Bread

I've been baking bread for about seven months. I've settled on the following recipe and process.  

Total ingredients

750 g flour (blending Bread Flour with Whole Wheat)

585 g water (78% hydration)

15 g salt

1.25 tsp fast rise yeast

I've been using 1/3 to 1/5 whole wheat flour

Day before

Make the Poolish

375 g Bread Flour 

375 g water at about 80° F

1/4 tsp of yeast

Mix together thoroughly in a container that allows for it to triple in size. Cover and set on a counter for 12-24 hours. 

In the winter, my kitchen is about 66°. 12 hours has worked fine. I'm trying 24 hours in my latest attempt.  

Baking day

Remaining flour = 375g ww (50/50) or 150g ww + 225 g Bread (20% ww loaf)

Remaining water = 225, 210, or 188 (80%, 78%, 75% hydration) 

Weigh out remaining flour in mixing bowl. 

Add the Poolish and the remaining water. 

Mix thoroughly, cover, and let sit for 30-60 minute to Autolyse.

Add salt and 1tsp yeast and mix thoroughly. I usually add the salt first, mix and then the yeast. 

Let rest 20-40 minutes. 

Do a series of folds, cover and wait 20 minutes. Dampen hand first.

Repeat 2-4 more times

Cover and let the bulk fermentation complete. Depending on ambient temperature this could take 1-2 hours. 

Scrape onto counter and split into a large and a small piece. The small one should weigh about 480-500 g. We are shooting for a 1/3 to 2/3 ratio. These are perfect for my 7" and 8" bannetons. 

Dust bannetons with rice flour. 

Shape dough into boules 

I sometimes let them rest, covered for 15 minutes and reshape. Lately, I'm skipping this step and not seeing much difference

Put the boules in the bannetons. Pinch the bottoms to seal if needed and dust with rice flour. 

Cover with tea towel. 

Let proof at room temperature for 60-90 minutes. Check status at about 45 minutes.

At least 20 minutes before proofing is nearly done, preheat oven with pizza stone in it to 500°F

Put parchment paper on peel (or tray to use as a peel) and dust gently with cornmeal. 

When ready, gently flip 7" banneton onto parchment paper. Dust with rice flour and use lame to slash

Slide boule into the oven onto the pizza stone. Cover with large metal bowl.   

Reduce temperature to 450 and bake for 12 minutes. 

(prep peel for the next loaf)

Remove bowl (using spatula and good oven mitts)

Reduce temperature to 425

Bake another 7-12 minutes until internal temperature is 205-210. 

Remove and raise oven temperature to 450.

Place small boule on rack to cool. 

Flip 8" banneton onto parchment paper. Dust with rice flour and use lame to slash

Slide boule into the oven onto the pizza stone. Cover with large metal bowl.   

Reduce temperature to 450 and bake for 20 minutes. 

Remove bowl (using spatula and good oven mitts)

Reduce temperature to 425

Bake another 20-25 minutes until internal temperature is 205-210. 

Remove and place boule on rack to cool. 

Thank you to the following who helped me in one way or another:

Bake with Jack - His videos helped demystify the basic process

Billy Parisi's Classic French Boule Recipe with Poolish

The Bread Monk: How to tell when the first rise is done 

How to tell when a bread is finished proofing from Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast.

Flours: Janie's Mill High-Protein Bread Flour and Red Fife whole wheat.