Changed my mind about pre-ferments after reading that one detail

I always thought pre-ferments like poolish were just extra work for no real gain, but I read on a baking science blog that they actually change the gluten structure at a chemical level in the first 8 hours. The stat that got me was that a 12-hour poolish can improve oven spring by up to 20% compared to a same-day dough. Has anyone else found a specific fact that made them try a technique they previously avoided?

2 comments

2 Comments

barnes.brian8d ago

Wait have you noticed a difference with the scrapings jar versus a regular poolish? Because I had the same exact thing happen with a sourdough starter I ignored for two weeks in the back of the fridge. I used to be totally against cold ferments because I thought they were just for people who couldn't plan ahead and had time to waste. But I read this one blog post that explained how the bacteria die off and release all these enzymes that break down proteins in the flour, and it clicked for me. Now I keep a little jar of discard that I feed only when I remember, and it gives my white bread this subtle nutty flavor without any sourness. The crust gets this deep brown color too, way better than any same-day dough I ever made. Honestly it's like cheating once you understand the chemistry behind it.

maxm638d ago

The thing that got me was actually from a fermentation science paper that said the bacteria in a 72 hour cold preferment produce different organic acids than shorter ones. Specifically maltose metabolism shifts around hour 48 and you get more acetic acid which changes how the crust browns in the oven. I used to think longer preferments just made bread more sour but it's actually altering the browning reaction at a chemical level. So now I keep a scrapings jar in my fridge that I feed once a week and it's basically free flavor without any extra work on bake day.