You may be curious what a Poolish starter is so we’ve answered a few common questions below.
What is Poolish starter?
Poolish is a leavening method used in baking. It is a pre-ferment that makes baked goods soft, fragrant and gives more flavor, especially when used for pizzas and breads.
How is Poolish made?
Poolish is made by mixing water, flour and yeast together, in different proportions
Is Poolish the same as sourdough starter?
Poolish is a version of a sourdough starter, whils it is different in texture, it is more like a wet spongy texture. For a yeast starter, it’s a very simple method and doesn’t take long to make.
Prep Time
2 ½ hrs (includes rise time)
Cook Time
3 – 5 minutes
Yield
maximum 50 small donuts (depends on how small you make them! )
Ingredients
250g or 2 cups plain flour
55g or ¼ cup castor sugar, plus more of rolling doughnuts in
½ Tablespoon dried yeast
5 teaspoons butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp salt
oil for frying
5 egg yolks, beaten
cinnamon powder
Poolish (starter)
5g or ½ Tablespoon dried yeast
100g or ¾ cup plain flour
100ml or ½ cup warm water
Instructions
First make the poolish (starter)
From the Poolish ingredients,
1. Dissolve the dried yeast in warm water and mix in the flour.
2. Leave to rest in a warm place for about 15 mins. It will be bubbly.
When ready, from the main ingredients,
1. Mix the flour, sugar, yeast, salt together. Add the yolks, poolish and butter to a soft dough, add a bit of water if needed.
2. Knead the dough for 10-15 mins. Then place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise for two hours, or until doubled in size.
3. Knead the dough onto a slightly floured surface for a few seconds, then roll into small balls, smaller than a golf ball size. Leave for 10 mins before frying.
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4. Heat oil in a deep saucepan or until a piece of cubed bread browns in a minute. When the oil is hot enough and the bread cube turns golden, carefully lower a few doughnuts at a time into the oil. They will sink then rise to the surface.
5. Wait till they are brown, carefully spoon some of the hot oil over to brown them evenly.
6. Drain then, while still warm, roll them in sugar mixed with a little cinnamon.
We’d love to hear from you and what you thought of our recipe. Did you make any changes or add some other ingredients? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!
