Two-Step & Wholegrain Breads

Using a sponge to make bread is nothing more than preparing a small amount of dough in advance and allowing it to rise in the refrigerator, usually overnight or over the course of the day. Sponges are easy to prepare, and the yeast multiplies in the sponge, so that when you add the sponge to the final dough it has much more impact than the same amount of yeast would have in a one-step dough. Consequently, since you are using less yeast in the final dough, the wheat flavour of the flour you are using stands out more. A bread made with a sponge has excellent flavour, a crisp crust, and an open crumb dotted with holes (though I would argue that it’s not necessarily superior to a one-step bread - just different).