dan w wrote...
>>Oh, I had assumed a certain amount of salt was necessary, but I used
>>the same amount that I used for Oregon Trail and it worked great then.
>>I figured that adding salt helps to select for more salt-tolerant
>>organisms, so that the additional salt in the dough mixture isn't
>>such a metabolic shock. Is that a faulty assumption?
>
>
> while we are on the subject of salt- since salt has a retarding effect on
> yeast, does that also mean that by adding salt earlier in the recipe it will
> favor the lb's more, thus giving a more sour taste to the final dough?

And salt is added to slow the mold that ferments miso and soy sauce. I just
googled on Lactobacillus and salt and it seems gram-positive bacteria like
Lactobacillus prefer a concentration of at least 2% salt while gram-negative
bacteria (its rivals) grow better in concentrations of less than 2%. Over
6% inhibits LB and favors halophiles.

Other google hits referred to various species of LB and the numbers I remember
seeing were between 2% and 6%. The only way to determine the proper salinity
for a given sourdough LB strain would be to test it with different levels.

Here's the link I referred to above, notice it recommends a range of 2-4%; I
used 1% by weight of flour, 0.5% by weight of water, and 0.33% by total weight
of starter batter..

http://lists.foodsafetyweb.info/SCRI...odsafe&P=43063