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Recipe · French · v1.0

S1-C7: batard on old dough

Seventh lean artisan wheat lesson: salted old dough, overall baker's percentages, batard shaping, scoring, steam, and flavor without new flour.

16 h 5 min Prep time
30 min Bake time
17 h 35 min Total time
1 hearth batard (~600–630 g after baking) Yield
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For baking now: the final working formula, ingredients, steps, and baking worksheet.

Baking worksheet

Course code S1-C7 — old dough: salt in the preferment, overall baker's percentages, batard
Link to S1-C5/S1-C6 S1-C5 showed poolish and baguette form, S1-C6 — biga and a wet dough; S1-C7 returns to a manageable hearth loaf and teaches the third classic preferment
Hypothesis 30% of the flour preferred in the old dough should give a more mature bread flavor and a manageable structure without moving to sourdough
Formula 400 g flour, 272 g water, 8 g salt, 2.5 g fresh yeast; dough about 683 g
Old dough 120 g flour + 78 g water + 2.4 g salt + 0.3 g fresh yeast, 11–12 hours to a mature smell and porosity
Main variable not another tasty loaf but the math of old dough: salt and water in the preferment are already part of the overall formula
Lesson theory old dough differs from poolish and biga in being a piece of fully built dough with salt; the easiest error is double salt
Process theory old dough speeds up the final fermentation and brings maturity, but must not be over-soured, alcoholic, or fallen apart
Professional standard compute overall baker's percentages, describe old-dough maturity, check old-dough inclusion in the final dough, and separate preferment flavor from bake quality
Hydration 68%: above the baseline loaf, below ciabatta, so that attention returns to fermentation and shaping
Format 1 hearth batard; not a baguette and not a ciabatta, but a control shape for comparing preferments
Final proof 45–60 minutes: the piece should feel lighter but keep tension for scoring
Bake 250 °C with steam for the first 10 minutes, then 220 °C dry for 18–22 minutes to a confident crust and 96–98 °C internal
Success criterion even batard, opened longitudinal score, clean mature aroma, flavor deeper than S1-C1/S1-C2 without sharp alcohol

Lesson block: how to read this lesson

Each bread in the course should be more than a recipe: one main question, one controlled variable, measurements, tasting, and a decision for the next bake.

Lesson question
What this bread is supposed to teach.
Main variable
One lever: fermentation, flour, water, salt, mixing, shaping, steam, scald, or sourdough.
Why this way
This keeps the result comparable and preserves cause and effect.
Expected flavor
Name the expected direction of flavor and texture before baking.

Theory

  • The formula is read in baker’s percentages.
  • Timing is checked against dough state, temperature, and sensory signs.
  • Photos and numbers exist to drive the next decision, not only to archive the bake.

Checkpoints

  • Record temperature, mass, time, dough state, and deviations.
  • After baking, assess crust, crumb, aroma, flavor, and aftertaste.

Sensory

Crust
color, thickness, crunch, score opening, bitterness, toastiness
Crumb
moisture, elasticity, gumminess, chew, pore size and distribution
Aroma
separate crust and crumb aroma: floury, yeasty, milky, rye, malty, spicy
Flavor
sweetness, salt, acidity, flouriness, depth, aftertaste
Score
0–10 plus one decision: repeat, increase fermentation, change flour, change bake, or close the lesson

What comes next

  1. The next lesson should change one main parameter and test a clear hypothesis.
Course-frame sources

S1-C7 is a lesson not about a new flashy loaf but about bakery discipline. After poolish and biga it is easy to decide that all preferments differ only in consistency. Old dough breaks that simplification: it is not flour with water and yeast, but a small piece of fully built dough with salt.

The main question of the lesson: can a mature salted old dough be built into a final batard so as to obtain a deeper bread flavor without mistakes in overall salt, water, and fermentation?

What This Lesson Studies

S1-C7 studies four things:

  1. How to compute overall baker’s percentages when part of the flour, water, salt, and yeast is already inside the preferment.
  2. What mature but not over-mature old dough looks like.
  3. How to fold dense pieces of old dough into the final mix without a long overheated mix.
  4. How to tell the flavor of mature fermentation apart from the flavor of a pale crust, oversalting, or alcoholic over-souring.

This lesson is especially important after S1-C5/S1-C6. In S1-C5 there was a liquid poolish without salt. In S1-C6 a dense biga without salt. Now old dough with salt appears, and an error in the math will immediately be felt in the flavor.

