December 15, 2008 - 1:21pm
peter reinharts artisan book
Hello all. I have recently purchased peter reinhardts book of artisan baking. Something is very confusing to me and I know someone can straighten me out. Most all, if not all, of the recipes in this book call for a starter and a biga for each loaf. The starter, which is made with milk, can sit on the counter until the next day. The biga, made with water must be refrigerated until the next day. I don't get it. First: why can't they both sit on the counter to ferment? And second, why does the milk based starter not have to be refrigerated? What am I missing here? I probably didn't absorb something in the beginning of his book? Thank you, Sandy
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I haven't read the book, but it's probably about the relationship between time and flavour.
You probably would have great results by allowing both to sit on the counter instead of putting the fermenting dough in the refrigerator. Putting dough in the refrigerator allows the yeast activity to slow down while other factors come into play, such as enzymes which break down starches and proteins and develop flavour.
You can try both ways and see if you find a difference in the result. If so, which do you like best?
Allowing a soaker (you said starter?) which contains milk to sit at room temperature should also develop flavour, but I am not sure about the chemistry behind that. I think you would lose out on the benefit of a soaker if you left it in the fridge.
So it does make sense to leave the soaker with milk out of the fridge and leave the peferment without milk in the fridge.
thank you. I will try it.
Which book is that? The ones I have or have read never used milk in starters.
sorry, I meant to say soaker.
Please provide an accurate name of the book and the page no. for the recipe and I would be glad to take a look. Re: artisan breads, maybe I've missed something along the way but I haven't heard of using milk in a biga, poolish, sponge, etc.
I'm sure the poster is refering to PR whole grain breads. Nearly every recipe calls for a milk based soaker and a yeast biga for the fridge.
I kinda wondered about the milk on the counter thing too!
Peter reinharts whole grain breads. Pages 96 and 97. and sorry, I meant soaker not starter.
Thank you for all the comments. It is peter reinharts book of aritsan breads. Page 96 and 97. I meant soaker, not starter, sorry. Cannot wait to try it.
Good luck with your baking endeavors.
Howard