On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 1015

only0.25%offlourweight,barelyagramper
pound/500 gm is needed. (One gram still
containsmillionsofyeastcells.)Asageneral
rule, the less prepared yeast goes into the
dough, and the longer dough is allowed to
rise,thebettertheflavorofthefinishedbread.
Thisisbecausetheconcentratedyeasthasits
own somewhat harsh flavor, and because the
processoffermentationgeneratesavarietyof
desirableflavorcompounds(p.543).
DurumBreads
Durum wheat flour forms an inelastic
dough that doesn’t rise well, but has
nevertheless been used to make dense,
distinctivelyflavored,goldenbreadsinthe
Mediterranean region for thousands of
years. Durum flour absorbs nearly 50%
more water than bread flour does, a fact
that is part of the reason for the longer
shelflifeofdurumbread.


Starters A general method for incorporating
yeast into bread dough that maximizes the
effective fermentation time and flavor
production is the use ofpre-ferments or
starters,portionsofalreadyfermentingdough
or batter that are added to the new mass of
flourandwater.Thestartermaybeapieceof
dough saved from the previous batch, or a
stiff dough or runny batter made up with a

small amount of fresh yeast and allowed to
fermentforsomehours,oracultureof“wild”
yeasts and bacteria obtained without any
commercial yeast at all. This last is called a
“sourdough” starter because it includes large
numbersofacid-formingbacteria.Startersgo
by many names — Frenchpoolish, Italian
biga, Belgiandesem, Englishsponge — and
develop different qualities that depend on
ingredient proportions, fermentation times
and temperatures, and other details of their
making.Sourdoughbreadsaredescribedonp.
544.