White Bread with Poolish

Step 1

The night before you bake the loaves, mix the poolish in a large bowl by hand or with a dough whisk. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 12 to 14 hours. If your kitchen is really cold, let it sit a bit longer, until tripled in size.

Step 2

Once the poolish is ready, in a large tub (I use this one), add the flour, salt, and yeast and whisk together.

Step 3

Add the water to the poolish to loosen it from the sides of the bowl and scrape it into the flour mixture.

Step 4

Keeping a bowl of water nearby to wet your hands, mix the ingredients with your hands by folding and pinching alternately for about 3 minutes, until the ingredients are integrated and there is no apparent dry flour. The dough will be very shaggy.

Step 5

Cover the container and allow the dough to rise for about 2 to 3 hours, until it has increased in size by about 2 1/2 times, stretching and folding every 30 minutes three times during the first 90 minutes.

Step 6

Pour the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in half with a bench knife or dough scraper. Shape each half into boules and place them seam side down into floured bannetons or floured towel lined bowl. In this case, I used one oblong banneton and one round banneton. Cover with oiled plastic wrap.

Step 7

Place two Dutch ovens in the oven, and preheat it to 475 degrees F.

Step 8

Allow the dough to rise for about an hour.

Step 9

When you are ready to bake, cut parchment into two 9 inch by 15+ inch pieces.

Step 10

Remove the Dutch ovens from the oven and remove the tops. One loaf at a time, place the parchment over the dough and place a plate over it. Flip the dough over, remove the basket, and lift and place the loaf in the Dutch oven by using the parchment as a sling (leave the paper under the dough). Cover the Dutch oven and place it in the hot oven. Repeat with the second loaf.

Step 11

Bake covered for 30 minutes, and then uncover it and bake it for 15 to 20 minutes more, until the interior of the bread reaches 205 to 210 degrees F and the bread is golden brown.

Step 12

Lift the loaves out of the Dutch ovens with the parchment and let them cool fully on a wire rack (remove the parchment from the bottom of the loaves).

Step 13

Place your ear next to the loaves and listen to them crackle as they cool. Smile.