Optimizing Lactic Acid Bacteria Proportions in Sourdough to Enhance Antifungal Activity and Quality of Partially and Fully Baked Bread

The organic acids produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) during the fermentation of sourdoughs have the ability to reduce the growth of different molds. However, this ability depends on the LAB used. For this reason, in this study, the proportions of different LAB were optimized to obtain aqueous extracts (AEs) from sourdough to reduce fungal growth in vitro, control the acetic acid concentration, and obtain a specific lactic to acetic acid ratio. In addition, the optimized mixtures were used to formulate partially baked bread (PBB) and evaluate the mold growth and bread quality during refrigerated storage. Using a simplex-lattice mixture design, various combinations of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Lacticaseibacillus casei, and Lactobacillus acidophilus were evaluated for their ability to produce organic acids and inhibit mold growth. The mixture containing only Lpb. plantarum significantly reduced the growth rates and extended the lag time of Penicillium chrysogenum and P. corylophilum compared with the control. The AEs’ pH values ranged from 3.50 to 3.04. Organic acid analysis revealed that using Lpb. plantarum yielded higher acetic acid concentrations than when using mixed LAB. This suggests that LAB-specific interactions significantly influence organic acid production during fermentation. The reduced radial growth rates and extended lag times for both molds compared to the control confirmed the antifungal properties of the AEs from the sourdoughs. Statistical analyses of the mixture design using polynomial models demonstrated a good fit for the analyzed responses. Two optimized LAB mixtures were identified that maximized mold lag time, targeted the desired acetic acid concentration, and balanced the lactic to acetic acid ratio. The addition of sourdough with optimized LAB mixtures to PBB resulted in a longer shelf life (21 days) and adequately maintained product quality characteristics during storage. PBB was subjected to complete baking and sensory evaluation. The overall acceptability was slightly higher in the control without sourdough (7.50), followed by bread formulated with the optimized sourdoughs (ranging from 6.78 to 7.10), but the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The sensory analysis results indicated that the optimization was used to successfully formulate a sourdough bread with a sensory profile closely resembling that of a nonsupplemented one. The designed LAB mixtures can effectively enhance sourdough bread’s antifungal properties and quality, providing a promising approach for extending bread shelf life while maintaining desirable sensory attributes.