria to give the pickled cabbage its
sour tang while Lactobacillus kimchii
is involved in the lactic acid production and pickling of that classic Korean banchan, kim chi.
Then they are products where all of the culinary planets
align to create a dish like no other. Where the fermentative qualities of both
yeast and bacteria combine to create a bread with a crisp crust, tender crumb
and the unmistakable twang of lactic acid. Sourdough bread. Great on its own
slathered with a variety of toppings from plain fresh butter all the way up
savory duck or pork rillettes. Or hollowed and toasted then filled with a
hearty seafood chowder or bisque complete with an edible ‘bowl”. Or cubed and
toasted for the perfect croutons to balance the sweetness in any vinaigrette.
Because of its unique niche in culinary history, the primary bacteria that
contributes to the real San Francisco treat was given the name Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis. And the
great thing is you don’t have to only rely on the Boudin Bakery for your
sourdough fix, you can actually create your own. And even if you fail (like I
have on many occasions) in creating your own sourdough starter, look no further
than the King Arthur Flour catalog for a ready to use sourdough starter. I was
actually gifted about a half cup of starter from a friend who kept her starter
propagated for several years. All it takes is removing 1 cup of starter that’s
replaced with a slurry of 1 cup of flour and ½ cup of water and leaving it at
room temperature for several hours until the mass doubles. Then simply place it
back in the refrigerator repeating these steps every 2 to 3 weeks. Of course,
you don’t waste the 1 cup of active starter that’s removed but use it to create
sourdough bread, sourdough pizza crust, sourdough pancakes or sourdough
biscuits. Or my new simple favorite, sourdough focaccia.
The following recipe for focaccia is as simple as it gets
once you get your hands on sourdough starter. It’s simply mix, rest overnight,
sprinkle and bake. No lactic acid inducing muscle straining dough kneading, no
punch down with a secondary rising and no cussing involved. Normally focaccia
dough is imbedded with “craters” for the olive oil right before baking but this
dough is too delicate to abuse so simply drizzle and sprinkle your toppings
then bake. My favorite pan is the Williams Sonoma Goldtouch pan and I place the
pan directly on top of my ceramic tiles for that extra kick of heat to brown
the bottom though a cast iron pan would accomplish the same.
Sourdough Focaccia
4 cups all-purpose or bread flour
2 cups water
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
1 cup sourdough starter
1-2 tsp coarse sea or kosher salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
2 tbsp finely minced fresh rosemary
3 cloves finely minced fresh garlic
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Mix the first 7 ingredients until a uniform thick paste
is achieved, about 5 minutes or so. Place the paste in a pre-greased 13” x 9” x
2-3” baking pan. Place the pan in a draft free location for 8 to 12 hours (I
usually place my pan in the oven overnight). After 8 to 12 hours, the
paste/dough should have risen 2 to 3 fold. Mix the minced garlic into the olive
oil then drizzle evenly over the top of the paste/dough. Sprinkle evenly with
the minced rosemary. Evenly sprinkle with the black pepper and salt. Baked in a
pre-heated oven at 450 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes before
slicing.
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