One of the starting points of making great artisan bread is to create a starter dough, which is also known as a sponge or Biga (Italian)

The  function  of the sponge in bread making is to act as a preliminary fermentation which will bring many benefits to the final dough. The taste is more pronounced, the texture more defined and bread made with a sponger starter keeps longer.

Usually a sponge is used as an overnight fermentation which will be ready for use in the morning.


  Some professional bakers do not make a sponge  as a separate function because they would simply keep back from the previous day a batch of saltless dough to act as a mature starter.  This would be easy to do provided the bakery’s working method was to add salt later in the dough mixing process.

A sponge must be set to work for at least 12 hours before it is added to a dough.  Although it has only a small amount of yeast it gets surprisingly active at room temperature because those yeast cells multiply as they feed.  After about 12 hours the sponge is classed as mature because the feeding yeast will have created acids and by-products from the fermentation which will greatly enhance the dough as mentioned above. There will be more flavour, the crumb will be porous and open while retaining a satisfactory chewiness, and the bread will retain its moisture for longer.

Used in a ratio of 20-50% of the dough’s weight the effect of the sponge can be very dramatic.  If the sponge has been left at room temperature for more than 24 hours, then the resulting flavour of the bread will tend towards sour.

  72 hours is probably as long as any baker would keep it without using the refrigerator.

A sponge keeps well in the refrigerator for at least a week.  It will even freeze well, and will come back to life with vigour when it returns to room temperature.

The starter dough can be used in recipes for artisan breads such as baguette, Ciabatta, and any other slightly chewy breads. Just follow your recipe but remember to start your sponge the day before.

 

My Recipe for a Sponge Starter Dough

500g strong white flour

5g yeast (1/2 teaspoon dried yeast)

approx 300ml water

 

Mix until a loose dough is formed, with no dry patches. Cover with a tea cloth and leave to work its magic overnight in a warm but not hot place.