France (Paris/Poilâne) · hearth

Miche (Poilâne-Style)

Target 78% hydration · large dutch oven · bake at 480°F

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Miche is a very large French hearth loaf — traditionally 1-2 kg (2-4 lbs) — made with high-extraction flour (T80 or T85). Deep flavor from extensive bran, dense moist crumb, excellent keeping quality (7+ days). Poilâne bakery in Paris makes the global-reference miche. Weight matters: smaller sizes don't produce the characteristic moist interior.

Hydration
78%
Salt
2.00%
Levain
15–20%
Bulk @ 76°F
5.00h
Proof @ 76°F
12.00h
Bake temp
480°F
Bake time
60m
Vessel
large dutch oven

Flour mix

Technique

Autolyse 60 min with all water at 80°F. Add levain, salt. 4 folds in 2h. Long bulk 5h at 76°F. Shape very tight boule, heavily flour banneton. Cold retard 12h. Bake in LARGE dutch oven (7-qt minimum) at 480°F: 30 min lid on, 30 min lid off, or until internal 210°F.

Calculator pre-set to Miche (Poilâne-Style)'s target (78%)

Adjust the slider for personal preference within the workable 75–82% range.

Flour to add
450 g
Water to add
340 g
Salt
10 g
Levain @ 100%
100 g
Total dough
900 g
Effective hydration
78%
How the math works

Total water = flour × hydration %. Your levain contributes 50 g flour + 50 g water — both count toward the totals. You add only the remainder as fresh flour and water.

Salt % is computed on total flour weight, not final-dough flour.

Open 80% hydration guide →

Related references on this site

The gear that makes the math work

A short, honest baking kit. The scale matters most — every weight on this page is in grams. The Dutch oven is what turns a good crumb into a great crust.

  • Digital kitchen scale (0.1 g)

    Baker's percentage is by weight, not volume — a 0.1 g scale is what makes the math on this page accurate.

    View on Amazon →
  • Dutch oven / combo cooker

    Traps steam for the first bake phase — the single biggest factor in oven spring and a blistered, glossy crust.

    View on Amazon →
  • Banneton proofing basket

    Wicks moisture and holds shape during the final proof, so high-hydration dough doesn't spread flat.

    View on Amazon →
  • Bread lame + bench scraper

    A sharp lame scores clean ears; a steel bench scraper handles wet, sticky dough without tearing the gluten.

    View on Amazon →
  • High-protein bread flour

    The math assumes ~12–14% protein. Real bread flour absorbs the hydration you calculate — all-purpose won't.

    View on Amazon →
  • Danish dough whisk

    Mixes shaggy, high-hydration dough in seconds without the gluey mess of a spoon or your hands.

    View on Amazon →
🎧 Or learn the craft by ear

The numbers here are the what; a good baking book is the why. An Audible trial gets you any title free — Michael Pollan’s Cooked(the “Air” chapter is the best story ever told about why bread rises) is a perfect first listen.

Start a free Audible trial →

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Gear guides — what actually matters