White Bread with Poolish

Directions

• 1)

  MIX THE POOLISH: The evening before you plan to bake, mix the poolish flour and yeast by hand in a 6-quart round tub. Add the water and mix by hand until completely blended. Cover and leave out overnight at room temperature. When fully mature, 12 to 14 hours later, the poolish should be bubbly and about tripled in volume, with bubbles popping on the surface at least every few seconds. Poolish will stay at this peak level of maturity for about 1-2 hours depending on the room temperature (warmer shortens the window).

• 2)

  MIX: Combine the final dough flour, salt, and yeast in a 12-quart round tub and mix by hand. Pour the final dough water around the perimeter of the poolish, loosening it from its tub. Then pour the water and poolish into the final dough flour mixture. Mix with a wet hand. Use the pincer method alternating with folding the dough to fully integrate the ingredients.

• 3)

  The target dough temperature at the end of the mix is 74-75°F. Cover the tub and let the dough rise.

• 4)

  FOLD: This dough needs two or three folds. For each one, fold the dough over itself 4-5 times, working around the dough until it has tightened into a ball, then grab the ball and invert it so the seam side is down. Complete this process two or three times, letting the dough relax and flatten after each inversion. It’s best to do this during the first hour after mixing. After the last inversion, cover the dough and let it continue to rise at room temperature.

• 5)

  When the dough is about 2 1/2 times its original volume, 2 to 3 hours after mixing, it’s ready to be divided.

• 6)

  DIVIDE: Moderately flour a work surface and your hands and sprinkle a bit of flour around the edges of the tub. Tip the tub slightly and gently work your free hand beneath the dough to loosen it from the bottom of the tub. Ease the dough out onto the work surface in a somewhat even shape. Flour the dough in the middle and cut it into 2 equal-size loaves.

• 7)

  SHAPE: Dust 2 proofing baskets with flour. Shape each loaf by folding the dough over itself into a ball, inverting it onto an unfloured portion of counter and then gently sliding the ball along the counter from all sides to create a taut skin. Place each loaf seam side down in its proofing basket.

• 8)

  PROOF: Lightly flour the tops of the loaves and cover with a towel or plastic bag. Proof period is only about 1 hour. They are perfectly proofed and ready to bake when you poke a floured finger about 1/2 inch into the dough and it springs back slowly and incompletely.

• 9)

  PREHEAT: At least 45 minutes prior to baking, put your dutch ovens on the middle oven rack with their lids on. Preheat the oven to 475°F.

• 10)

  If you only have one dutch oven, put the second loaf into the fridge about 20 minutes before baking the first loaf and bake the loaves sequentially, giving the dutch oven a 5-minute reheat after removing the first loaf.

• 11)

  BAKE: Invert the proofed loaf onto a lightly floured countertop. Remove the dutch oven from the oven. Gently place the loaf in the hot dutch oven seam side up. Cover with lid and place back in oven.

• 12)

  Bake for 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake for 15-30 minutes more, until at least medium dark brown all around the loaf.

• 13)

  Remove from oven and carefully tilt the dutch over to turn the loaf out. Let it cool on a rack or set it on its side so air can circulate around it for at least 20 minutes before slicing.