Why Not Focaccia Now

In an earlier program, focaccia came after ciabatta. Technologically this is a reasonable move: wet dough, bubbles, a sheet pan, a surface. But research showed a risk for the current S1: focaccia almost always brings olive oil as part of the genre. That is already a new axis — fat, oil crust, shape, surface, and toppings.

S1 keeps a stricter line for now: flour, water, salt, yeast, preferments, fermentation, shape, steam, and crust. So focaccia is better left as a separate flatbread later, and right now we close out yeasted preferments.

Already doneWhat it showedWhat was missing
S1-C5 poolishliquid preferment without salt, shape, scoringold dough with salt
S1-C6 bigadense preferment without salt, high hydrationoverall baker’s percentages with salt inside the preferment
S1-C7 old dougha piece of fully built dougha bridge to sourdough opara and sourdough culture

Old-Dough Theory

Old dough literally means fermented dough. Historically it could be a piece of yesterday’s French dough added into a new mix. In a home teaching recipe it is better not to take a random piece of unknown dough but to make a small controlled old dough in the evening.

The key difference: old dough already contains salt.

ElementWhat it doesError
Flour in the old doughferments ahead of time and brings maturitytreating it as an addition rather than part of overall flour
Waterenters overall hydrationadding final water as if the old dough were not there
Saltslows fermentation and is already part of the overall 2%adding the full 8 g of salt a second time
Yeaststarts overnight maturationgiving it too much and getting an alcoholic smell
Timebuilds aroma and a fermentation basewaiting only by the clock and not watching the state

In this lesson, the old mass should be porous, plastic, and smelling of bread. If it smells of sharp alcohol, dropped, and tears in wet strings, that is not “more flavor” but overmaturity.

S1-C7 Lab Protocol

Before starting, record the hypothesis: old dough should give a more mature bread aroma if it has matured cleanly, salt is counted once, and the batard is baked to a confident crust.

StageWhat to recordWhy
Old doughstart time, temperature, density, salt, and yeastcheck the precision of the preferment
Morningsmell, porosity, dome or collapsetell maturity apart from overmaturity
Initial mixare there pieces of old doughunderstand whether the rest and mix will be enough
Restdid the dough become more cohesivedo not overheat the mixer
Final mixtemperature, smoothness, old-dough distributioncheck uniformity
Bulk fermentationrise, gas, reaction to foldsdo not let old dough race ahead of the process
Preshapegas loss and tensionprepare the batard
Final proofpoke test, lightness, line of the piecechoose the loading moment
Bakesteam, opening, color, temperatureseparate a dough error from an oven error
Tastingsalt, aroma, alcohol notes, crustcheck the lesson hypothesis

Advanced Technological Map

S1-C7 has four technological axes.

AxisWhat controls the resultProfessional criterion
Formula mathoverall baker’s percentages, salt and water in the old doughthe sum across the whole formula matches the recipe
Preferment maturityyeast, salt, time, temperatureold dough porous and bread-like, not alcoholic
Inclusion into the doughtearing the old dough, rest, mixno dense pieces in the final dough
Batard systembulk, preshape, proof, scoring, steambatard opens at the score and holds shape

If the bread is oversalted, it is almost certainly a math error. If the flavor is sharp, check old-dough overmaturity. If the crumb is dense, look for the cause in gas loss, underdevelopment, or too short a proof.

Formula

IngredientGrams%
Flour400100
Water27268
Salt82
Fresh yeast2.50.625

Old dough: 120 g flour, 78 g water, 2.4 g salt, 0.3 g fresh yeast.

Final dough: all of the old dough, 280 g flour, 174 g water in the initial mix, 20 g water for the yeast slurry, 5.6 g salt, and 2.2 g fresh yeast.

Schedule

TimeAction
Day 1, 20:30Mix the old dough
Day 2, 08:30Mix the final dough
08:38–08:58Hydration rest
08:58–09:05Yeast, salt, and final mix
09:05–11:05Bulk fermentation with 1–2 gentle folds
11:05Turn on the oven and preshape
11:35Final shape of the batard
11:45–12:35Final proof
12:35–13:05Score and bake
after 14:05Slice and taste

The state of the old dough matters more than the clock.

