Dr. Georg Böcker, Managing Director of Ernst BÖCKER GmbH & Co. KG

The taste developers

Sourdoughs are much more than just an ingredient. “They are an entire system of biotechnology,” explains Dr. Georg Böcker, Managing Director of Ernst BÖCKER GmbH & Co. KG, in an interview with baking+biscuit international.

By Helga Baumfalk

+bbi: At BÖCKER, everything has revolved around the topic of sourdough since the company was founded in 1910. What does this expertise cover today? Dr. Böcker: We see sourdough as an entire system of biotechnology and have been working on covering it worldwide for more than 20 years. Whereby, it is not only about rye, but in most regions of the world about wheat sourdoughs. Sourdough is a process, a comprehensive way of thinking. In this respect, the expertise we have built up, which is represented by our employees such as Dr. Markus Brandt or Dr. Peter Stolz and also by me, is broad.

bbi: What does this ‘system’ entail? Dr. Böcker: Sourdough encompasses many aspects. In bakeries, it starts with the cultivation of the starter cultures, through which bakers accomplish something that is basically unusual in biotechnology: they do not grow a single strain, but a mixed culture, which has to remain stable with organisms of very different needs. This is actually a technical impossibility. Nevertheless, it is supposed to work. This is where we come in. Our ‘sourdough system’ – our concept – starts with the cultures, continues with propagation and extends to processing, encompassing all processes and related parameters. In other words, it covers the entire bread-making process, including times, temperatures and mixing ratios. Since bakers do not sell sourdough, but bread, we, too, have to look at the whole chain and provide advice. We see ourselves as a supplier of knowledge. We turn bakers into biotechnologists without them even noticing. bbi: How far do your consulting services go? Dr. Böcker: Because we produce our starter cultures ourselves, we can advise exactly which sourdough cultures are optimal for which bread or pastry, which management and which production facilities. We can also tell which aromas can be achieved and which properties can be enhanced. Only then does the plant manufacturer come in. The sale of starter cultures makes up only a small part of our turnover. Our expertise consists of starters, concepts and know-how. In doing so, we strive to take the inquiring companies on this journey along with us and to work out exactly what they want during the consultation. After all, we not only offer a wide range of ready-made sourdough products, but we also develop individual special solutions.

bbi: What questions do bakers ask you? Dr. Böcker: Apart from new starter concepts, bakers often reach out to us to find out the cause of pastry defects. In this case, one of our master bakers usually goes to the company and identifies the root cause of the specific problem. Alternatively, the bakeries send us breads and sourdoughs, which we then analyze. Once or twice a year, we also conduct basic training sessions in companies. Due to COVID, we have expanded our baking technical center in recent years to include a system of digital, video-supported lectures. Those who book such a package bake live, in parallel with us. Afterwards, we compare results and discuss online.

bbi: Are there any problems that come up again and again?

Dr. Böcker: Recently, avoiding the need for night shifts has become a regular topic. For example, a chain bakery has asked how a concept can be developed with long-time fermentation and delayed proofing, in which baking first takes place in the morning and then continues throughout the day. With breads that require longer processing times, it can be done. Other issues that are often brought up include new types of baked goods or production defects, such as the ‘ropy bread’ effect caused by Bacillus mesentericus. Due to climate change, this could possibly become an issue more often. Sourdough can counteract the ‘ropy bread’ texture, because it forms acetic acid in wheat pastries and creates a certain pH value.

bbi: What kind of companies request your services? Dr Böcker: It is predominantly large bakeries. However, we also provide consultancy to smaller companies, but less frequently. Most of them are companies with large baking lines and worldwide networks, from countries such as Greece, Brazil, or Mexico.

bbi: Speaking of worldwide, you mentioned that internationally, wheat sourdough dominates. Can you explain that? Dr. Böcker: Sourdough has been extensively dealt with in the wheat world, as it discovered its influence on bread quality and taste. On international markets, there is added value to be gained with the claim ‘Sourdough Bread’, which is well understood. This is as true in Spain as it is in Latin America, the UK and many other countries. The San Francisco sourdough has actually run its course in the spotlight. Today, milder wheat sourdoughs are preferred for breads with long-time dough processing. This is the big trend worldwide, even in traditionally rye-heavy markets such as Poland or Estonia.

bbi: And what is the situation in Germany? Dr. Böcker: In Germany, some bakers are still of the opinion that sourdough cannot be used in wheat breads because the gluten would be destroyed. This is not true, of course, but it is a complicated game of different processes. It depends on making the right sourdough in the right timeframe. Then you can achieve doughs that can also offer protection against mold in the wheat sector, among other things.

