Skip to main content

Back After a Long Break... (Work for Week of 2/15)

 

Unfortunately I have been gone for too long! I had an unexpected passing in the family, but am just now continuing (from the week of 2/15) to catch up to the course and my classmates! Get ready for a ton of information and updates!

Back in February, I took a week off from my starters to attend to the affairs of my family, and while I was away for these events, the starters unfortunately died off. Shortly before I left, however, the starters had not yet switched over to a 12 hour feeding period, but they had developed a film-like layer on the top of them. The starters had been growing for approximately two or three weeks at that point, and were being maintained on a constant schedule up until my break. When I came back, I tried to reinvigorate them, but it was to no avail and they were thrown out. 

Talking about the rising rate experiments for the course, since my starters are now in sourdough heaven, I have been privileged enough to compile some of my classmates' data into a graph format. The first graph shows the numerical growth of the data, whilst the second shows the percent increase of each variable.



Analytically, it seems that the groups from each student (Control 1 is in the same student's group as the Banana starter, while Control 2 is in the same group as the Kiwi Starter) determine the similarity of the data. The former student's starters are more strongly similar to each other than to the other student in the compilation. 

I also did some research into the cultures that utilized bananas and mangoes, specifically into their bread-making habits/traditions. Arabic cultures made pita, a bread that uses yeast and is very different from the sourdough bread presented in class. Pita is a flat bread that can fit many different ingredients inside of it, and is used traditionally in Greek and Mediterranean foods. Indian cultures used Naan, however, which is a yeast-based bread that is light and fluffy, unlike the sourdough. While the cultures didn't utilize sourdough at all, it was still fun to read about the different types of bread made and used widely to this day!

Citations!!!
https://bodrumnyc.com/the-history-of-pita-bread-practical-healthy-for-millennia/

https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/food-wine/food-story-how-naan-and-kulcha-became-indias-much-loved-breads/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Unique Microbes Analysis Blogpost (Week of 4/5)

 I have reached the pique of scientific comebacks! I have returned from the depths of long overdue work and, finally, have caught up! Nonetheless, celebratory affairs should only go on for so long, and we have a TON to talk about! This week your digital guide has been busy analyzing a fellow classmates' starters! I analyzed samples 55 and 57, the former of which being the control starter (just flour) and the latter holding blueberries. In the fruit sample, a unique microbe under the species name Pediococcus pentosaceus was found. Interestingly enough, this very same microbe is used in natural and additive fermentation to release flavor compounds into various food groups such as meats and dairy! Even more exciting, the fermentation of blueberries with this microbe helps to unlock the probiotic potential of the fruit... scrumptious! This was found in a study linked below (in citations!).  Now, in the actual process of fermentation, this microbe does its best work. They perform phosph
Post a Comment
Read more

We got BUBBLES, BOYZ!!

  As one travels along the soul-searching path of growing sourdough starters, one must also update his loyal fanbase on the progress that has been made. Similarly to Odysseus, my starters have been through the absolute ringer. Starting at the end of last week, I forgot to feed and water my starters, effectively missing one whole day. The starters were.... rough looking, to say the least. Dried up and brittle, the collective crust of the three trials was looking rather dire. I recognized the mistake and set out to correct it with the correct portions of food and dechlorinated water, hoping that I wasn't too late, being a day off of schedule and all (sweats nervously). Lo and behold, for I have salvaged the scraps of my experiments and prevailed! Three days after my experiment's beginning, a revival occurred and my three starters have... risen (that pun was soooo intended)! Feast your eyes on my beautiful bubbly boys! (Control Group) (Banana Variable) (Mango Trouble Child) (all p
Post a Comment
Read more

Final Blog Post ( A tear-stricken farewell)

 I have completed my final project, my coup de grace , as it were. It is a magnificent, illustrious podcast of my own design, and I hope my attentive readers and loyal listeners alike enjoy it! The link to the podcast (discussing and analyzing the general summary of this semester's lab, entitled Sourdough Center Episode 2) is posted below this paragraph. I have also made a blog post with a transcript of the episode in the previous post.  https://anchor.fm/joseph-lewis65/episodes/Sourdough-Center-Episode-2--Finale-evfkcg This semester has been delightful, challenging, and, at times, tedious, but I have loved this course and making these blogs all the same. Thank you, all my readers, for sticking along. Love you guys!
Post a Comment
Read more