Diagnosing Errors

SymptomLikely causeWhat to check in the next repeat
Bread oversaltedfinal salt added without subtracting salt inside the old dough2.4 g of salt in the preferment + 5.6 g in the final dough
Alcoholic smellold dough over-matured or too much yeastovernight temperature, yeast, morning dome
Dense pieces in the doughold dough poorly torn or rest too shorttear smaller, rest, mix more gently
Dense crumbgas loss, underfermentation, or too tight a shapebulk, folds, rest after preshape, proof
Score did not openoverproof, weak steam, shallow cutpoke test, steam, score depth and angle
Flavor does not differpale crust, undermature old dough, or too early a cutcolor, maturity, cooling

Grading Rubric

Competency0 points1 point2 points
Formulasalt/water not computedformula correct but math not writtenoverall baker’s percentages and phases recorded before mixing
Old doughunder- or overmatureworkable but signs weakly describedporous, bread-like, no alcohol, state recorded
Old-dough inclusionpieces remainpieces almost gonedough uniform without overheating
Bulk fermentationended at randomdough gassy but decision weakend chosen by rise, gas, and strength
Shapegas pressed out, seam weakbatard holds but uneveneven batard with tension
Final proofclear under- or overproofacceptable but signs uncleardecision by poke test and shape
Bakepale, dry start, or underbakebread baked throughsteam, opening, color, and 96–98 °C internal
Sensoryno conclusiongeneral conclusionflavor linked to old dough, salt, and crust

Interpretation: 0–7 points — repeat without changing the formula; 8–12 — pick one weak area; 13–16 — lesson closed, move to the hybrid with sourdough opara.

Control Questions

  1. Was the salt in the old dough accounted for in the overall salt?
  2. Was the old dough in the morning porous and bread-like, not sharply alcoholic?
  3. Did the pieces of old dough fully distribute in the final dough?
  4. Did the dough avoid overheating in the Kenwood?
  5. Did bulk fermentation end by state, not only by the clock?
  6. Did the batard get tension without rough degassing?
  7. Did the final proof leave a strength reserve for scoring?
  8. Was steam strong at the start?
  9. Did the flavor become deeper without oversalting and an alcoholic note?
  10. Which one parameter to change next time: old-dough maturity, salt, bulk fermentation, proof, steam, or bake?

Theory Sources

Ingredients

Component Grams Baker's %
MukaMuka 13.5% flour 400 g 100%
Water 272 g 68%
Salt 8 g 2%
Fresh yeast 2.5 g 0.63%

Ingredient details

MukaMuka 13.5% flour

Role
the same strong white flour, so that old dough rather than grain flavor is the main new variable
Split across stages
120 g into the old dough and 280 g into the final dough
Author's brand
MukaMuka 13.5% protein (mukamuka.ru)
Alternatives
Aleyna Vivapol 12-13%, Makfa premium grade

Water

Role
68% gives a more plastic batard while keeping shaping manageable after S1-C6
Split across stages
78 g into the old dough, 174 g into the initial final mix, and 20 g for the yeast slurry
Author's brand
Tap water through Barrier Iron x2 filter
Alternatives
any filtered or bottled drinking water

Salt

Important
2.4 g of salt are already inside the old dough; only 5.6 g go into the final dough
Author's brand
Pink Himalayan salt
Alternatives
sea or table salt (avoid iodized)

Fresh yeast

Split across stages
0.3 g into the old dough and 2.2 g into the final dough
Why so little in the old dough
old dough matures overnight and already contains salt, so it needs only a micro-dose of yeast
Author's brand
Lux (Voronezh) fresh or Ayrek (homemade)
Alternatives
any fresh yeast in a 100 g pack

Conditions and equipment

Conditions

Status
next lesson after S1-C6 on the updated wheat-track map
Course block
yeasted preferments, overall baker's percentages, salt in old dough, batard shaping, and maturity diagnostics
Main constraint
no butter, sugar, milk, sourdough, whole-grain flour, or cold retard of the final dough
Comparison
compare crust and scoring with S1-C5, gas handling with S1-C6, fermentation flavor with S1-C2
Doneness criterion
crust well colored, score opened, internal temperature 96–98 °C, crumb neither raw nor rubbery

Equipment

Old dough
a small 500–700 ml container with a lid; a level mark is useful
Mix
Kenwood KVC85.004SI with the dough hook: short mix on Min/1 without overheating
Shaping
scraper, minimal bench flour, banneton or cloth for a batard
Bake
Haier HOQ-F6QS, stones or a heavy sheet pan, hand steam, lame/razor for scoring
Control
scale with tenth-of-a-gram precision, probe thermometer, timer, kitchen temperature sensor, morning state of the old dough, and description of the slice

Nutrition: how to eat this bread

Bread nutrition facts

Per 100 g of bread

237 kcal

protein 8.1 g · fat 1.1 g · carbs 47.8 g

Per slice (50 g)

119 kcal

protein 4.1 g · fat 0.6 g · carbs 23.9 g

Automatic calculation from USDA + Skurikhin database for the baked loaf after evaporation. Numbers are approximate: 1) the database covers ingredients, not finished dough; 2) bake water loss is assumed at 10% — actual loss depends on crust, time, and pan. Add 5–10% in calorie trackers if needed.

