Rising stars in the bakery: novel yeasts for modern bread

Abstract

Bread is a widely consumed fermented food whose taste, aroma, and texture are partly determined by the choice of microbe(s) employed in dough fermentation. Consumer preferences and dietary considerations are currently changing; in addition to a desire for novel, complex flavour profiles, foods low in gluten and fermentable oligo-, di-, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAPs) are becoming increasingly important. The potential of non-conventional yeasts to improve and diversify key aspects of breadmaking is highlighted in this mini-review. Researchers have investigated species from the genera Kazachstania, Kluyveromyces, Lachancea, Pichia, Torulaspora, and Wickerhamomyces to this end. Some species have demonstrated comparable leavening capacity to baker’s yeast, as well as improved tolerance of baking-related stresses such as high salt and low pH conditions. Others have demonstrated valuable functional properties permitting the degradation of gluten and FODMAPs. Future research directions include the establishment of safe use status and the improvement of novel yeasts’ baking traits through techniques such as evolutionary engineering.