How To Make A Sourdough Sponge \/ Levain \/ Pre-Ferment<\/h3>\nPosted on April 24th, 2020<\/h4>\n![\"sourdough](\"https:\/\/www.canterburybakingschool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/IMG_1233-scaled.jpg\")
<\/div>\nI always like to make a sponge when I make sourdough.\u00a0 Of course, you can just use your starter if you prefer.\u00a0 But I find taking the extra time to make a sponge the evening before I want to bake gives a much better flavour and texture to the bread.\u00a0 It makes such a difference for such little effort, why not give it a try and see how your bread turns out?<\/p>\n
A sponge, also known as a preferment or levain, is the second of three steps in the sourdough process:<\/p>\n
1. Making and maintaining the starter<\/a>.\u00a0 This takes 5-7 days initially and with care, can last for a long time.<\/p>\n2. Creating the sourdough sponge with starter.<\/strong><\/p>\n3. Using the sourdough sponge to create bread<\/a>.<\/p>\nHow to Make Sourdough Sponge<\/h2>\n
It\u2019s ever so easy to make \u2013 just take some of your ripe starter that is nice and bubbly and active, and add flour and water.\u00a0 Then simply mix together until you achieve a good consistency.\u00a0 The sponge should be a much looser consistency than the starter \u2013 like pancake batter<\/strong>, as you can see from the video below.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve also provided a recipe for guidance, but you should rely more on how the mixture feels than the exact measurements.\u00a0 You don\u2019t need to make a huge amount.\u00a0 It depends how much you want to bake!\u00a0 For each loaf of bread, you\u2019ll need one large ladle of sponge<\/strong>.\u00a0 But don\u2019t worry if you have any left over.\u00a0 There are plenty of ways to use it up<\/a>, such as pancakes or crackers.<\/p>\nCreate the sponge the night before you want to make your sourdough.\u00a0 Mix the starter with flour and water, cover with a damp tea towel, and leave out on the side overnight.\u00a0 In the morning it should be lovely and active, with lots of bubbles, and a nice sweet smell \u2013 not too vinegary.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nI always like to make a sponge when I make sourdough.\u00a0 Of course, you can just use your starter if you prefer.\u00a0 But I find taking the extra time to make a sponge the evening before I want to bake gives a much better flavour and texture to the bread.\u00a0 It makes such a difference for such little effort, why not give it a try and see how your bread turns out?<\/p>\n
A sponge, also known as a preferment or levain, is the second of three steps in the sourdough process:<\/p>\n
1. Making and maintaining the starter<\/a>.\u00a0 This takes 5-7 days initially and with care, can last for a long time.<\/p>\n 2. Creating the sourdough sponge with starter.<\/strong><\/p>\n 3. Using the sourdough sponge to create bread<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s ever so easy to make \u2013 just take some of your ripe starter that is nice and bubbly and active, and add flour and water.\u00a0 Then simply mix together until you achieve a good consistency.\u00a0 The sponge should be a much looser consistency than the starter \u2013 like pancake batter<\/strong>, as you can see from the video below.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve also provided a recipe for guidance, but you should rely more on how the mixture feels than the exact measurements.\u00a0 You don\u2019t need to make a huge amount.\u00a0 It depends how much you want to bake!\u00a0 For each loaf of bread, you\u2019ll need one large ladle of sponge<\/strong>.\u00a0 But don\u2019t worry if you have any left over.\u00a0 There are plenty of ways to use it up<\/a>, such as pancakes or crackers.<\/p>\n Create the sponge the night before you want to make your sourdough.\u00a0 Mix the starter with flour and water, cover with a damp tea towel, and leave out on the side overnight.\u00a0 In the morning it should be lovely and active, with lots of bubbles, and a nice sweet smell \u2013 not too vinegary.<\/p>\nHow to Make Sourdough Sponge<\/h2>\n