Bread Healthy

This is the first post of a glossary of bread baking terms that come to mind when I think about teaching or discussing artisan bread making. Should you have any other questions, please post them in the comment box and we will grow the glossary. If I feel that some other website already does a great job explaining a specific technique, I will share the link.

Preferment

A preferment is a catch-all word describing any amount of flour, water and biological leavening agent (as opposed to chemical) which the baker prepares before mixing the dough. In almost all cases, the preferment will not contain salt, since salt inhibits fermentation. (But there are exceptions, such as the rye salt sourdough or the pate fermente, discussed in the next post.) Fermentation is the source of the gases that make the bread rise, but more importantly, fermentation creates organic acids that strengthen the gluten and facilitate the creation of the thin sheets that trap the CO-2 from fermentation. Every artisan baker strives to create signature flavors, and preferments are the primary tool.

Poolish

The word comes from a technique which is ascribed to Polish bakers. The poolish is mixed with equal parts of flour, water and a small amount of yeast. The amount of yeast will vary depending on the amount of time the preferment develops: short fermentation require more yeast; longer times less. For home baking, I use 1/3 teaspoon of dry yeast for 2 cups of flour and 2 cups of water and 12-hour fermentation. The poolish is mixed together to blend out any lumps, but there is no extensive mixing or “kneading” required. Poolish is the preferred method for baguettes and other French style white breads. I let my poolish sit at room temperature in both winter and summer, and try to limit its fermentation to 12 hours; if it sits too long, the somewhat sweet profile that the baker desires can turn sour.

Biga

The biga is an Italian baking technique developed in response to the weaker gluten that characterizes Italian wheat flour. The ratio of flour to water is 2 to 1, and the amount of yeast is similar to the poolish. The stiffer consistency of this preferment is said to create more organic acids during fermentation, and the organic acids fortify the protein structure and thus improve baking characteristics. The biga is also very appropriate for the whole grain breads, and again, I aim for a 12 hour fermentation period at room temperature, and I use the same amount 1/3 teaspoon of yeast for 2 cups of flour.