Bread  Baking with Amy Scherber
AMY'S BREAD
75 Ninth Avenue
New York, NY 10011
Phone: (212) 462-4338

Sponge Starter

Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl, and stir them vigorously with a wooden spoon for 2 to 3 minutes, until a smooth, somewhat elastic dough has formed. The sponge dough will be stiff; it gets softer and more elastic after it has proofed. You may find it easier to mix the sponge in an electric mixer, with paddle or a dough hook, on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes.

Scrape the sponge into a glass or plastic bowl or container and cover it with plastic film. The film can be sealed loosely around the edge to allow the sponge to breathe. Mark the height of the starter and the time on the side of the container so you can see how much it rises.

At this point you have two options: If you plan to make your dough later that same day, let the sponge rest at room temperature until it has risen to the point where it just begins to collapse. This may take from 6 to 8 hours, depending on the temperature of the sponge, the temperature of the room, and the strength of the yeast. It willt triple in volume, and very small dents and folds will begin to appear in the top of the sponge as it reaches its peak and begins to deflate. Use it before it collapses too much.

If you're not planning to make dough until the next day or the day after, put the covered sponge in the refrigerator and let it rise there for a least 14 hours before taking it out to use in a recipe. be sure to compensate for the cold temperature of the starter by using warm water (85º to 90ºF) instead of the cool water specified in the recipe. Or let it sit out, covered, until it reaches room temperature (this may take several hours), but don't let it collapse before using it.