In our efforts to reintroduce ancestral wheat varieties into the bakery industry, we studied using Einkorn wheat flour in the sourdough bread-making process. The analysis yielded several sourdough variants developed using the spontaneous microflora present in the flour. These variants were evaluated from chemical and microbiological perspectives over 72 hours. The optimal sourdough was combined with type 650 white flour and a mixture of type 650 white flour with Einkorn flour to produce four distinct bread variants. From both nutritional and sensory perspectives, the bread incorporating Einkorn wheat flour was the best option. Sixteen yeast strains were isolated from sourdough samples. PCR-RFLP analysis revealed that most yeast isolates (50%) belonged to Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The remaining isolates were primarily identified as Wickerhamomyces anomalus (37.5%), followed by Hanseniaspora valbyensis (6.25%) and Cryptococcus terreus (6.25%). Several strains exhibited notable characteristics based on functional characterization analysis, including glucose assimilation, low pH tolerance, acetic acid production, enzymatic pattern, antibacterial activity, and hemolytic profile. These findings warrant further investigation into incorporating these yeast strains and improving sourdough-based baked goods' quality and nutritional value. © 2025 University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest. All rights reserved.

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