Poolish

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Stir together the flour, water, and yeast in a mixing bowl until all of the flour is hydrated. The dough should be soft and sticky and look like very thick pancake batter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and ferment at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours, or until the sponge becomes bubbly and foamy. Immediately refrigerate it. It will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

2. Commentary

   Step 2

   You can make this in larger or smaller batches, depending on the formula you plan to use it in, or make more than you need and use the leftover in another bread, such as Poolish Baguettes (page 213).

3. Step 3

   The poolish sponge can be used as soon as it ferments, but as with other pre-ferments, I prefer to give it an overnight retarding to draw out more flavor.

4. Step 4

   It is acceptable to substitute biga for poolish and vice versa, as long as you adjust the water in the final formula to compensate for the change.

5. BAKER’S PERCENTAGE FORMULA

   Step 5

   Poolish %

   Step 6

   Bread flour: 100%

   Step 7

   Water: 107%

   Step 8

   Instant yeast: .27%

6. Step 9

   Total: 207.3%