The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Effects of Using Levain v. Poolish v. Biga v. CY

mungie's picture
mungie

Effects of Using Levain v. Poolish v. Biga v. CY

What are the consequences (mostly texture and taste) of choosing to use a sourdough starter for leavening, as opposed to a biga,  a poolish or commercial yeast? In addition, how would substituting a levain for commercial yeast (or a poolish/biga) in a recipe affect the final product? To be clear, I'm not asking about the distinctions between (or definitions of) a poolish/biga/levain - I'm more interested in the effect of each of these leavening methods on the bread that is ultimately produced.

(I have tried to look for the answer to these questions already, but was unable to find them. I apologize if these questions have already been answered in the deep archives of TFL.)

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

Sourdough = Wild Yeast + LAB

Texture depends on hydration and length of fermentation. Characteristics can be a tangy and chewy crumb but these may be manipulated to varying degrees.

Poolish, Biga and Old Dough are made from baker's yeast and used for better flavour that normally is lacking in yeasted breads. These methods were invented especially because sourdough starter was not being used for the leavening. They produce a flavoursome bread but generally sweeter than sourdough. They also improve the shelf life.