I have been perfecting my no-knead dough for the last few months as I make it weekly for soup night, and it has been a wonderful confidence booster for me. I know I have the capability to make good bread. Now I must broaden my horizons.
I need to teach myself how to "build" a loaf of bread. The days of direct doughs are over. It is now time for this little grasshopper to move on to the starters. There are 3 basic starters: Poolish sponge, Biga firm and Old Dough ( pate fermente) . These starters allow the grain in the flour develop subtle flavor nuances and different crumb structures.
I have just put together my very first poolish pre-ferment. It needs to bubble and fall for about 5 hours and then rest overnight in the fridge. I will use parts of it throughout the week to bake loaves and see the development change.
4 c unbleached bread flour ( stronger gluten equals stronger bread)
4 c cool water ( room temp)
1/3 teaspoon active dry yeast
mix ingredients in a bowl that can hold the volume when doubled.
cover the bowl tightly with plastic.
let bubble and fall for 3-5 hours at room temperature
refrigerate overnight
This starter will be used in different loaves and is one rung on the ladder of excellent bread.
I will keep a photo diary of the process and hopefully this is the start of a whole new chapter of my career.
Bread- the loaf of life.....
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