Whole Grain Poolish Baguettes

Day 1: Making the Poolish

1. Stir together the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Pour in the water and mix until the flour is fully hydrated. It will form a thick, batter-type dough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl using a wet bowl scraper or spatula.
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the poolish sit overnight at room temperature, about 12 -14 hours. It should get bubbly and swell in size. My poolish never did get bubbly but it did swell in size. If your poolish gets bubbly before you are ready to use it in the final dough, place it in the refrigerator. You’ll need to compensate by using lukewarm water when mixing the final dough instead of using room temperature water.

Day 2: Final Dough:

1. The next day, add the water to the poolish and mix to break it up. Whisk together the dry ingredients and add to the poolish water mixture. Mix thoroughly using a Danish dough whisk or wooden mixing spoon. When the dough gets to thick to mix with the whisk or spoon switch to using wet hands. The dough will be somewhat shaggy. Resist the temptation to add more flour.
2. Shape the dough into a rough ball and place into a clean, lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and ferment the dough at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. Remove the dough to a lightly oiled work surface or leave it in the oiled bowl and stretch and fold the dough onto itself from each side and the top and bottom. Place the dough back in the bowl and let it rest again for 30 minutes.
4. Repeat the process of stretching and folding and return the dough to the bowl. The dough should become more supple after each fold. After the second fold, the dough should be tacky, but not sticky.
5. Let the dough ferment at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes, until it increases in size by about 1 1/2 times. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator overnight.

Day 3: Shaping and Baking the Baguettes

1. On the 3rd day, oil a work surface and transfer the dough from the refrigerator to the work surface. Gently degas it and shape it into a boule. Let the boule rest for 15 minutes.
2. Divide the dough into 6 pieces using a metal pastry blade or bench knife. If you want larger baguettes, divide it into 2 to 4 pieces. Shape each piece into a baguette and place on a floured couche, parchment paper or baker’s peel. Lightly spray the tops of the loaves with oil and cover loosely with a clean towel or plastic wrap. Proof the loaves for 1 hour or until the dough increases 1 1/2 times its original size.
3. At least 45 minutes before you plan to bake the baguettes, place a baguette baker on the lower shelf of the oven and preheat the oven and baker to 500 degrees F.
4. Ten minutes or so before baking, uncover the loaves to let the surface dry and make it easier to score.
5. Remove the preheated baguette baker from the oven and place on a heat resistant surface. Carefully transfer three of the baguettes to the preheated baker. Quickly score the loaves. Place the baker in the oven, cover with the lid and close the door. Immediately lower the temperature to 450 degrees F.
6. Bake the loaves for 14 minutes, then remove the lid and rotate and bake the loaves another 10 minutes or until the crust is a rich golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom. It should have an internal temperature of 200 degrees F.
7. Repeat the process with the second batch of loaves. Placing the baker back in the oven to preheat before baking the loaves.
8. Transfer the loaves to a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and eating.