Why are we baking bread at home? ....... Well, I would say, freshly baked bread is one of life's greatest simple pleasures. When your bread turned out to be a success ~ Soft, spongy, tasty ~ that is an accomplishment!
This recipe is definitely a keeper. Using poolish starter, I would say this is a foolproof recipe to make soft bread and the bread stay soft for days. The texture of this bread is exactly like those that we bought from the bakery BUT these are made with NO added bread enhancer/ improver.
There is an important step that you must achieve in order to produce soft bread. Just like any other bread recipes that I shared in my blog, the windowpane test. After kneading for about 12-15 minutes, try to stretch out the dough to see if you can get the soft membrane-like texture. Watch this video if you're unsure what's the windowpane test.
This dough is easy to handle, just need to dust some flour on the dough. Here are some of my creative bread made with this recipe:
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Ribbon twirl bun, filled with Azuki bean paste. Learn the method HERE. |
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'Can you stand on your head?' Cheshire Cat plain bun. Specially made for my 7yo son. |
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Packed this in his recess bento. A little messy on a rush morning. Photo updated 2016 |
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Fluffy and soft homemade bread. The crust colour is much nicer with egg wash.Photo updated: September 2019 |
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Kitty Cat Soft Bread made using Poolish Starter Baked without an oven. Photo updated: June 2021 |
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Decorated Kitty Cat toast Actually, the boy wanted the grey hamster (same as the plushy) toast, somehow it turned out to be a kitty cat toast LOL... Photo updated: June 2021 |
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Cinnamon Milk Twist Buns, filled with sweet cinnamon milk paste. Get the recipeHERE Photo updated: October 2023 |
Ingredients:
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Day 1: I normally get this prepared the night before, says 10pm. Start making bread at 8am the next morning. If you are working, you can prepare this in the morning and make the bread in the evening.
Poolish Starter:
125g Bread Flour
125g Water (room temperature)
1/4 tsp Instant Yeast
~ Mix all the poolish starter ingredients in a container with a wooden spoon to form a thick paste. Cover and leave it at room temperature for about 10 hours. Make sure to use a tall container for this as the poolish will rise.~
Main Dough:
All of the poolish starter
(A)
280g Bread Flour
80g Cake Flour25g Milk Powder
60g Sugar
8g Salt
1 3/4 tsp Instant Yeast
(B)
1 Egg
140g Milk
(C)
60g Unsalted Butter
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Photo updated February 27, 2017 Baked a plain loaf using this recipe using half portion of the dough. Pan size: 11cm x 21cm |
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Method:
1. In a mixing bowl, mix together all (A) ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together all (B) ingredients. Pour (B) mixture into (A), add in all the poolish starter. Knead to form a dough.
3. Gradually knead in (C).
4. When the dough passes the windowpane test, transfer to a lightly greased bowl, cover with cling wrap and let it proof until doubled in size, which takes about an hour.
5. When it's ready, transfer the dough onto a floured worktop. Gently deflate the dough, divide the dough into 12 portions. Roll into a ball, cover with cling wrap and let it sit for 15 minutes.
6. You can roll it up to bake a loaf or shape as desired. Get some bread-shaping ideashere.
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Kitty Cat Loaf baked using Ninja Foodi - Bake/ Roast mode. |
7. Cover and let it proof for 45 minutes or doubled in size. Egg wash and bake in a preheated oven 180'C for 12-15 minutes.If you do not have an oven at home, I highly recommend you to get Ninja Foodi which is so versatile and the price is reasonable for a multi-function cooker that can bake/ roast, air-fry, pressure cook, slow cook, steam, grill, sear/saute and keep warm. The cooker heats up fast and the heat is distributed evenly as good as an oven.If you're interested, you can use our exclusive discount code to buy at the best market rate.I've attached the details and links below for easy reference.
FAQs
Consistency: Bakeries often use machines to ensure consistent kneading and proofing times. This consistency is key to producing the same soft texture batch after batch. Special Ingredients: Many bakeries use dough conditioners or enhancers, which improve the texture and extend the bread's shelf life.
Can poolish be used as a starter? ›
Yes you can substitute sourdough starter with poolish in a bread recipe.
