Dive Brief:
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Sourdough cultures are experiencing a comeback as consumers seek more flavorful bread, but starter cultures can be difficult to control, report Baking Business and Food Business News.
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Apart from flavor, sourdough may also have health benefits. These include making bread easier to digest and helping micronutrient absorption. Sourdough starter cultures usually need a lot of attention, but ingredient suppliers have started producing fast-track starters that are easier to care for. However, starter cultures and yeast are living organisms, which require more time and often a temperature-modified space for growth.
- Chemical leavening agents, like baking powder and baking soda, should not be overlooked for other baked goods, according to Baking Business. Unlike yeast and starter cultures, chemical leavening is an immediate process, imparts less flavor, and leads to a softer crumb. These characteristics may be more suitable for sweet goods like cakes and muffins.
Dive Insight:
Despite rising interest in other leavening ingredients, the market for baker’s yeast is in a period of rapid growth, linked to higher global consumption of processed food, particularly baked goods. The baker’s yeast market is set to grow at a CAGR of 9% to 2020, according to a recent Technavio report.
Western Europe still accounts for the largest slice of the baker’s yeast market, but its popularity is growing in the United States too. Demand for other leavening ingredients is growing in parallel, particularly for sourdough starter cultures. Western Europe dominates the sourdough market too, but the U.S. is a close second — and could become the market leader in the next few years, according to Future Market Insights. The market researcher says that sourdough bread’s low glycemic index is particularly attractive to western consumers looking for slow-release carbohydrates to help manage and prevent conditions like Type-2 diabetes.
U.S. consumers have become increasingly interested in authentic, rustic foods and ingredients in recent years. Sourdough’s resurgence piggybacks on the fermented food trend, which is also seen in sauerkraut, kimchi and kombucha.
However, traditional production of sourdough bread is more difficult and time-consuming than bread made with yeast. Ingredient suppliers are trying to address this barrier to market entry with more manufacturer-friendly starter cultures that need less care and attention.
Meanwhile, suppliers of chemical leavening ingredients also are looking to cut into the burgeoning brewing yeast market, highlighting the benefits of yeast-free products, such as shorter processing times and less dominant flavors.