A small sample of dough placed in a separate container to monitor fermentation progress without disturbing the main dough.
After creating initial dough strength, you pull off a small piece of dough and place it in a clear, cylindrical jar. As the dough ferments, the sample rises at roughly the same rate as the main batch, giving you a visible gauge of how far along your fermentation is. Use room-temperature water in your dough to keep the aliquot and main mass in sync -- a small sample heats up or cools down faster than a big one.
