Artisan Bread with Poolish

 

Poolish is a pre-dough made by using flour, water, and a pinch of yeast. By making Poolish in advance, you are starting the fermentation process before you make your bread dough.  This produces bread with improved flavor and texture.

Ingredients

Poolish

150g bread flour

150g water (room temperature)

1 small pinch instant or fast-acting yeast

let the polish ripen on counter 6-24 hours, preferably at least 12

 

Final dough

280 g     water (room temperature)

2 g or ½ tsp  instant yeast

350 g    bread flour

50 g rye flour

10g      Salt

All of poolish

 

Instructions

Making Poolish

·         In a large bowl, add the flour, water, and a pinch of yeast. Mix with a spoon until everything is well combined.

·         Cover tightly with a plastic wrap or lid and let it rest for 6-24 hours

 

Making Final Dough

1.       In a large bowl, add both all-purpose and bread flour, yeast, salt, water, poolish and stir until everything is well combined. When finished cover with a plastic wrap or a lid and let it stand for 30 minutes.

2.       1st tuck and fold. With lightly wet hand and fingertips, grab a portion of the dough and stretch it upward. Fold the dough over toward the center of the bowl. Rotate bowl while continuously stretch and fold toward the center. The dough would be sticky. Leave the dough at the room temperature for another 30 minutes

3.       2nd tuck and fold.  Wrap the bowl in plastic and leave to ferment for another 30 minutes.

4.       Prepare your choice of 2nd proofing container with piece of parchment paper. Flour the parchment paper well.

5.       Flour your hands and the surface where you would scrape the dough from the bowl. Gently scrape the dough to the floured surface.

6.       With lightly floured hands and a scraper fold the dough over on itself about 4 times to form round or oval loaf.

7.        Position the dough in the center of the floured parchment paper, seam-side down.

8.        Sprinkle it with flour and put a lightweight kitchen towel over the loaf or close a lid if you are using another container with a lid

9.       Let it rise for 30-50 minutes

 

Baking

1.       Position the oven rack in the center of the oven.

2.       Place a heavy Dutch oven in the oven. Include the lid if you are sure the knob is oven-safe to 500 F, or if you have removed the knob. My Dutch oven shape is oval and 6.6 qt. If you have a Dutch oven that is 4-6 4 to 6 quarts, it would be ideal, and your bread would have more heights

3.       Preheat the oven to 450 F.

4.       Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven

5.       Lifting by the ends of the parchment paper, lower the dough, parchment paper and all, into the hot dutch oven. Score the loaf. This is super important. Soring helps releasing steam and expanding the loaf during baking

6.       Place the lid on the pot and put it back in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes with the lid on.

7.       Remove the lid and bake for about 10 minutes longer.

8.       When the bread is golden brown on top and you tap it sounds hollow, the bread is ready!

9.       Let it cook down on a wire rack at least 30 minutes before you cut. I know it requires patience!