Dynamics of microbial ecology and aromatic composition during the elaboration of panettones using sourdough-isolated strains as starter cultures

The use of sourdough has been intensely studied in recent years, due to the growing consumer demand for more natural foods containing fewer chemical preservatives, and with higher quality and flavor aspects. One of the products made with sourdough fermented dough is panettone. Panettone is a sweet bread of Italian origin, baked in the oven, usually produced for the Christmas and New Year seasons in Italy and in Latin American countries. The main spoilage of this product consists of filamentous fungi, which generate significant losses for the bakery industry due to consumer rejection. The addition of sorbates and propionates, despite having a fungistatic action, has caused changes in the organoleptic properties of this product. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the application of three isolates from sourdoughs and their combinations, recognized for their bio-conservative action: Limosilactobacillus fermentum IAL 4541 (LF), Wickerhamomyces anomalus IAL 4533 (WA), and Saccharomyces cerevisiae IAL 4539 (SC). Samples from different fermentation stages were submitted to physicochemical (pH, TTA, color, volatile organic compounds, organic acids) and microbiological (lactic acid bacteria, molds, and yeasts, by cultivable and non-cultivable methods) evaluation, as to know: Sourdough after 48 (A), 96 (B), and 144 (C) hours; dough of the first fermentation (D); final dough after second fermentation (E), and baked panettone (F). The quality of the final products (panettones) was also assessed in terms of Aw, color, and texture parameters.