Evaluation of the Effects of Different Fermentation Methods on Dough Characteristics

Dough characteristics as affected by different preferment types and fermentation times were evaluated. A dough type was obtained with yeasted stiff preferment (60% water), fermented for a long period (biga-type dough - B) and another one made with a semiliquid preferment (100% water), obtained with sourdough and fermented for a short period (poolish-type dough - P). The doughs obtained were compared with a standard dough (direct dough - D). During the first 60min of fermentation, pH, titratable acidity, volume, empirical and fundamental rheological properties and gas cells number were evaluated. During fermentation time, all doughs underwent structural changes related mainly to an increase of resistance to the extension and a decrease of area and extensibility, with a noticeable change in volume and pH. Between all samples, B dough was the stiffest reaching the lowest volume (44.3mL), the highest storage modulus (G′=10,982Pa) and resistance to extension (31.78g).