The ale and yeast poolish recipe in Richard Bertinet's Crust begs me to make it over and over again. The beer used has incredible possibilities for influence on a loaf and I'm not limiting myself to just ales, for a stout can turn my heart about. I'm thinking cream stouts, red ales, IPA's, from dark and nutty to crisp and hoppy - the thought of what these yeasty beverages could do to my bread gets me all antsy. This particular loaf hosted a Belgian style dubbel, a sort of beer that I particularly like to enjoy with a local favorite of mine - Humboldt Fog.I am lucky enough to share my home town with Cypress Grove, local goat cheese makers and creators of the knee-weakening ripened goat cheese Humboldt Fog. I hear you can get the stuff in other areas too, but I can't attest to it. If you can get it, or any of their other beautiful cheeses, I'm telling you, you might want to. And after you do make up a batch of this bread, pour a glass of the chosen beverage for yourself and enjoy that cheese on that bread while you sink into your brown, wood lined sofa and listen to the sweet melodies of Loretta Lynn.
Ale and Yeast Poolish Bread
*Adapted from Richard Bertinet's Crust
Makes four small loaves
Poolish:
125 grams ale (or any beer you'd just as well drink)
125 grams bread flour
1/4 tsp instant yeast
Final dough:
all of the poolish
750 grams bread flour
50 grams whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp instant yeast
500 grams water
15 grams salt
Mixing the poolish
Combine all of the poolish ingredients, cover and let ferment for 3 to 5 hours, until risen and bubbly.
Mixing the dough
Mix all of the final dough ingredients except for the salt. Knead for 10 minutes by hand until supple, and boy howdy does this dough get supple. Add salt and knead until it is fully incorporated, another 3 to 5 minutes.
Bulk ferment
In an oiled bowl for two hours, with one stretch and fold at the one hour point.
Shaping and proofing
Shape according to your hearts will. Proof for one hour.
Baking
Load proofed loaves into a preheated 500 degree oven. Turn the heat down to 450 after 5 minutes and bake for another 20 minutes. While it's cooling go buy some good ripe cheese.
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15 comments:
Ooo, I really like that idea for a poolish. And have I mentioned that I'm jealous of your ears? The ones on your bread, that is. Anything else would be creepy, and that's not okay.
We can get that cheese down here and it is a favorite of mine. What a great bread to have with it!
Your bread looks lovely. I'll have to give it a try. Nice to see another food blogger from the Humboldt area.
Gracious me! Your bread looks like the perfect base for a lovely hand-crafted goat cheese. Serious Yum!
Such beautiful bread! And I bet it tastes wonderful. : )
Mmm beer, cheese, and bread. My favorite fermented things.
I'm impressed with your loaves. And that cheese sounds wonderful. I'll have to check our local cheese sources.
Nancy
Love that loaf. I have started baking bread again and this one is now on my list. Thanks.
humboldt fog is a favorite of mine, too (although far from local, unfortunatley). i am jealous of your bread skills--that is one nice lookin' loaf!
I saw your post on Tastespotting.com and got excited. I hail from the Humboldt nation but am currently residing in the Inland Northwest. I just got back from home and made sure to load up on some Humboldt Fog and Mad River Rolls since it is TOO EXPENSIVE to buy a 1/4 of a roll of Humboldt Fog up here. Ridiculous! I would definitely recommend anyone who finds themselves passing through Arcata to pick up some of this stuff! It's fabulous (best goat cheese I've found) and your supporting my home town!
What a beautful loaves of bread. I'm going to check into your suggested goat cheese. In the MW I don't know if we can get it.
AmyRuth
Never try to make poolish starter with ale, sound so intriguing. I am bookmarking this, since I don't have the book! Your bread look very crusty, and the interior look very nice and fluffy. Ah yes, Humboldt Fog, it's my husband favorite. When it was first came out yers back, it was so expensive, fortunately, not anymore.
Cheers,
Elra
They sell this cheese in Whole Foods in DC.
Only five hours for the poolish? At room temp, I suppose, right? Letting it ferment for longer (overnight) should be fine, do you think? It'd be easier for me. I'll just make sure to give it enough room... or could this go bad easily?
also, I don't have a weight scale at the moment (and barely getting by)... is 125 grams of beer a half cup? Two thirds?
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