Control of Rye Scolding Microflora in Discrete Bread Production

In scalded breadmaking technology, scalded rye mixes are complex microbiological systems based on consortia of lactic acid bacteria (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Fructilactobacillus sanfranciscensis) and yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kazachstania humilis). They determine the sensory, rheological, and nutritional properties of the finished products. The stability and activity of the starter microflora depend on the composition of the medium and the presence of external modulators, which may include non-traditional plant components – sources of polyphenols, terpenoids, and essential oils. The aim of the study was to establish quantitative patterns of the effect of oak bark (Quercus robur), Echinacea purpurea, Salvia officinalis, and Artemisia absinthium powders on the growth dynamics, acid accumulation, and metabolic activity of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts cultivated in scalded rye mixes under varying technological parameters (temperature and duration) in a discrete scalded bread produc- tion mode.
The experimental fermented scalded mix was based on a saccharified and thermophilic sourdough starter with oak bark powder  (≤ 0.180% of flour weight), Echinacea purpurea (≤ 0.050%), sage leaf (≤ 0.140%), and Artemisia absinthium (≤ 0.015%). A pure culture of L. delbrueckii strain 76 was used as the starter. The experiments were conducted at the laboratories of the Belarusian State University of Food and Chemical Technologies (Republic of Belarus) and the Unified Laboratory Complex of the Ural State University of Economics (Yekaterinburg, Russia). The research involved standard microbiological, physicochemical, and statist- ical methods.
The fermentation lasted 60–480 min at 45–55°C for the sourdough samples and 25–35°C for the scalded mixes. Oak bark provided the maximum increase in lactic acid bacteria (1695.4 × 106 CFU/g), while Artemisia absinthium inhibited the microflora at concentrations above 0.015%. The addition of phytogenic components reduced lactic acid content (from 6.79 to 3.60–5.21 g/kg) and increased acetic acid content (from 0.20 to 0.40–0.85 g/kg), thus expanding the flavor profile of the scalded mixes.
These correlations enable the targeted regulation of biotechnological processes in rye semi-finished products during discrete scalded bread production. The plant additives expand the flavor profile of fermented scalded mixes while improving the consumer properties of the finished products

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