Flour Choice Rewrites the Sourdough Microbiome
A North Carolina State University study published in Microbiology Spectrum found that sourdough starters share a dominant yeast, Kazachstania, across flour types, but the bacterial communities shift with flour: whole wheat favors Companilactobacillus, while bread flour increases Levilactobacillus, indicating flour type acts as an ecological driver that can influence fermentation and bread flavor. The work used metabarcoding and began as a classroom project, highlighting how ingredients and environment shape the sourdough microbiome.