The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Poolish

deny45's picture
deny45

Poolish

Is Poolish the name for the sponge only?  What do I call the loaf I make with my Poolish?  I'm using all purpose flour, water, salt and yeast for the final dough.  I'm baking it in a dutch oven.  I use the Poolish as my starter/sponge.  So what do I call it?  

pmccool's picture
pmccool

And, yes, it is often called a sponge, too.  The poolish preferments part of the flour in the bread, which adds flavor.  It also conserves on yeast, since you are effectively farming yeast in the poolish. That means less is required in the final dough. 

Paul

JustJoel's picture
JustJoel

Given that it’s flour, water, salt, and yeast, I’d call it a fantastic loaf of bread. If you wanna call it a Poolish bread, it’s kinda fun to say, but you’ll end up explaining it to people who will ask out of politeness, but they’re not really interested.

deny45's picture
deny45

That was a great answer!  I've been calling it Poolish and people do chuckle but so far no one cares, so long as they get a slice