Convert Any Bread Recipe Into a Poolish Recipe
Free Poolish Calculator for Bread Recipes
Use this free poolish calculator to convert a standard bread recipe into a poolish preferment recipe.
Enter your total flour, water, salt, and yeast, then choose how much flour you want in the poolish.
The calculator keeps your original recipe totals while showing what to mix on Day 1 and what to add on Day 2.
Poolish Calculator
Convert a bread recipe into an overnight poolish preferment.
✓ Finished calculating?
The calculator gives you the numbers. These are the bread tools I actually use in my own kitchen.
Best Bread Types for Poolish
- Baguettes
- Ciabatta
- Pizza Dough
- Focaccia
- Rustic Artisan Bread
- French Bread
- Italian Bread
Breads That Usually Use Smaller Poolish Amounts
- Sandwich Bread
- Milk Bread
- Whole Wheat Bread
- Hamburger Buns
Poolish Calculator FAQ
What is a poolish?
A poolish is a wet bread preferment made with equal weights flour and water plus a small amount of yeast. It is usually mixed several hours before the final dough.
How much flour should go into a poolish?
Most bread recipes work well with 20% to 50% of the total flour in the poolish. A good starting point is 30%.
Does a poolish change the total flour and water in my recipe?
No. This calculator preserves the original recipe totals. It simply moves part of the flour and water into the overnight preferment.
Can I use this for pizza dough?
Yes. A poolish works well for pizza dough. Start with 20% to 30% of the total flour in the poolish for good flavor without making the dough too loose.
Understanding Dough Hydration
Bread dough hydration is the percentage of water compared to flour weight. Most standard bread doughs use hydration levels between 60% and 70%. Lower hydration creates stiffer doughs, while higher hydration creates wetter, more open crumb breads.
Typical Hydration Ranges
- Bagels & Pretzels: 50–57%
- Standard Sandwich Bread: 60–65%
- Artisan Bread: 68–75%
- Ciabatta: 75–85%
Why a Poolish Recipe May Show Low Remaining Water
A poolish uses equal weights flour and water. If the original recipe has very low hydration, moving too much flour into the poolish can consume most of the available water. When this happens, reduce the poolish percentage or increase the overall hydration slightly.
Example
If a recipe contains 500g flour and 325g water, the hydration is:
325 ÷ 500 = 65% hydration
This is a common hydration level for standard artisan bread dough.
🥖 Recommended Bread Baking Tools
The right tools make bread baking easier. Here are the items I personally use and recommend for making artisan bread at home.