Milk Kefir Poolish

This is a little explanation as what a poolish is. A poolish is equal amounts of flour and water (or milk kefir or natural starters). When a poolish is mixed it is left to sit, either at ambient room temperature, in a oven with just a light on, or even in a homemade proofing box. I will post later what a homemade proofing box is. I made one with a few things from our local hardware store.

The poolish is usually added to the rest of the ingredients after it has bubbled (as in the milk kefir) or classically left sit until it reaches the break point. The break point is when the bubbles start to recede and before they fall, or cave-in.

The ambient temperature will then tell when the poolish is ready to be incorporated into the final dough. You can't let a starter get too hot, or it will kill the yeast. An oven with the light on or some kind of proofing box is good to let a poolish bubble. If I use a proofing box, the temperature usually doesn't go over 120 degrees F.

A poolish is one type of preferment.

I will post more about what a poolish is later.

Norma