A Guide to Balanced Fermentation and Flavour in Sourdough Baking

Prefermented flour might sound like an advanced concept, but it’s actually a simple and powerful tool for bakers of all levels. This method, widely used by professional bakers, plays a crucial role in achieving the perfect balance of flavour, fermentation, and dough structure. In this guide, we’ll explore what prefermented flour is, why it’s important, and how to use it to elevate your sourdough baking.

I use 14% prefermented flour in my classes because it delivers excellent flavour and ensures the dough is manageable within the time constraints of a 5-hour session. While this works for my teaching schedule, understanding prefermented flour can help you adjust your own recipes for flavour and fermentation control.

What Is Prefermented Flour?

Prefermented flour refers to the portion of the total flour in a bread recipe that has been pre-fermented in a starter, levain, or other pre-ferment (like poolish or biga) before being incorporated into the final dough. During this fermentation process, the flour interacts with water and microorganisms, developing flavour and creating by-products like acids and gases.

In sourdough baking, prefermented flour is found in the levain. This pre-fermentation gives the final dough its unique taste, texture, and fermentation properties.

How Does Prefermented Flour Affect Your Dough?

1. Flavour Development

• Low percentages (5-10%): Mild flavour, with a subtle tang.
• Moderate percentages (12-18%): Balanced flavour with noticeable complexity and a moderate sour tang.
• High percentages (20-30%): Strong, tangy flavour that can dominate the bread.

Understanding how prefermented flour impacts tanginess and depth allows you to adjust recipes based on your personal taste. For those seeking a stronger sour taste, increasing the prefermented flour percentage is one way to achieve that, while lower percentages can maintain subtlety and balance.

2. Fermentation Speed

• Low percentages: Slow fermentation, suitable for longer bulk rises and cold proofs.
• Moderate percentages: Steady fermentation, making it easier to control proofing times.
• High percentages: Rapid fermentation, ideal for shorter bake schedules but requiring careful monitoring to avoid overproofing.

Calculating prefermented flour percentage gives you control over fermentation speed. For those with gluten sensitivities, using a lower percentage allows the dough to ferment longer, breaking down gluten and making the bread easier to digest. Adjusting the level helps you balance fermentation times with your dietary needs and baking goals.

3. Dough Structure and Handling

• Low percentages: Stronger gluten, resulting in a tighter crumb and dough that’s slightly harder to stretch.
• Moderate percentages: Balanced gluten structure, making the dough easier to handle and shape.
• High percentages: Weakened gluten, which can result in a looser dough and a more open crumb.

Moderate levels of prefermented flour help maintain dough strength while enhancing its extensibility, resulting in a balanced structure and crumb. If you’re looking for that airy crumb, the higher the better! Personally, I don’t like my jam and butter falling through my toast, so I aim for a balance that works for both texture and practicality.

How Much Prefermented Flour Should You Use?

The ideal amount of prefermented flour depends on your recipe and desired results. Here are some general guidelines:

• 10% or less: Great for long fermentations and mild flavour. Ideal for soft sandwich bread or enriched doughs.
• 12-18%: Perfect for artisan sourdough loaves with balanced flavour and fermentation times.
• 20% or more: Best for quick fermentation and bold tangy flavours, common in rye breads or tangy sourdough.

How to Adjust Prefermented Flour in Your Recipe

Here’s how to adjust prefermented flour based on your needs:

1. To Increase Flavour and Speed: Increase the percentage of prefermented flour to 20-25%. Note that this will accelerate fermentation and increase sourness.
2. To Slow Down Fermentation: Reduce the percentage to 10% or less. This will result in milder flavour and allow for longer proofing times.
3. To Experiment: Start with 14%, then adjust up or down in small increments (e.g., 2-3%) to observe changes in flavour and fermentation.

Examples of Prefermented Flour in Recipes

Example 1: Balanced Sourdough Loaf

• Total Flour: 500g
• Levain Weight: 150g
• Levain Hydration: 100%
• Prefermented Flour: 75g (15% of total flour)

This results in a balanced sourdough with moderate tang and manageable fermentation.

Example 2: Bold and Tangy Rye

• Total Flour: 400g (300g bread flour + 100g rye flour)
• Levain Weight: 200g
• Levain Hydration: 100%
• Prefermented Flour: 100g (25% of total flour)

This produces a tangy, flavourful rye bread with a faster fermentation.

Conclusion

Prefermented flour is a powerful tool that allows bakers to control flavour, fermentation speed, and dough characteristics. While it might seem complex at first, understanding this concept opens the door to endless possibilities in sourdough baking. Start experimenting with 14% as a baseline and adjust to suit your preferences. By mastering prefermented flour, you’ll gain the confidence to create sourdough bread with consistent, delicious results.

Ready to calculate prefermented flour for your next recipe? Check out our Levain Percentage Calculator and take your sourdough baking to the next level!