Poolish is a pre-fermenter. This meals that we are going to start the yeast activity prior to actually making our bread. Prior to reading the Bread Baker’s Apprentice my only experience with a pre-fermenter  was using a starter for a sourdough bread. After using this method for the first time I see why I would want to keep going with it. I am able to draw much more flavor and depth out of the bread. My wife even commented that it had a more complex flavor like a sourdough but doesn’t actually have a yeasty flavor. Here is how it all begins. Read more »

I love bread. There are no two ways about it. All protein diets seem like they would be hell to me and a sacrilege at that. I recently received a gift from a dear friend. It is the Bread Baker’s Apprentice written by Peter Reinhart. I’ve been baking for my whole life and the insights in this book are revolutionary to me. I never thought about using a starter for any bread other than a Sourdough based bread. I also had never been trained so learning about the way you can figure out a bread formula has given me access to a freedom I always knew was there but didn’t know how to take advantage of, the ability to easily alter a recipe without guessing if it would work or not. The first bread I decided to try was this Ciabatta. Keep in mind that there are a few things you need to know before you start out with this recipe.

1. You will need a baking stone
2. You will need a spray bottle to fill with water
3. Pizza peel or inverted baking tray to transfer the dough onto the baking stone
4. This recipe will take a total of 2 days to complete, the first day for the poolish the second for the bread

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