Poolish Recipes

Steps:

• Put the yeast in a small bowl, add the water, and whisk vigorously for 30 seconds. The mixture should bubble on top. If it doesn't and the yeast granules float, the yeast is "dead" and should be discarded. Begin again with a fresh amount of yeast and water.
• Add the flour and stir well with a rubber spatula to combine. The consistency will be quite thick, resembling a thick pancake batter.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature for 18 hours. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to cool slightly before using.
• If you are not using the starter right away, you can store it in the refrigerator, though I suggest keeping it for no more than 8 hours. Bring to cool room temperature before using.

Steps:

• 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.
• 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).
• 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.
• 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.
• Poolish %
• Bread flour: 100%
• Water: 107%
• Instant yeast: .27%
• Total: 207.3%

Steps:

• In a 1-gallon plastic container, combine the water and yeast and stir until the mixture is milky and foamy and the yeast is fairly dissolved. Stir in the flour until just combined. Cover and leave at room temperature for 5 hours. May be refrigerated for up to 48 hours before using. Bring to room temperature before using.