I’ve been dabbling in bread baking for quite some time—close to 20 years, in fact. Back then, I picked up a copy of Nancy Baggett’s 60 Minute Bread Book. When I was still working, the idea of making bread both quickly and efficiently was irresistible. The book is fantastic, neatly divided by “how fast can you get carbs in your face?” The first part features breads you can knock out in 60 minutes flat. Then it moves on to slightly longer recipes that are still faster than traditional methods. My personal favorites? Her Cuban Bread and Italian Bread. Total no-fail champs—unlike my attempts at assembling IKEA furniture.
But these days, now that I’m retired, I’ve got the luxury of time. No more sprinting against the clock—I can let my bread lounge around and develop character, much like myself in a recliner. In earlier posts, I’ve raved about the two-day preferment method, which doesn’t just add flavor but also improves shelf life and might even have some health benefits. (Though let’s be honest—if you’re slathering it with butter, health benefits are more of a nice theory than a reality.)
Being the nerd that I am, I decided to mash up my two hobbies: computer programming and bread baking. The result? A handy-dandy JavaScript application that converts a standard bread recipe into a two-day poolish recipe. The theory is simple: you mix about a third of the recipe the night before, let it ferment overnight, and voilà—you’ve got dough with depth. Sure, it completely defeats the “fast bread for busy people” purpose, but retirement means I finally have the time to wait around and watch yeast do its slow magic.
If you’re curious (or just want to geek out with bread math), you can check out my poolish calculator here: Poolish Maker.
My test subject? Ms. Baggett’s Italian Bread recipe. Let’s see what happens when we run it through the calculator!
The Original Recipe
- 6.25 to 7.5 cups of flour
- 2 packets fast rising yeast
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2.5 teaspoons salt
- Scant 2.5 cups hot water
- 2.5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 egg white
- 1 egg white mixed with water (for brushing loaves)
Right away, you can see this is an enriched bread—sugar, oil, and even egg whites. It’s not your rustic French peasant loaf; this one’s got some pizzazz. Normal bake time in the book is about 1 hour and 50 minutes for two loaves.
Plugging It Into the Calculator
I went with 7 cups of flour as my middle ground and let the calculator do its thing.
Day 1 (Poolish):
- Flour: 2.33 cups
- Water: 2.33 cups (equal parts flour and water—poolish rules)
- Yeast: “a pinch” (0.1 tsp… basically a sneeze of yeast)
Day 2:
- Flour: 4.67 cups
- Water: 0.17 cups (I already know this is laughably low—unless I want to knead gravel, I’ll need to add more)
- Salt: 2.5 teaspoons
- Olive oil: 2.5 tablespoons
- Sugar: 1 tablespoon
- 1 egg white for the dough
- 1 egg white + water for brushing
Now, a couple of observations:
- That tiny “pinch” of yeast has me nervous. Will this poor dough rise or will it sit there looking like a deflated balloon? Poolish does allow for more yeast on day two, but we’ll see.
- The day two water looks… optimistic. Unless the calculator thinks I’m baking in the Sahara, we’re definitely going to need more hydration.
And so, the great poolish experiment begins! Will this bread soar majestically, or will it pancake flatter than my first attempt at sourdough? Stay tuned—because either way, there will be carbs.
Bytes, Bread, and Barbecue Sign-Off
If this works, I’ll be proudly serving Italian bread with a smug look that says, “Yes, I hacked my carbs with JavaScript.” If it doesn’t, well… at least my grill is always ready to console me with brisket. Because here at Bytes, Bread, and Barbecue, the motto is simple: If the bread flops, just butter it anyway. Life’s too short for dry toast.