bbi: What is your stance on educational work? Dr. Böcker: That is what we are working on. We want to ensure that sourdough is not viewed one-dimensionally, but we rather want to highlight its many dimensions. There is a positive effect on taste, texture and freshness, and there is the market's perception of fermented foods with their nutritional effect, which is increasingly catching on with consumers. Sourdough can produce completely different product groups and brings advantages in terms of production technology. In many countries, it is used in croissant doughs, for example. Then, they do not stick together when rolled out. And in France, there is a trend towards using sourdough in sweet doughs as well.

bbi: Ever since it became possible for bakers to train as bread sommeliers, people in DACH have been talking about bread aromas. What is your view on this? Dr. Böcker: We are one of the drivers of this story. Only those who can define taste can talk about tastes. We have to awaken the desire for sourdough, from its visual language to its aroma. That is why we are working on a language, a dictionary of aromas.

bbi: You have extensive experience in foreign markets. What developments are you observing in sourdough cultures and semi-finished products? Dr. Böcker: There is a whole range of developments. Almost ready-made, pumpable ready-to-use live sourdoughs are a segment that is growing strongly abroad. They are especially popular when sourdough is not used on a daily basis and a dedicated plant is not worthwhile. They are widely used in England and Scandinavia, and occasionally in France. In Germany, we primarily have a culture of bakeries making their own sourdoughs.

© BÖCKER

”‘Gluten-free’ is not a new trend, but it is a segment in which we have been specializing for years, and from which we've learned techniques for turning non-grain ingredients into bread – that is what has suddenly become a global issue.”

Dr. Georg Böcker

bbi: Companies around the world are struggling with increasing prices. How is this reflected in your field? Dr. Böcker: Thanks to the high added value of our work, the price increases for raw materials are less massive for us than for mills, for example. But, of course, we are also registering jumps, especially in energy, personnel costs, packaging and logistics. Like the entire industry, we have to follow the power of necessity when it comes to our prices.

bbi: What role do special sourdoughs play in your range and how are raw material prices shifting in this category? Dr. Böcker: Around 10% of our production is made up of organic spelt alone, and another 10% comes from gluten-free raw materials such as rice, rice bran, buckwheat, or corn. In this field, we have to accept price increases of 50%. In some cases, we can only agree on daily prices. Other raw materials are not nearly as badly affected. There are price increases for lactic acid, but not to such an exorbitant extent.

bbi: Back to the development trends: in your experience, what concepts from outside of Germany could also be successfully implemented here? Dr. Böcker: In fact, I always come back to the topic of wheat sourdough and long-time-run breads. There is a huge difference between processing flour for bread over 6 to 8 hours, compared to only processing it for around 1.5 hours. A completely different product is developed, with an entirely different flavor, which cannot be obtained with flours with high swelling power, guar gums, or enzymes. We are not advocating a three-stage fermentation, or three days, as with panettone; but, we want to make it clear that there is no substitute for flour swelling. That is what long-term leavening is all about, whether it is done with sourdough or a long-term leavened dough. Then, even high-protein flours are no longer absolutely necessary; one can bake breads with completely different flours. Perhaps the trend can be called traditional or historic bread baking, because it is basically about going ‘back to the roots’. Incidentally, it takes three full days for a rye grain to swell completely. bbi: What about the ‘gluten-free’ issue? Dr. Böcker: 'Gluten-free' isn't a new trend, but it is a segment in which we have been specializing for years, and from which we've learned techniques for turning non-grain ingredients into bread – that is what has suddenly become a global issue, in view of the scarcity of wheat resources. How can we bake bread using premixes (composite flours) made from local raw materials such as tapioca instead of wheat flour? This issue is currently affecting all manufacturers of baking ingredients without exception.

bbi: What are your plans for the near future at BÖCKER? Dr. Böcker: We want to actively promote the trends we have discussed and make sourdough even better known. This is our specialty in the industry and we want to cultivate it. On the one hand, we stand out due to our variety in raw materials – we have up to 160 sourdough products in our range – and, on the other hand, due to our focus on R&D. This is why we have always been involved in extraordinary projects. That's why we have always looked at unusual ingredients. At the moment, we can offer various products that use legumes, for example. Ideally, we do not want to simply follow trends, we rather set them. In addition, new exciting markets are opening up for us, such as vegan food, a segment in which there is not only a lack of raw materials, but also a lack of taste. That is exactly what we can develop through fermentation. This does not only apply to bread, but also to meat substitutes and beverages. We want to position ourselves as a taste developer, namely a taste that is based on natural raw materials. Fermentation renders raw materials usable for the first time, especially those that are commonly rejected because of their bitter substances, such as buckwheat, lupins or linseed. Flavoring is one thing, and the bakeability of ingredients – a different aspect of the many dimensions of sourdough.

bbi: Dr. Böcker, thank you very much for our insightful conversation. +++

© BÖCKER © BÖCKER