Poolish is the wetter, sloppier cousin of the Biga pre-fermentation. It deepens the flavor without stiffening the dough in the same way.
Ingredients
1 cup milk or buttermilk
1 cup water
1 Tbs packed brown sugar
2 pkg. active dry yeast (4 1/2 teaspoons)
1 cup wheat flour (hard, stone ground, if possible)
Directions
- Combine the milk and water in an 8 cup batter bowl.
- Heat in the microwave to 100°F.
- Stir in sugar until dissolved, then sprinkle yeast over the top.
- When the yeast softens, stir it into the mixture. Stir in 1 cup wheat flour until completely combined.
- Cover and let sit 1-2 hours. It will rise, then begin to collapse. When it collapses, it’s ready to go. In practice, I find the process takes about an hour, but this will depend on how fresh the yeast is.
The recipe makes enough sponge for two 8×4 loaves.
This one really works! More often than not, I use buttermilk or buttermilk powder.
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