What is the poolish bread formula? ›
You make a poolish consisting of 200 g flour and 200 g water. You make it 12 hours in advance (typically the night before the morning of baking) and it is summer or a nice warm room temperature for the poolish to ferment in.
What is the secret to soft dough? ›
Instant milk powder makes bread dough super soft and fluffy and also helps to give it a good rise. It also contributes to the dough staying nice and soft after baking for a little longer than a recipe that does not use milk powder.
What do bakeries use to keep bread soft? ›
Commercial bakeries use two types of ingredients to slow spoilage — emulsifiers and enzymes. Emulsifiers keep bread from going stale by preventing oil and water from separating. Adding emulsifiers sometimes goes by the names “crumb softening” or “dough conditioning” because it works to preserve texture.
Which ingredient in bread makes bread softer? ›
Use around 5% sugar (percentage of flour), use of milk and honey in the recipe keeps the bread soft and moist after baking if kept covered and protected from dry environments. Use of oil in the recipe also keeps the bread softer.
How long do you let poolish sit? ›
The recommendation is to let your poolish sit on the counter overnight until doubled in size. However, the poolish is forgiving, and can still be used up to 18 hours from the time you mixed it.
Which is better, poolish or biga? ›
Bread made with Poolish typically has a softer, more tender crumb compared to bread made with Biga. The shorter fermentation time in Poolish results in less gluten development, leading to a lighter and more delicate texture. Poolish contributes to a bread with a softer mouthfeel and a finer crumb structure.
Does poolish make bread taste better? ›
A poolish will add really nice, complex flavor to your bread, and help you achieve a light and airy open crumb. The flavor isn't quite as tangy or sour as a traditional sourdough starter, but letting it ferment overnight adds real artisan appeal.
Do you add more yeast when using a poolish? ›
Since a poolish has a hydration of 100% that means the amount of water we need to add to it is 100g. As mentioned, yeast content should be around 0.08% – 0.1%. I went with 0.1%. 0.1% of 100g is 0.1g.
Sometimes referred to as a sponge or barm (although a barm is more technically a natural levain or sourdough starter), tradition has it that the term “Poolish” comes from Polish baker's in Vienna who developed the technique of prefermentation, later adopted by French bakers.
What is the point of poolish? ›
Due to its long fermentation and natural maturation, a Poolish provides an excellent aroma and flavor profile that imparts uniqueness to the finished product. Due to the breakdown of proteins, the Poolish provides amino acids, substrates for Maillard reactions (crust browning and flavor development).
What is the trick to soft bread? ›
One of the easiest ways our bakers follow to make bread soft and fluffy is by using 1-2 tablespoons of lubricant/fats such as vegetable oil to wet the ingredients. This will prevent the formation of excess gluten, as excess gluten makes bread chewy.
Does baking soda make dough soft? ›
It helps to make these soft and spongy. An aqueous solution of baking soda turns red litmus blue. It is also used in soda acid fire extinguisher.
Does milk make dough softer? ›
In the dough stage, milk increases water absorption. Consequently, dough made with milk should come softer from the mixer than dough made with water. Other aspects of milk in yeast doughs include: Dough may be mixed more intensively.
How does commercial bread stay soft? ›
Many of these breads, especially packaged ones, are made with a ton of chemical additives such as calcium propionate, amylase, and chlorine dioxide which help keep them soft, light, and fluffy for days.
How do you keep bread from going hard in a bakery? ›
Bread storage takeaways
Store airtight with the two cut halves facing each other and pressed together. Wrapping bread to retain moisture keeps it soft, though it robs crusty artisan bread of its crispy crust. Wrapping in plastic (or foil) rather than cloth keeps bread soft longer.
What is responsible for making bread soft and fluffy? ›
Final answer: Carbon dioxide gas given off during fermentation of sugar makes bread soft and fluffy.
What ingredient keeps bread soft? ›
Some alternative ingredients can help give your bread added moisture. One such ingredient is milk, which has a high-fat content and can add a delightfully creamy flavor when baking. Additionally, adding mashed potatoes or cooked grains can help keep the crumb soft and tender for days after baking.