Bread Starters Part Two: Biga and Poolish-Birdy

[wilderness]

Bread Starters Part Two: Biga and Poolish-Birdy

Biga

Prepare 8-24 hours before baking.

Flour 30% of total flour from bread recipe
Water equal weight as 15% of total flour
Yeast 8-10% of total yeast from bread recipe


Now it’s time for my favorite in the preferment family (shhh, don’t tell the others): poolish. Poolish was originally used in Poland (hence the name) and is such a great preferment that it is one of the most widely used in French bakeries. That’s right, French boulangers ditched their very own pâte fermentée to use a Polish poolish. Why is it so popular? Yes, yes, you’ll get great rise, crust, and structure, but you’ll also get a fabulous moist crumb with chewy texture and amazing flavor. Oh, the flavor! Sweet and tangy and just about perfection.

Poolish is the most hydrated preferment (1 part flour to 1 part water) and looks almost soupy. This high hydration content is what creates the winning crumb and chew. Ripeness is indicated when the surface is covered with small bubbles. If the poolish has risen and then begun to recede (called a “high water mark”) its leavening power is shot. Do over. And if you’re wondering what to make using a poolish, try this Whole Wheat English Muffins recipe. They were a huge hit here at Bob’s and I ate three of them in about 20 minutes. Seriously.


Poolish

Prepare 4-24 hours before baking.

Flour 30% of total flour from bread recipe
Water equal weight as 30% total flour
Yeast 8-10% of total yeast from bread recipe


A word about measurements

You may have noticed that, so far, all of the formulas are using percentages and reference weight. Why is that? Because measuring by weight is far more accurate than measuring by volume. If you are serious about baking and want to produce consistently excellent products, use a scale. Treat yourself. And your eaters. Baker’s scales for home cooks are incredibly affordable. And with the ability to measure in American Standard or metric, you can make delicious recipes from those crazy countries that don’t use our ounces and pounds (which is everyone).