Poolish

Appears in
Professional Baking
Professional Baking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2008

  • About

This type of starter is said to have originated in Poland, and the word poolish comes from “Polish.” A poolish (or poolisch) is a thin yeast starter made with equal parts flour and water (by weight), plus commercial yeast. In other words, a formula for poolish is 100% flour, 100% water, and varying percentages of yeast, depending on the desired speed of fermentation.

To contribute maximum flavor, a poolish is made with only a small quantity of yeast and given a long fermentation at room temperature. The poolish bubbles up and increases in volume, and when it is at its peak, it starts to fall back slightly and the top surface appears wrinkled. A poolish given a slow fermentation may hold its peak quality for several hours. After this period, the acidity will increase and the quality will deteriorate.