Temperature is one of the main factor that affects the fermentation of sourdough dough. The temperature will dictate the rate of fermentations that occurs with the sourdough dough as well as the flavor that the sourdough breads produce. The wild yeast and bacteria that are contained within an sourdough starter will change there activity levels according to the temperature of the environment in which the sourdough starter is present.
If the temperature is too low, then the activity of the wild yeast and bacteria will be slow. However, if the temperature is too high, then the activity of these microbes will be very fastly. The temperature will also dictate what type of acids is produced during the fermentation of the sourdough starter.
How Temperature Affects Your Sourdough
If you allow the sourdough starter to reach temperatures that allow the acetic acid bacteria to flourish, then the sourdough bread will have a sharp and vinegary flavor. However, if the temperature allows the lactic acid bacteria to flourish, then the sourdough bread will have a mild flavor, similar to yogurt. Thus, temperature also has an impact on the flavor of the sourdough starter and sourdough breads.
As sourdough baking is often performed in kitchens, the temperature within the kitchens may change depending on the time of year. In the winter, kitchens tend to become cold. If the kitchen is too cold for the bulk fermentation of the sourdough starter, the bulk fermentation process will take more longer to complete.
However, in the summers, kitchens tend to become hotter. If you bulk ferment the sourdough starter in kitchens that are too hot for the starter, the bulk fermentation process will occur very quick. If the temperature is too high in the summer kitchens, the sourdough starter dough may become overactive and lead to the potential collapse of the sourdough starter dough.
One way to monitor the temperature of the sourdough starter is to determine if the sourdough starter is ready for use in the sourdough bread recipe. If you are feeding the sourdough starter in a cold environment, then the sourdough starter will take longer than double in size. However, if you keep the sourdough starter in a warm environment, then the sourdough starter will begin to fill with bubbles as it is actively working, indicating that it is ready to be use.
In addition to monitoring the sourdough starter to ensure that it is ready to be used, a thermometer can be used to measure the temperature of the sourdough dough. The temperature of the air in the kitchen may differ from that of the sourdough dough. There are several stages within the fermentation process of sourdough starter.
One visual cue to indicate the sourdough starter is to check the sourdough starter after mixing it with water and flour to ensure it is at the initial mix stage. The bulk fermentation stage of sourdough starter involves the stretch and fold process to strengthen the sourdough starter. During the bulk fermentation stage, the sourdough starter should rise 50 to 100 percent.
One way to test the sourdough starter during bulk fermentation is to push the sourdough starter with your finger. If the sourdough starter springs back quickly after being push, then the sourdough starter is underproofed. However, if the sourdough starter does not spring back when pushed, then the sourdough starter is overproofed.
The location of the sourdough starter can also control the temperature of the sourdough starter. You can place the sourdough starter in the refrigerator to create a cooler environment in which the sourdough starter can perform a process called retardation. Retardation will increase the sour flavor of the sourdough bread.
If the sourdough starter needs to be fermented at an ambient kitchen temperature, you can place the sourdough starter on the countertop. If the kitchen temperature is too cold for the sourdough starter to perform bulk fermentation, then an oven light or a mug of hot water can be placed near the sourdough starter to increase the temperature of the kitchen enough for the sourdough to perform bulk fermentation but not too much that the sourdough becomes overactive. If the kitchen is too hot for the sourdough starter, you can use cold water when mixing the sourdough starter with flour and water to lower the temperature of the sourdough starter.
If there are error in the temperature of the sourdough starter or the sourdough bread baking environment, then there will be problems with the final sourdough bread. If the sourdough bread has a dense crumb, the temperature was likely too cold or the bulk fermentation process rushed. If the sourdough dough collapsed during baking, it likely spent too long in an environment that was too warm for the sourdough starter.
Thus, you should track the temperature of the kitchen and the sourdough starter to ensure that the temperature remains consistent during the sourdough baking process.