[4] For commercial use, specific strains of F. sanfranciscensis are grown on defined media, freeze-dried, and shipped to bakeries worldwide.

As lactic acid bacteria, the strains are Gram-positive, slender, rod-shaped, nonsporulating, and non-motile.

[6] This heterofermentative ability is key for this species’ role in creating the unique flavor of sourdough bread.

Common yeast species found in combination with F. sanfranciscensis are Kazachstania humilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Wickerhamomyces anomalus.

But most strains share this characteristically small genome with a high density of rRNA operons, which allow for relatively fast growth rates.