What you're actually choosing between when you decide how to leaven your crust.
| Poolish | Biga | Sourdough | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crust | Extensible, open, more irregular crumb | Tighter crumb, cleaner chew and structure | Same open, extensible crumb as a poolish — plus tang and depth neither preferment reaches |
| Ferment | 12–16 hrs, commercial yeast | 12–16 hrs, commercial yeast | 18–48+ hrs, wild yeast & bacteria |
| Upkeep | NoneMix, use, done | NoneMix, use, done | Normally constantFeeding, every day, forever |
| This is the only reason kitchens skip sourdough. | We feed it. You bake it. Schedule a demo | ||
A lot of "artisan" pizza is built on biga wearing a sourdough label. Real technique, different result — you can tell it in the crust.