October 29, 2012 - 5:51am
Anyone use a 'sponge' for Sourdough? I think that's the word for it... i.e. not all the ingredients upfront.
I just took on the task of keeping up with the sourdough in our home. My wife describes a sponge as part of the mix (usually 1/2 or so of the flour, water, and yeast/starter) that sits overnight to grow/ferment/whatever then you add the rest of the ingredients (fat, sweetener, rest of the flour) the next day mix and knead. I did this when I made an Italian loaf last week (King Arthur's Italian 101 recipe) which was very good.
Should I do this (make the sponge) with a Sourdough?
One thing I thought was that maybe the salt, fat, sweetener may change the way it ferments so the sponge could create a different flavor?
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The night before I make my sourdough bread, I always make a 'primary batter', that is, I dump the whole starter into a bowl and mix it with flour and liquid, cover it and let it sit overnight. Next day, I take out two cups to make the bread, and put the rest back into the fridge.