Bread is a source of starch and energy. Its nutrition depends on flour, fermentation, salt, enrichment, serving size, and the rest of the plate.

Digestion
More whole grain, fibre, and fermentation usually mean longer satiety. White flour eaten alone is generally digested faster.
Helpful or harmful
Bread is not poison or medicine by itself. Overall diet matters; current guidance prioritizes whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and pulses.
Amount
For most learning tastings, 1–2 slices, about 30–80 g, is enough depending on loaf density.
Best pairings
Pair with protein, vegetables, and moderate fat; avoid making it a large standalone portion with sweet drinks or sweet spreads.

How to eat

  • Taste the bread plain for learning, then eat it as part of a balanced plate.
  • Slice dense rye thinner; with soft white bread, make sure softness does not automatically increase the serving.

Limits

  • Wheat and rye breads contain gluten.
  • For medical conditions, adjust bread type and serving size with a clinician or dietitian.
Sources

Instructions

  1. Mix the old dough

    Mix 120 g flour, 78 g water, 2.4 g salt, and 0.3 g fresh yeast, cover, and leave overnight.

  2. Build the final dough

    Tear the old dough, mix with 280 g of flour and 174 g of water, then rest 20 minutes.

  3. Add yeast and salt

    Add 2.2 g of yeast with 20 g of water, then 5.6 g of salt, and finish a short mix to smoothness.

  4. Bulk ferment

    Run about 2 hours with 1–2 gentle folds, tracking the speed-up from old dough.

  5. Shape the batard

    Preshape, rest 15 minutes, shape a batard, and proof 45–60 minutes.

  6. Score and bake

    Make one longitudinal score and bake 10 minutes at 250 °C with steam, then 18–22 minutes at 220 °C dry to 96–98 °C internal.

A compact step map; notes and comments live in the worksheet.

S1-C7: bake sheet for a batard on old dough

Evening old dough and daytime bake: learn to compute salt and water inside the old dough, fold the mature mass into the final mix, shape a batard, and evaluate flavor without new flour.

Schedule mode

Pick a starting style.

  1. Day 1, 20:30–20:35

    Old dough

    Mix 120 g flour, 78 g water, 2.4 g salt, and 0.3 g fresh yeast into a small dense dough with no dry flour. Cover and leave at room temperature.

    Step ingredients

    • MukaMuka 13.5% flour 120 g
    • Water 78 g
    • Salt 2.4 g
    • Fresh yeast 0.3 g
    Target
    Small dough gathered, no salt or yeast left on the walls, start time recorded.
    Check
    This is not a poolish or a biga: the salt is already inside, so tomorrow it must be subtracted from the final dough.
    Evidence
    Start time, kitchen temperature, density and surface state.

  2. Day 1, 20:35 (Day 2 08:30)

    Old-dough maturation

    Leave the old dough until morning. By the final mix it should become porous, plastic, with a bread smell and no sharp alcohol note.

    Step ingredients

    • Old dough all of it: 120 g flour + 78 g water + salt + yeast
    Target
    Porous, alive, slightly domed or only just starting to collapse old dough.
    Check
    If the mass dropped sharply, smells of alcohol, and tears in wet strings, record overmaturity and expect a weaker structure.
    Evidence
    Smell, time of readiness.

    11 h 55 min timer for this step

  3. Day 2, 08:30–08:38

    Initial final mix

    Tear the old dough into pieces. In the Kenwood bowl combine the old dough, 280 g of flour, and 174 g of water on Min until no dry flour remains.

    Step ingredients

    • Old dough all
    • MukaMuka 13.5% flour 280 g
    • Water 174 g out of the final 194 g
    Target
    Flour hydrated, pieces of old dough started to disperse, dough rough but cohesive.
    Check
    Do not add salt now: part of the salt is already in the old dough; the remaining 5.6 g goes in after the rest.
    Evidence
    State after hydration, visible pieces of old dough, temperature.

