Bread - Updated

This is an update to my Bread post from about a year ago. All references are there. I have adjusted the recipe to make two 500 kg loaves or one 500 kg loaf and two 250 kg loaves. Other adjustments allow doing this over three or more days so one isn't spending an entire day waiting. 

Total ingredients

800 g Bread flour

200 g Whole Wheat flour

750-800 g water (75-80% hydration) - 

20 g salt

1.25 tsp fast rise yeast

Day 1

Make the Poolish

500g Bread Flour 

500g water at about 90° F

1/4 tsp of yeast

Mix together thoroughly in a container that allows for it to triple in size. Leave no dry dough spots. Cover and set on a counter for 12-24 hours. 

In the winter, my kitchen is about 66°. 12-24 hours has worked equally well.

Day 2

Remaining flour = 200g Whole Wheat mixed with 300g Bread flour.

Remaining water = 300g, 280g, or 250g (80%, 78%, 75% hydration).

Turn out the Poolish to the mixing bowl.

Add the remaining water to the Poolish container and swirl to catch any remains.

Add this to the mixing bowl and gently mix with the Poolish.  

Add remaining flour and mix thoroughly to a shaggy dough.

Cover, and let sit for about 45 minutes to Autolyse.

Add salt and mix thoroughly. 

Add remaining 1tsp yeast and mix thoroughly. 

Let rest 20-40 minutes. 

Dampen your hand and stretch and fold the dough over itself 4 times rotating the bowl 90 degrees after each fold.

Cover and wait 20 minutes. 

Repeat 3-4 more times

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

Scrape onto counter and split as desired. 

Lately, I'm doing 50%, 25% and 25% to get a large loaf and two smaller ones. 

Dust bannetons with rice flour or a 50/50 mix of rice/all purpose flour.

Shape dough into boules. 

Put the boules in the bannetons seam side up. 

Pinch the bottoms to seal if needed and dust with flour. 

At this point, you can cover the bannetons and let proof at room temperature for 60-90 minutes and then go to the Baking Day steps or you can cover the Bannetons and put them in the refrigerator for 1-3 days for more flavor development and to break up the time you spend waiting. 

Baking Day

Preheat oven containing pizza stone and cast iron dutch oven to 475°F. These should be on the bottom or second to bottom rack

Put parchment paper counter top and dust gently with cornmeal. 

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

Gently place boule into dutch oven (hot!!). I'm using the parchment paper as a sling so I don't risk burning my hands. Braver souls might try flipping the banneton directly into the dutch oven. 

Cover and place dutch oven into the oven onto the pizza stone. 

Bake 35 minutes for the larger loaf or 15 minutes for the smaller loaf

Remove boule from dutch oven and finish it at 425 on the pizza stone until crust is nicely browned (about 10-15 minutes, less for the smaller boule). You can also check the internal temperature of the bread with an instant read thermometer. It should read 208 - 210F.  

Place boule on rack to cool. 

Wait at least 2 hours for the boule to fully cool before cutting into it.