|
The complicated chemical process by which the constituents of flour are broken down appears to be carried on to a greater extent in salt rising bread than in ordinary breads. The bread is believed to be especially easy to digest. Because none of the sugar has been converted to alcohol by yeast, salt rising bread is also sweeter than most other breads.
Unlike yeast, the salt rising ferment is highly sensitive to oxygen. Too much exposure to the air will harm the growing bacterial organisms. An over-mixed dough, like an over-fermented sponge, will result in the failure of the bread to rise properly in the pans.
The life span of the bacterial organisms in salt rising dough is limited and eventually terminates. Salt rising bacteria are thought to naturally revert to inactive spores. Sourdough breads, in contrast, can be kept and reactivated indefinitely because they contain a variety of wild yeasts and bacteria whose growth is continuous. |
|
If you have stories to tell about salt rising bread, please email them to me! |
|
Excerpts from DeLene Clark Holbrook’s Master’s Thesis from Cornell University, 1961 “The Effect On Salt Rising Bread of Different Temperature Conditions, Loaf Sizes, and Baking Procedures” |
