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, [...]
Starters and fermented dough are proving to be the baker’s best friend. The artisan feel and taste is popular with consumers. The formula is easy to make clean label. And there’s plenty of room to make your brand stand out. Like with the Masa Madre Ferment For hundreds of years, Masa Madre has been an [...]
Sourdough: one of the most popular and delicious of breads! For bakers: an art form. True, it’s one of the simplest formulas—pretty much four and water. However, the baker needs to masterfully control the ingredients and process to end up with a consistent, signature flavored bread. The chemistry of sourdough Inside sourdough, microorganisms feed on the flour to produce [...]
Levain Also known as sourdough starter What is Levain? Levain is a type of preferment which matures slowly prior to its addition to bread dough. In the United States, the terms ‘sourdough’ and ‘levain’ are often used interchangeably, which is not the case in Europe. Both terms refer to a similar composition [...]
One of the more popular preferments or yeast starters, biga uses only flour, water and yeast—and no salt. With a low hydration level, it’s on the stiff side of preferments. What does biga do to dough? It helps with: Improving the functionality of gluten and strengthening dough Shortening final fermentation time with less yeast Boosting aroma and flavor [...]
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 [...]
