This is an adaptation of a recipe from Judith Olney's book, "Olney on Bread." She claims to be "American's Most Inventive Cook," and she may well be. The bread that is supposed to result should have a black-and-white checkerboard showing on a round surface like an artichoke's outer leaves. Mine didn't quite do that, since the dough collapsed down a bit. Still, the result isn't that bad. I've made some comments at the end that should help you make a better loaf than I made.
I modified the recipe to use a poolish that I left on the counter overnight. I post the original recipe and my modified version, so you can see how they differ. I had a bit of a time figuring out the correct amounts, since the poolish gets split in two and the two portions contribute to different doughs. This recipe may seem overly complicated, but if you take your time and follow the directions, you will be rewarded with a very interesting loaf of bread.
| Ingred | Ounces | Grams |
|---|---|---|
| Bread Flour | 15 | 425 |
| Water | 18 | 510 |
| Dry Yeast | 1/2 tsp | 2 |
It's mixed up and allowed to sit in a covered container overnight. Be sure that the container is large enough to contain the expanded biga.
My pre-ferments routinely pop the top off a Tupperwear container with air pressure, and sometimes overflow the container.
| Ingred | Original | New English | New Metric |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Yeast | 2 Pkts | 1 T, 1/2 t | 10 g |
| Water | 2 1/4c | 18 1/2 oz | 525 g |
| Salt | 1 T | 1 T | 15 ml |
| Sugar | 1 T | 1 T | 15 ml |
| Butter | 1/4 c | 2 oz | 55 g |
| Bread Flour | 5 3/4 c | 26 oz | 735 g |
| Molasses | 3 T | 3 T | 45 ml |
| Cocoa | 1 T | 1 T | 15 ml |
| Whole Wh Flour | 2 C | 9 oz | 255 g |
Make a glaze of 1 egg white and a bit of water. Whisk it to blend it in well.
I used Whole Foods Whole Wheat Bread Flour for the Whole Wheat portion.
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