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1
Mix the 500g of bread flour with the 1/4 teaspoon of active-dry yeast in a 4 to 6 qt. bowl or dough bucket. Add the 500g of tepid water and buttermilk, and mix with a wooden spoon or your hand to combine. If using a bowl, cover with a damp towel and then a pot lid that lies flat on the top.
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2
Put the poolish in a place where the temperature will stay relatively even overnight to ferment -- I put mine in the oven, so long as it's not hot. Give it between 12 and 14 hours to ferment.
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3
pour 2/3 (give or take) of the water around the poolish to loosen it from the sides of its proofing container. Dissolve the yeast in the remainder of the water.
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4
Combine the 300g of whole-wheat flour, 100g of rye flour, 100g of bread flour, 1 Tbsp. of maple sugar, and 21g. of salt into a large bread bowl or 12-qt. dough bucket. Combine. Add the poolish and water with the remaining yeast dissolved in it to the flour mixture. Mix with your hand, moistened with cold water and re-wetting it as necessary, folding and pinching the dough until it's evenly mixed.
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5
Let rise at room temperature for one hour, folding the dough every 20 min. by reading under it with your hand or a rubber spatula dipped into cold water, stretching one side of the dough up and over into the middle. Turn and repeat three more times for each fold. The long slow fermenting of the poolish and the folding are what develops the gluten in this bread.
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6
Let the bread rise until nearly trippled, about 2 to 3 more hours. Pour the dough out onto a floured board, divide into two, and fold each dough one more time, turn over and round the top to make a taught skin. Let the dough balls rest while you flour two bannetons (dough baskets) or bowls, and place the bread into the bannetons or bowls, seam-side down. Cover each with a plastic bag to keep the dough hydrated, and let rise until nearly tripled, about 2 to 2.5 hours.
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7
After 2 hours or rising time, preheat the oven to 425F, placing two 4 to 7 qt. dutch ovens (or other large, heavy pots with tight-fitting heat-safe lids) in the oven. When the bread is fully risen -- a finger poked into it will leave an indentation, carefully turn the loaves out onto a lightly-floured board and then place them in the pre-heated dutch ovens, taking care not to burn yourself as you do this. Bake with the cover on for 30 min. Remove the covers and bake for an additional 25 min.
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8
Remove from pans and let cool at least one hour before slicing. Let bread cool completely, and than store in bread bags to maintain freshness.
