*3.1. Production of Bread Co-Fermented with a Protective L. plantarum Strain*

Bread samples were produced by fermentation of the dough with a commercial yeast commonly used in breadmaking, or by its co-inoculation with *L. plantarum* UFG 121, a strain with a characterized antifungal activity [28]. A preliminary qualitative analysis was performed during the breadmaking process in order to detect if the employment of the protective strain *L. plantarum* UFG 121 as a starter culture could affect the bread production from a technological and/or sensorial point of view. As reported in Figure 1, some differences were observed among samples inoculated with the commercial yeast starter or co-inoculated with UFG 121 strain. In particular, after 18 h of the fermentation step, the dough was apparently softer when fermented with *S. cerevisiae* compared with the co-inoculation approach using the protective *L. plantarum* strain (Figure 1A). In contrast, the sourdough developed a more complex aromatic profile when co-fermented with UFG 121 strain. In agreement with this finding, after kneading the dough fermented using the yeast starter, the dough

was more compact and elastic and therefore easier to break and to produce the desired shape. Co-fermentation with yeast and *L. plantarum* resulted in a sourdough with an inhomogeneous texture, which could be disadvantageous for subsequent processing (Figure 1B). However, no important differences were detected after the final fermentation, since both samples were well compacted and leavened with a smooth surface (Figure 1C). After all samples were baked, similar features in terms of color, softness, and texture were apparent. However, samples co-inoculated with *L. plantarum* UFG 121 presented more pronounced alveolation (Figures 1D and 2). Moreover, sensorial analysis indicated the absence of off odors in both breads, while the aromatic profile of the bread inoculated with *L. plantarum* UFG 121 scored higher than the control bread. In general, the overall appearance of the bread obtained via UFG 121 co-fermentation was perceived as slightly better by the panelists.

"Lievital" (left pictures) or co **Figure 1.** Dough fermented by *S. cerevisiae* "Lievital" (left pictures) or co-fermented with *L. plantarum* UFG 121 (right pictures) after (**A**) first fermentation step for 18 h at 30 ◦C; (**B**) kneading and shaping; (**C**) the final fermentation step for 90 min at room temperature; and (**D**) baking and cutting. "Lievital" (left pictures) or co

"Lievital" (triangle, according to Tukey's test ( ≤ 0.05). "Lievital" (triangle, according to Tukey's test ( ≤ 0.05). **Figure 2.** Sensory attributes of bread obtained by fermentation with *S. cerevisiae* "Lievital" (triangle, dashed line) or co-fermented with *L. plantarum* UFG 121 (circle, continuous line). Reported values are means of six independent replicates, and they are expressed by using a hedonic scale from 1 to 5 (1 = atypical, undesirable; 5 = typical, desired). Means with different letters are significantly different according to Tukey's test (*p* ≤ 0.05).
