A pre-ferment is a fermentation starter used in bread making, and is referred to as an indirect method. It may also be called mother dough.A pre-ferment and a longer fermentation in the bread-making process have several benefits: there is more time for yeast, enzyme and, if sourdough, bacterial actions on the starch and proteins in the dough; this in turn improves the keeping time of the baked bread, and it creates greater complexities of flavor.