From 9d4d53c8f9740c268a32724fb630681351aee97d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Hendrik Kleinwaechter Date: Fri, 5 Jun 2026 14:44:44 +0300 Subject: [PATCH] Improve catalyst wording in enzymatic reactions section Water is consumed as a reactant when the seed's stored starch and proteins are hydrolysed, so it is an activator rather than a catalyst. The enzymes are the actual catalysts, which also aligns with the following paragraph. Thank you to Matthijs Velzen for the kind and careful feedback that prompted this fix. --- book/basics/how-sourdough-works.tex | 3 ++- 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/book/basics/how-sourdough-works.tex b/book/basics/how-sourdough-works.tex index 736db387..debe11f3 100644 --- a/book/basics/how-sourdough-works.tex +++ b/book/basics/how-sourdough-works.tex @@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ \section{Enzymatic reactions} stored for several years. The moment it comes into contact with water, however, it begins to sprout. The seed turns into a germ, requiring the stored nutrients to be converted into something the plant can use while -it grows. The catalyst that makes the associated reactions possible is water. +it grows. Water is what activates these reactions; the enzymes within the +seed are the catalysts that drive them. The seed typically contains the first prototypical leaves of the plant, and it can put down roots using the stored nutrients inside. Once those leaves