Poolish
By weight
300 grams bread or general purpose flour (King Arthur or similar)
300 grams room temp water
1 gram (pinch) yeast
By volume
2 1/4 cups bread or general purpose flour (King Arthur or similar)
1 1/4 cups room temp water
1/8 tsp yeast
Mix to a pancake batter consistency, cover with plastic wrap and let ferment for 3-4 hours, or overnight. Refrigerate after 3-4 hours.
The Finished Bread
By weight
The poolish, plus
700 grams flour
20 grams salt
9 grams yeast
430 grams water (73% final hydration)
By volume
The poolish, plus
2 7/8 cups flour
1 Tbsb salt
1 1/4 tsp yeast
1/2 cup water
Directions
- Mix the dough to where it is well hydrated (almost sticky).
- Stretch and fold (like a letter – top to center; bottom to center; sides in,) then cover with plastic and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and fold again, and let rest for 1 1/2-2 hours covered. (The stretch and fold lines up the gluten to give the dough structure.)
- Cut the ball into three pieces, stretch into the final shape.
- Proof for an hour, then bake in your pizza oven.
It’s a very moist dough, and you don’t slash it. The final shape almost looks like a dog bone. The final Italian Ciabatta bread is crusty with big holes in the crumb.
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