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Directions
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Poolish
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Combine the flour, water and yeast; mix until well-blended. Let the poolish rise, covered, at cool room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. It should dome slightly on top, and look aerated and bubbly. Try to catch it before it starts to fall, as it will be at its optimum flavor and vigor when it's at its highest point.
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Mixer method: Place the flour, yeast and salt in the bowl of your mixer. Pour some of the water around the edges of the poolish in its container to loosen it. Pour the poolish and water onto the flour. Using the flat beater paddle, mix the dough on low speed for 3 minutes, adding more flour or water if necessary to bring the dough together. The dough should look a little sticky, but should clean the sides of the bowl. Switch to the dough hook, knead for 4 minutes, cleaning the dough from the hook at the 2-minute mark.
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Bread machine method: Place the flour, yeast and salt in the bucket of your bread machine. Pour some of the water around the edges of the poolish in its container to loosen it. Pour the poolish and water onto the flour. Program the machine for dough and press Start. Check the dough after about 10 minutes of kneading; add more flour or water if needed to create a sticky dough.
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Preheat your oven (and your baking stone, if you have one) to 500u00b0F. Just before putting the loaves into the oven, slash the tops several times. Hold your knife at a 45u00b0 angle to the dough's surface, and slice quickly and decisively, about 1/2-inch deep. Spritz the loaves with water, place them in the oven, and reduce the oven temperature to 475u00b0F. Bake the loaves for 18 to 24 minutes. Remove the loaves from the oven when they're a deep, golden brown, and transfer them to a rack to cool.
