Poolish Baguette.

Poolish. What is that? Poolish is like pre-fermentation.. You will need to let it ferment for 12 to 16 hours before you can use it. I like this baguette. It is different from the normal baguette that we eat. I can't explain but maybe you can try and you will know :)


Makes about 4 big baguettes.
Adapted from King Authur Flour Website.

Poolish

283grams All-Purpose Flour

300grams Water

1/8 tsp. Instant Yeast

Final Dough

606grams All-Purpose Flour

300grams Water

17grams Salt

1 tsp. Instant Yeast

1 lb., 5.2 oz. (all of the above) Poolish

Prepare the poolish the night before baking.  Mix the flour, water and yeast together until the mixture is the consistency of a smooth, thick batter.  Cover and let it ferment overnight at a temperature of around 22 degrees celcius. until mature (about 12 hrs).

The next morning, prepare the final dough by combining the flour, yeast, salt, water and poolish, just until all the ingredients are mixed and well hydrated (I find a dough whisk to be particularly suited to this task). The water should be at a temperature which will give a final dough temperature of around 76oF (more on this in a later post).  I also used less yeast than the Hamelman formula calls for because of the high temperature of my kitchen at this time of year (the higher temperature would shorten the first fermentation time, and hence compromise the flavor, if the quantity of yeast was not reduced).  Depending upon your conditions, you may need a bit more or less yeast.

After the ingredients have been fully incorporated, the dough is mixed by hand for about 10-15 min., until the dough develops a smooth skin which doesn’t tear while mixing. The dough is then placed in a lightly oiled, covered container and allowed to ferment.  This first fermentation is judged complete when the imprint of a finger poked into the dough remains.  In this particular case, the first fermentation lasted 1 1/2 hours.  In addition, the dough was judged to have developed sufficient strength after the hand mixing so that the folding step during the first fermentation.

Once the first fermentation is complete, divide into 4 equal pieces, by weight, and each piece was given a gentle round pre-shaping.  The dough pieces were then covered with plastic and allowed to rest for 20 min.  After the rest, each dough piece was shaped into a baguette and then nestled within the folds of a linen couche.

The shaped baguette dough is then covered with the remaining linen and allowed a second fermentation time of about 1 hr.  The second fermentation is judged complete when a finger press results in an impression that lasts for 2-3 secs.

After the second fermentation is complete, the baguettes are scored with a lame and baked in a 230C oven for 20 min., with steam being supplied during the first 10 mins. via a hand steamer.