Poolish bread dough shaped three ways: slipper loaves, shaped loaves baked in a Dutch oven, and a boule
Brian Lagerstrom · ♥ 32K likes · 1.4M views · 16 min video
Read about loaves in the BrightCulinary Book
Timestamp
Ingredients
Method
Techniques
- 250 g warm water
- 2 g instant yeast
- 300 g ripe poolish
In a medium stainless bowl combine the warm water, instant yeast and ripe poolish.
- 150 g room temperature water
- 30–50 granules yeast
- 150 g bread flour
Poolish: stir together the room temperature water, a tiny pinch of yeast and the bread flour; ferment at room temperature at least four, preferably 24 hours, until ripe and yeasty.
- 12 g salt
- 50 g whole wheat flour
- 400 g bread flour
Add the salt, whole wheat flour and bread flour; stir with a sturdy spoon to a partially hydrated clod, then finish mixing with a soaking wet hand.
Mixing the dough by hand
Cover and bulk ferment two hours in total.
variation: in a stand mixer, mix with the dough hook on medium speed about four to five minutes until homogeneous, then follow the same process.
After 30 minutes, with a wet hand, give a strength-building fold: pull a grip of dough up and fold it back, about seven times around the bowl, then round it into a tidy ball.
Repeat the stretch and fold after another 30 minutes, then cover and ferment another 60 minutes, until more than doubled.
- flour
Loaf 1: turn the dough onto a floured board, flatten and pop large bubbles, ease into a square and cut into two rectangles. Move onto a parchment-lined sheet tray, cover with another sheet tray and proof 60 minutes, until risen 60 to 75%.
variation: Loaf 2: flatten to degas, shape into a rectangle and cut in half; pull out both sides and fold over each other, press to degas, flip and tuck. Proof on a sheet tray, covered, 60 minutes, until a poke springs back gently.
variation: Loaf 2 bake: drop each loaf on its parchment into a Dutch oven preheated 30 minutes in the 480 oven; cover and bake, remove the lid after 12 minutes and bake uncovered until deeply golden, 22 minutes in all.
variation: Loaf 3, the boule: on a well-floured surface pop large bubbles, fold corners about 60% across, working around about seven times; flip seam side down and roll to tuck the seams.
- AP flour and whole wheat flour
variation: line the mixing bowl with a folded tea towel dusted with AP and whole wheat flour; flip the loaf in seam side up, tuck the seams, close the towel and proof 45 minutes to an hour and 20, until about doubled.
- semolina flour or fine cornmeal
variation: take the very hot Dutch oven from the oven, scatter in semolina or fine cornmeal, flip the loaf in and score the top with scissors. Bake covered 18 minutes.
variation: uncover, lower the oven to 465F and bake another 20 to 25 minutes, 40 to 45 minutes in all, until well browned; cool on a wire rack.