OldGreyBob wrote:
> I have a question on making sponges. When I first started making sourdough
> bread, none of my recipes had the intermediate step of creating a sponge
> first. Most of my breads were so-so to good to very good. In trying to
> branch out a little more, I tried some recipes that I got from the Internet
> with help from this news group. I tried Opa's Sourdough Ciabatta and Opa's
> Rye Bread. Both of these recipes use the intermediate step of creating a
> sponge and both of these breads were fantastic in texture and taste. Since
> in general the ingredients are not that much different than earlier recipes
> without a sponge step, is it the sponge step that is making the difference?
> Or could it be that for a semi-experienced baker, the sponge step just makes
> the difference?

Sponges generally can only help, but it's hard to make sourdough without
a sponge. Technically that start _is_ a sponge (although I'm sure a some
nomenclature guru here would be happy to argue the point), so if you're
making sourdough with an intermediate sponge you're basically refreshing
the start and having a larger inoculation of start.

As a general rule of thumb, the longer the water and the flour hang out,
the better it will taste. Rumor has it you can go too far, but I'm not
really patient enough to find out. (How many licks to the center of a
tootsie pop?) As far as I'm concerned, the rest is a matter of convenience.