Sponge and dough

Sponge and dough

The Sponge and dough method of making bread or bread related products is closely related to the sourdough method. However, unlike the sourdough method that ferments the dough 'en bulk', the sponge method ferments part of the ingredients for a short amount of time, after which the sponge is added to a bigger recipe.

Method

A sponge ferment is usually a very sticky, wet and airy process that combines all the yeast, part of the flour and part or all of the liquid being used. Salt, milk, water yeast and the flour are common ingredients for sponges, but the amount and sort of ingredients used vary between recipes while the method remains the same.

Once you combine the ingredients together, the sponge is placed in a warm environment to ferment for a short time. The time taken to ferment depends on the amount of yeast used, the temperature the sponge is placed in and the ingredients used. This can result in a ferment time of several hours.

An example of a sponge dough using the bakers percentages:

Milk 15%Yeast 6%Egg 5%Flour 60%

This recipe is fermented for one half hour before being combined with additional ingredients to complete the recipe.

Purpose

The sponge method is used for 3 different reasons: taste, texture and chemistry.

Sponge doughs were used before bread improvers were invented. The fermentation does several important things such as create the different enzymes (protease and amylase) needed to leaven bread.

The flavour that is created is dependent on the ingredients used and the fermenting yeast. Just like sourdough, the longer the ferment the greater the taste difference.

Texture is partly a byproduct of the chemistry going on in the fermentation. The protease enzymes strengthen the gluten in the flour and the gluten is stretched out as the mix expands. Once the sponge is incorporated into the second half of the recipe, the strengthened gluten is developed in the mixing process, resulting in a chewier texture in the end product.

Products

Many bread recipes call for a sponge method, especially traditional French breads. Some examples of breads that use the sponge method:

Brioche
Stollen


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