Abstract
Sourdough technology is widespread throughout the world and is considered as the most suitable and sustainable process to enhance the nutritional, functional, rheology, and sensory attributes of bread in its many varieties. To obtain a specific, reproducible sourdough and bread quality, a specific knowledge on the process parameters and on the most appropriate methods and protocols to characterize the sourdough is required. Descriptive sensory analyses are a powerful tool to describe the sensory properties of sourdough baked goods. However, it is necessary to establish a complete methodology for the evaluation. Here, we describe a protocol that is valid for sensory analysis of sourdough bread and closely related products. This protocol follows the general guidance for the application of sensory analysis in quality control developed by ISO (the International Organization for Standardization), and it is adapted from the standard methodology for the sensory analysis of bread developed by the Spanish Center of Baking Technology. The protocol outlined included 27 sensory attributes, a trained panel, and the optimal procedure for the evaluation.