  4. Day 2, 08:38–08:58

    Hydration rest

    Cover the bowl and leave the dough for 20 minutes.

    Step ingredients

    • Dough without final salt and yeast all of it
    Target
    Dough is more cohesive, old dough folds in more softly.
    Check
    The rest reduces the risk of a long mix and overheating.
    Evidence
    Change in consistency after the rest.

    20 min timer for this step

  5. Day 2, 08:58–09:05

    Salt, yeast, and final mix

    Dissolve 2.2 g of fresh yeast in 20 g of water, add to the dough, and mix in for 30–60 seconds. Add 5.6 g of salt and mix on Kenwood Min/1 for about 4–5 minutes.

    Step ingredients

    • Fresh yeast 2.2 g
    • Water 20 g out of the final 194 g
    • Salt 5.6 g
    • Dough after rest all of it
    Target
    Dough smooth, elastic, old dough distributed with no dense lumps; dough temperature after mixing 24–25 °C.
    Check
    Do not forget: total salt is already 8 g, because 2.4 g were in the old dough.
    Evidence
    Dough temperature, smoothness, presence or absence of old-dough lumps.

  6. Day 2, 09:05

    Bulk fermentation start

    Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled container, round with a scraper, and cover.

    Step ingredients

    • Dough about 683 g
    Target
    Dough gathered, starting level and temperature recorded.
    Check
    Old dough speeds up the final fermentation: check earlier if the kitchen is warm.
    Evidence
    Dough and kitchen temperature, starting level.

  7. Day 2, 09:50

    Fold 1

    Make a gentle fold in the container without squeezing out gas.

    Step ingredients

    • Dough after 45 minutes of bulk all of it
    Target
    Dough has grown taller and is more gathered, surface does not tear.
    Check
    If the dough is already tight, do only a light edge pull.
    Evidence
    State before and after the fold.

  8. Day 2, 10:35

    Fold 2

    Repeat a gentle fold if the dough is spreading. If it holds an edge, limit yourself to a careful pull.

    Step ingredients

    • Dough after the first fold all of it
    Target
    Dough holds shape better, bubbles preserved.
    Check
    Do not turn the fold into a new mix: the flavor of old dough will not save the crumb if gas is pressed out by hand.
    Evidence
    Gas, strength, extensibility.

  9. Day 2, 11:05–11:20

    Preheat and preshape

    Turn the oven on to 250 °C with stones or a heavy sheet pan. Turn out the dough, gently preshape into a short oval, and cover.

    Step ingredients

    • Dough after bulk all of it
    • Bench flour minimal, not part of the formula
    Target
    One piece with preserved gas and light tension.
    Check
    If the dough looks weak, do not pack it down by force; record old-dough maturity and bulk length.
    Evidence
    Bulk state, piece mass, preheat start.

  10. Day 2, 11:20–11:35

    Rest after preshape

    Give the piece 15 minutes of rest under plastic or a bowl.

    Step ingredients

    • Preshaped piece 1 piece
    Target
    Dough has relaxed and is ready to be shaped without tearing.
    Check
    If the piece resists, give it another 5 minutes.
    Evidence
    Extensibility after rest.

  11. Day 2, 11:35–11:45

    Final shape

    Shape a batard: lightly flatten, fold the upper third to the center, seal, draw in the side edges, roll toward yourself, pinch the seam, and place in the basket seam up.

    Step ingredients

    • Rested piece 1 piece
    • Basket or cloth 1 piece, well dusted
    Target
    Even batard with a taut surface, no rough degassing.
    Check
    Tension should hold shape but not tear the surface.
    Evidence
    Length, tension, seam quality.

  12. Day 2, 11:45–12:35

    Final proof

    Proof 45–60 minutes. The piece should feel lighter, the indentation returns slowly, the surface still holds tension.

    Step ingredients

    • Shaped batard 1 piece
    Target
    Ready for scoring and opening in the oven without spreading.
    Check
    If the old dough was very mature, the proof may end earlier.
    Evidence
    Poke test, lightness, geometry.

    50 min timer for this step

  13. Day 2, 12:35–13:05

    Score and bake

    Turn the piece seam down, make one long longitudinal score 5–8 mm deep. Add steam and bake at 250 °C for 10 minutes, then at 220 °C dry for another 18–22 minutes to color and 96–98 °C internal.

    Step ingredients

    • Proofed batard 1 piece
    • Steam water for steam, not part of the formula
    Target
    Score opened, crust golden-brown, bread baked through.
    Check
    If the score did not open, first work through proof, tension, and steam rather than changing the old dough.
    Evidence
    Loading time, steam mode, internal temperature, crust color.

