The word "chef" in this recipe

[Joyfull]

Hello, I'm hopeing one of you can help me solve this wonderment??
I've found a recipe for sourdough that I just cannot figure out what one of the ingredient/words is referring to! It's the word "chef"..
I'll only post part of the recipe just to give you an idea of what I mean here..

Sourdough-Two Feedings
80% Levain in Final Dough
Feeding:
white flour 1500g 100%
water 750g 50%
chef 1200g 80%

fermentation; 6hrs.

Second feeding:
white flour 4100g 95%
rye flour 200g 5%
water 2150g 50%
chef 3450g 80%

The rest of it is fementation time, mixing, all the basic how to's..
I'm just baffled as to what the word/ingredient chef is referring to though..
Anyone have an answer to this mystery??
Thanks so much...

[felixe the dog]

The chef is the sourdough that you are feeding.

[ACFCHEFKC]

This sounds like the author is speaking about the Sourdough starter as the "Mother", "Chef" or Original source.

Save some for me.

KC

[cape chef]

Hi The "chef" refers to the doughs first period of natural fermentation. This is after you have blended your flour and water together and place in a bowl covered with cheesecloth.
Sordough recipes vary depending on what your final bread will be, a biga, levian, poolish etc.

[Joyfull]

Thanks everyone.. I guess I should be doing a bit more research!!

[KyleW]

Here's 2 more cents

Chef often refers to "old dough". Baker's will build their dough for the day and save a chunk for the next day's dough. The next day that chunk of "old dough" is then expanded to create the levain for the present day's dough, a chunk of which is saved...etc., etc.

The numbers you list are the expansion of the chef into the levain. "80% levain in the final dough" indicates that the final dough will be mostly levain, 80%.

Just my 2 cents