Master Dough

Step 1

To make the poolish, mix 100 g bread flour, 25 g whole wheat flour, ¼ tsp. active dry yeast, and 125 g warm water in a medium bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest at room temperature 12 hours. (The poolish will double or triple in size, so make sure your bowl is large enough to handle the growth. The poolish should have large and small bubbles all across the surface when it is ready.)

Step 2

To make the master dough, transfer 100 g poolish to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and add 300 g water. Mix on low speed to break up (it won’t be fully combined). Add 20 g sugar, 15 g kosher salt, 15 g extra-virgin olive oil, remaining 500 g bread flour, and remaining ¼ tsp. active dry yeast. Mix on low speed until incorporated, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and mix until dough comes together and is smooth, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to high and mix until dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl, about 3 minutes. (If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can still make this dough using a little elbow grease. Mix with a sturdy wooden spoon in a large bowl, then knead, starting in bowl and turning out onto a lightly floured surface once dough has come together, until smooth, 6–8 minutes.)

Step 3

Coat a clean medium bowl with more extra-virgin olive oil, place dough in bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a kitchen towel and let sit at room temperature 1 hour (dough will be slightly puffy).

Step 4

Cover with plastic wrap or a silicone lid and chill until dough doubles or triples in size (you should see a few wide bubbles on the surface), 8–10 hours.

Step 5

Once your dough has fully risen, proceed with making Bryan's recipes, like his Simple Sandwich Loaf.