The quality, flavor and ultimate success of your fermented breads begins with sourdough starters, or preferments. Although making a starter is simple enough, there is a complex side to sourdough technology. Sourdough (also known as levain) leavens bakery products as a clean label leavening solution for wheat and rye bread, Panettone, Colomba, Pandoro, different brioches, [...]
Sourdough might not be a new technique, but it’s the hot bread these days. What’s new in the world of sourdough? And what does it look like around the globe? In this episode, Dr. Lin brings on guest Kevan Roberts, a master baker, teacher and author of the upcoming book, “Baking Sourdough.” Kevan has [...]
Baguette What is a Baguette? A baguette is a long loaf of bread closely connected to France. It is essentially a lean, yeast-leavened bakery product made with four basic ingredients: Flour Water Yeast Salt Other ingredients can be used at low levels depending on the process and finished product characteristics. Baguettes are characterized [...]
Ciabatta What is Ciabatta? A ciabatta is an Italian yeast-leavened artisan and hearth-type bread made with a lean formula. It is characterized by having a crisp crust and a large, irregular and open crumb grain (cell structure). The flour’s high water absorption level is the basis for ciabatta’s dough stickiness and weakness, [...]
Poolish Also known as Pâte fermentée, liquid pre-ferment or liquid sponge What is Poolish? Poolish is a highly fluid yeast-cultured dough. It’s a type of pre-ferment traditionally used in the production of French bakery products. A Poolish resembles a sponge for the sponge and dough system. The difference is Poolish is fermented [...]
Preferment What is a Preferment? A preferment is a mixture of dough components which is allowed to ferment before it is added to a bread mix. Types of preferments include: Sourdough Levain (a type of more hydrated sourdough) Poolish (also known as French preferment) Biga (Italian preferment or aged dough) Pȃte fermentée [...]
