Poilâne Sourdough Bread
Cross sectional of my first miche bake in six months.
I have tried many sourdough recipes and this one by far is the most delicious and the most foolproof.
In 2016, I visited Paris with my husband. We took a food tour of the sixth arrondissement, St. Germain. During the tour, we stopped at the Poilâne bakery. Our guide told us about the incredible family history. The Poilânes are considered pioneers because they insist on maintaining the artisanal sourdough tradition of bread baked in wood-fired ovens in an age of industrialized bread. Their bread is so renowned that Robert De Niro regularly ships baguettes to his home in Los Angeles.
Apollonia Poilâne is a third generation baker that was raised in the business by her father. Her grandfather was known to collaborate with artists like Dalí using bread as the main medium. At the age of 18, after her parents died in a tragic helicopter accident, she assumed the head of the family business. If you’re interested in the original recipe for the Poilâne miche, check out Apollonia’s excellent cookbook, Poilâne: The Secrets of the World-Famous Sourdough Bread Bakery.
For the miche, Apollonia starts by making a starter with flour and Greek yogurt. Once the starter is bubbling beautifully, you can peel off a bit for the dough and continue to feed the remaining for future baking sessions. Unlike other sourdough recipes I have tried, the Poilâne miche has a dense yet springy crumb with a crispy crust. I personally do not like breads with an open crumb or big holes. It’s hard to spread toppings like butter and jam. Why I love this recipe is that it is made foolproof due to the use of a wild culture and an active-dry yeast. Think of the manufactured yeast as an insurance policy; the wild culture as the flavor and nutrition. I struggled as a novice baker to get volume in my bread. There were many attempts that came out flat as discus. With Apollonia’s recipe and my tips and tricks from cooking school, I guarantee you will have a successful first bake.
One Miche, Approximately 4 Pounds
Ingredients for Sourdough Starter
150 grams all-purpose flour, King Arthur brand
60 grams whole wheat flour, King Arthur brand
60 grams full-fat Greek yogurt
160 milliliters warm water, under 110°F degrees
Ingredients for Second Fermentation of Starter
140 grams all-purpose flour, King Arthur brand
60 grams whole wheat flour, King Arthur brand
80 milliliters warm water, under 110°F degrees
Ingredients for Bread
410 grams sourdough starter
550 grams all-purpose flour, King Arthur brand
450 grams whole wheat flour, King Arthur brand
610 milliliters warm water, under 110°F degrees
4 grams active-dry yeast (substitute instant yeast)
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
Special Equipment
Bread lame or Xacto knife
*Note: It’s important to use a digital food scale rather than measuring cups to get the most exact measurements.
Directions for Sourdough Starter
Mix all of the ingredients together in a clear sanitized container made of glass or plastic. Using a clear container will allow you to check on the activity of the culture.
Loosely cover the container with the top or with a clean kitchen towel. The starter will need to sit in a warm place for 24 hours. You should see bubbles which is a sign of good activity. Do not be like me and completely close your container otherwise risk a IED going off in the middle of your kitchen at 4:00 am; spraying dough all over the ceiling.
Directions for Second Fermentation of Starter
Form a shaggy dough with the entire sourdough starter, flour, and warm water. To prevent fingers from sticking to the dough as you mix it, cover your hands in flour.
Using a dough scraper, transfer the mixture to a clean work surface. At this point, it will be very sticky. Gently pull two arms from the center of the starter and press into the center — like you’re Patrick Star’s chiropractor. Repeat with the other two arms to form a ball.
If ready to bake, place the starter in a clean bowl and cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm area for another 24 hours. At this point, the starter is ready to use. If not, redirect the finished starter to the storage container.
The starter will need to be pulled out of the fridge, brought to room temperature, and fed with the mixture below for two days before it is ready to bake again. This will ensure that there is activity in your starter before baking. With each feed, discard half of the starter before adding the fresh ingredients and mixing.
Directions for Bread
If using active-dry yeast, take ten milliliters of warm water and mix it together. This is called blooming the yeast and is a critical step to getting a beautiful rise. If using instant yeast, skip this step. Set aside for a few minutes.
Take 410 grams of recently fed sourdough starter and combine it with both flours, bloomed yeast, and remaining water in a large five quart bowl. Mix together with dough scraper until a shaggy dough forms. At this point, add in the Kosher salt.
Transfer the mixture to a clean work surface and knead for ten minutes. To knead the dough, pick up the top half of the dough, fold it onto itself, and then push the dough foward with the palms of your hand. If the dough feels really wet and sticky add a pinch of all-purpose flour and continue to knead. It should feel soft and smooth at the end of this process but should not spring back when poked. Transfer to a clean bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel.
Proof the dough in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour. It should nearly double in size. If your house is cold, I recommend placing your dough in an oven with the light turned on. Alternatively, place into an oven with a small sauce pot of steaming water to create a make-shift proofing box. Be sure to reheat the water periodically to maximize the humidity inside your oven. After the proofing, the dough should be resistant enough to return to its shape if you poke with your finger.
On a clean, floured work surface, transfer the proofed dough. Gently flatten into a rectangle while maintaining some of its volume. Then, fold into thirds and then fold again in half. Tuck the sides of the ball into itself. Pull the dough ball towards your body, allowing the edges to roll under your pinkies. This pulling technique creates tension which will allow the bread to hold its shape when baking and form a beautiful crust.
Transfer the dough ball to a well-floured banneton proofing basket so that the smooth side is on the bottom. Be sure to pinch shut any loose pieces of dough. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and proof one more time for two hours in a warm place. This is when the majority of the bread’s flavor is developed.
Thirty minutes before the dough has finished proofing a second time, preheat your oven to 500°F with the Dutch oven inside. Once the oven is at temperature, transfer the dough from the banneton to a piece of parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Use your bread lame to score the dough. I like scoring a beautiful cursive “P” to honor the Poilâne bakery. Working quickly, place the dough into the hot Dutch oven and spray a bit of cold water onto the dough before covering with the lid and returning to the hot oven. The water will create steam which will help the dough rise.
Bake at 500°F for 10-15 minutes before turning down the heat to 450°F and removing the lid for the final phase of baking. Continue to back for another 45-60 minutes or until the top of the miche has developed a beautiful brown crust.
Remove from the oven. Check the bottom crust. As Apollonia says, “you need to listen to the bread”. The flat side should sound like beating a drum, a solid thump. If it’s undercooked, place back onto the rack of the oven and cook in five minute increments. When ready, cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before cutting into the bread. Enjoy with fresh salted butter!
Formula to Feed Sourdough Starter
140 grams all-purpose flour, King Arthur brand
56 grams whole wheat flour, King Arthur brand
150 milliliters warm water, under 110°F degrees