Poolish Percentage Calculator
Poolish is a liquid pre-ferment that dramatically improves bread flavor, crust color, and shelf life. Made from equal weights of flour and water with a tiny amount of yeast, it ferments slowly over several hours to develop organic acids and flavor compounds that could not be achieved in a same-day dough. The key decision is what percentage of your total recipe flour goes into the poolish. This calculator takes your total flour weight and desired poolish percentage, then calculates exactly how much flour, water, and yeast go into the poolish, and how much remaining flour and water go into the final dough. All weights are in grams for accuracy.
Poolish formula
Poolish flour (g) = total flour (g) * (poolish% / 100)
Poolish water (g) = poolish flour (g) * 1.00 (100% hydration)
Yeast fast (g) = poolish flour (g) * 0.008
Yeast overnight (g) = poolish flour (g) * 0.002
Yeast cold (g) = poolish flour (g) * 0.0005
Final dough flour (g) = total flour (g) - poolish flour (g)
Poolish tips
- Mix poolish until just combined - no kneading needed. Lumps are fine.
- Cover with plastic wrap and ferment at room temperature until domed and just past peak.
- Add the poolish to the final dough when combining remaining ingredients.
- Reduce the total water in the final dough by the amount already in the poolish.
Poolish: frequently asked questions
What is a poolish in bread baking?
Poolish is a wet pre-ferment (100% hydration) made from equal weights of flour and water with a very small amount of yeast. It is fermented for several hours to develop complex flavors and improve bread structure. It is widely used in French baguettes and pizza dough.
What percentage of poolish should I use?
Poolish typically makes up 20-40% of the total flour in a recipe. A 25% poolish gives a mild flavor improvement; 40% gives a more pronounced flavor. Higher percentages require careful timing as the dough can become slack and over-fermented more easily.
How much yeast goes in a poolish?
For an overnight poolish (8-16 hours at room temperature around 70 F), use 0.1-0.2% instant dry yeast by weight of poolish flour. For a faster same-day poolish (4-6 hours), use 0.5-1.0% yeast. Very little yeast is needed because the long fermentation time allows the yeast to multiply.
What is the difference between poolish and biga?
Poolish is a 100% hydration (liquid) pre-ferment, typically of French origin. Biga is an Italian pre-ferment with lower hydration (50-60%), producing a stiffer preferment. Poolish creates more open, irregular crumb; biga produces a denser, chewier crumb.
When is the poolish ready to use?
The poolish is ready when it has domed on top and just begun to recede or show small bubbles across the surface. It should smell pleasantly yeasty and slightly alcoholic. Overripe poolish (past peak) will produce a collapsed, flat surface and a very sharp sour smell.
Official sources
- USDA Agricultural Research Service: FoodData Central.
- National Institute of Standards and Technology: Weights and Measures.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 14 June 2026. See our methodology.