    30 min timer for this step

  14. Day 2, 13:05–14:05

    Cool, slice, and taste

    Cool at least 60 minutes. Slice and evaluate old-dough aroma, crust, chew, salt, and the difference from S1-C2/S1-C5.

    Step ingredients

    • Finished batard 1 piece
    • New ingredients none added
    Target
    Understand whether old dough gave maturity without an alcoholic or oversalted profile.
    Check
    Do not slice hot: old-dough flavor and crumb are evaluated more correctly after stabilization.
    Evidence
    Mass after baking, weight loss, tasting note.

    1 h timer for this step

For readers who want to understand why the formula changed.

S1-C7 hypothesis

S1-C7 tests salted old dough: can a more mature flavor and a predictable structure be obtained without adding butter, sugar, sourdough, or new flour.

Base version

S1-C5 already used a liquid poolish, S1-C6 a denser biga. Neither preferment contained salt. Old dough is fundamentally different: it is part of a fully built dough, so it teaches overall baker's percentages and salt discipline.

Iteration analysis

01 Old dough is a separate learning skill, not a synonym for poolish
Observation
Authoritative sources describe old dough as a piece of already-mixed dough that contains flour, water, salt, and yeast.
Hypothesis
If old dough is given its own lesson, the overall formula can be computed more precisely and double salt can be avoided.
Decision and why
S1-C7 uses 30% of the total flour in the old dough and keeps the overall salt at 2%.
Conclusion
The main check of the lesson is not an exotic flavor but correct math and old-dough maturity.
Evidence
Old dough
120 g flour, 78 g water, 2.4 g salt, 0.3 g yeast
Final salt
5.6 g, because 2.4 g are already in the old dough
02 The name of the preferment matters less than overall hydration
Observation
Modernist Bread stresses that differences between commercial preferments are often overestimated when overall hydration and fermentation match.
Hypothesis
If we do not promise old-dough magic, the lesson is more honest: flavor is tested alongside shape, steam, and bake quality.
Decision and why
In the lesson text, old dough is explained as a controlled process variable, not a guaranteed flavor enhancer.
Conclusion
If the flavor did not grow, first check maturity, crust color, salt, and fermentation, not the name of the preferment.
Evidence
Overall hydration
68%, computed across all flour and water including the old dough
Control
tasting is compared with S1-C2/S1-C5, not assessed by expectation
03 Focaccia is better left outside the current lean step
Observation
Focaccia is usually built on a noticeable amount of olive oil and oil in the pan, with work on the surface.
Hypothesis
If focaccia is placed right after S1-C6, the new variables will not only be water and gas but also fat, the pan, and a soft crust.
Decision and why
S1-C7 stays in the lean track; focaccia can be made as a separate flatbread later.
Conclusion
Course route updated: C7 — old dough, C8 — hybrid with sourdough opara.
Evidence
Lean-track constraint
no oil in the dough and no sugar
Next step
after old dough it is logical to move to a hybrid with sourdough opara

Version history

  • v1.0May 23, 2026
    Problem
    After poolish in S1-C5 and biga in S1-C6, the course needed a lesson on the third yeasted preferment without introducing butter or sourdough.
    Change
    Created S1-C7: batard on old dough, 68% water, 30% of the flour preferred in the old dough, overall baker's percentages, separate control of salt in the preferment, and a working sheet for an evening start.
    Result
    The lesson tests old-dough maturity, overall formula math, inclusion of old dough in the mix, batard shaping, and flavor without new flour.
    Conclusion
    S1-C7 should close out yeasted preferments before moving to a sourdough opara and sourdough acidity.

Questions

Why is S1-C7 not focaccia?

Research showed that focaccia introduces oil and a sheet pan, which moves S1 away from the lean track. After poolish and biga, it is more logical to close out one more classic yeasted preferment — old dough.

How does old dough differ from biga and poolish?

It is a piece of already-mixed dough: it contains flour, water, salt, and yeast. So the main error is forgetting the salt inside the old dough and adding the full 8 g of salt a second time.

Can I use a piece of yesterday's dough?

Yes, that is the historical logic of pate fermentee, but for a teaching repeat it is better to mix a separate old dough with known mass, salt, and water.

What counts as success?

Even batard, opened score, clean mature aroma, a deeper flavor without a sharp alcohol note and without oversalting.