This may sound like a naive question, but I have to ask it. I love
this whole grain sourdough muffin recipe in the "Bob's Red Mill Baking
Book." The recipe blends all ingredients (eggs, milk, starter,
flours, etc) and requires it to rest and ferment overnight at room
temperature before baking. Is it safe to let the eggs and milk in the
mixture be at room temperature for so long? Is there a potential for
food poisoning, or does the yeast and bacteria in the sourdough
starter provide some sort of prophylactic effect against this? I've
made these muffins several times before without any problems, but it
always worries me. I'm hoping there's a scientific explanation for why
this would be safe to do.