Adding a Sponge to Dough to Make Bread
A sponge or yeast starter is similar to sourdough, except a sponge is make from all fresh ingredients. A sponge is allowed to ferment and increase in volume before it is added to bread dough. In the 1800s, cooks used wood burning stoves, which had no thermometers. So not only did they have to learn how to cook various foods, they also had to learn to gauge the oven’s heat temperature. Baking was definitely an important skill! INFORMATION BELOW COMPILED…