i'm willing to promote my latest observations in bread baking – i've been working on freeform french bread loaves using inexpensive and resourceful techniques – i hope to inspire others to take up the art and will discuss my failures and successes - perhaps i can dispel any nervousness or self doubt one might have with the act of baking – baking you own bread is quite a liberating experience and imparts an invaluable knowledge to the baker.
first, let us discuss some general characteristics of the universe. more specifically, space and time. you should prepare enough table/counter space in two rooms – the kitchen will be warm >85ºF, the second room should be a milder room temperature ~78ºF. in the kitchen, you need a wide enough surface to knead on. close the windows at make sure fans aren't creating a bunch of air disturbance – i live in central texas, so i understand how hard it is to govern your interior's climate – but anyone undertaking this endeavor is going to figure what can be done under their own atmosphere. barometric pressure is an uncontrollable factor that can bless or burden your method - don't try to get technical or spend unnecessary time reviewing a weather report - just look outside - is it windy, maybe a few clouds? then you've got some low pressure working with you which means it is a good time to bake. on the subject of time - time is relative - you should not time your steps as preassigned waiting/working time - you should measure yourself with time and adapt your method as you work. with dry yeast, things can happen a lot quicker than popularly assumed. i've gotten into the practice of setting a timer to no more than 30 minutes at various stages of my method just to gauge myself.
your next consideration should be your equipment - the following are the instruments you must have to work dough successfully
1. two large bowls
2. wooden spoons
3. an assortment of towels
4. a baking surface
i'll elaborate (1) any material is fine, your bowls can be metal, and yes, large pots work - it's best to dissolve the yeast in something ceramic and then transfer to the metal bowl if that's what you're doing. i use large plastic bowls as they're lightweight and this helps when you get to the real exhausting work when mixing. you can dissolve the yeast in your mixing bowl. (2) only use wooden spoons for mixing - metal and plastic aren't structurally sound enough for this work and they stick to dough something terrible. wooden spoons can snap, sure - have extras - they're cheap - i've been using the same wooden spoon for my last 6 batches - it's got a handle about 8 inches long and a 1/4 inch thick and it's still in one piece. (3) kitchen towels are one of those neglected commodities in our modern age - what you normally find at a supermarket is crap, the fabric deteriorates with continual use and becomes unsanitary - have those kind of towels for your dishes - what i've found that works perfectly for these purposes is thin, lightweight, cotton fabric - see here - go to your closet, find some flannel shirt you haven't worn since the last real soundgarden album was released, cut out large rectangles - now you have towels. (4) a baking stone should not be considered a specialty item and therefor dismissed by any amateur baker. if you find yourself buying metal pans, stop and look for something like a cheap pizza stone - they usually come in 18"-20" diameter and shouldn't run above 10 bucks. metal pans will work fine with freeform loaves, but the stone promotes a crispier crust. a baking stone is essentially flat ceramic - some glassware can work similar magic that a stone would. for instance, i found a 20"x12" glass microwave tray (yeah, that's one bigass microwave) - it had a heat rating printed on it for 500ºF - treating it only somewhat differently than a stone, i can bake nicely two to four crispy baguettes on it.
some equipment and materials that aren't specifically needed but will make your work easier are...
a. a whisk (or a fork)
b. measuring spoons (measuring large cups are good to have around as well but are not essential)
c. a sifter
d. thermometers (one for the oven at least, an instant read is also good to have you you want to check your loaves internal temp)
e. bannetons *
f. an oven peel
g. an assortment of knives
h. small bowls (ceramic or glass)
h. small bowls (ceramic or glass)
* these make proofing so much easier and you can fashion bannetons out of many things - i've been collecting unwanted wicker baskets and am finding a multitude of uses, one being of course for bread. lined with cheese cloth, a basket with a nice bowl shape is perfect. another option i've used, being a graduate from art school, is random cuts of canvas i never tossed - simply lifted up around your formed loaves will assist in holding it's shape for the proofing stage - a fine option for baguettes.
this is what i've been using for bannetons - a cheap basket picked up at the thrift store - cheese cloth is loosely tied with hemp twine - cheese cloth can be replaced when it gets gungy
now to ingredients - using nothing but flour and water, bread has been made for several a millenia - compare that to the shopping list you find at the bottom of the nutrition facts. the recipe i'm going to discuss benefits from our modern interpretation of yeast. we'll get into that some other time. here's what you need, and keep in mind that proportions are meant to be tweaked.
1. 2 cups of warm water
2. up to 5 cups of white flour
3. 4 teaspoons of instant dry yeast
4. (optional) no more than a tablespoon of sugar
5. a liberal amount of butter or olive oil
(1) i'm the kind of freak who usually always has some water heated in a kettle. boiling water to heat is fine - just let it cool down to about 100ºF before dissolving yeast. (2) all purpose flour will do the trick - try to get organic, the slightly higher price is always worth it. (3) instant dry yeast is different than active dry. here's some in-depth information on all the different yeast . fleischmann's instant dry yeast is common at my local grocers, saf is another good brand – ask your friend at the pizza joint to score you some. if you get the packaged yeast, one package equals 2 ¼ teaspoons. (4) i'll dissolve some sugar into the water as i let it cool - the commercial yeast really doesn't need it, but i like to treat my yeast to something tasty for their last few moments alive.
ok, ready – here's the method
1. setup your oven: try to organize your racks in the center. go ahead and turn it on to about 200ºF - you'll want to have a warm kitchen while you work towards the first rise. do not start work in a cool kitchen, let it warm up and take your flour and yeast out of their cool storage.
2. prepare your water: if you heat your water to boiling or even near that, wait for it to cool down - if you don't have a thermometer, judge the temp by whether or not it scalds you finger. i suggest you dissolve sugar before the yeast – other opinions encouraged.
3. dissolve yeast: sprinkle it, don't just dump it in - you are inviting a culture of tiny living beings to have a big party - be a nice host. mix it well, preferably with a whisk and let it sit undisturbed in a warm location - not too warm, mind you, and certainly not on the stove when your oven is on. when conditions are too warm, yeast will die.
4. yeast activation: you'll need to wait 8-10 minutes to make sure the yeast activates, it will look like the head of a delicious pint of guinness – if it does not develop a foamy head – discard it and repeat the last step
5. mixing: pour the yeast mixture into the mixing bowl if it ain't there already, i usually give it a quick stir before adding the flour. incorporate the flour in small amounts at a time. don't get excited and dump whatever flour you've set aside all at once – doing so will guarantee an unpleasant mixing experience. sifting flour into the yeast mixture is an excellent way to control the gradual mixing that needs to take place. within about 5 minutes, the soupy flour mixture will become something of a batter. within another 10 minutes, you'll notice how weak young arms are. take a short break every now and then but don't short change to time you spend mixing.
6. kneading: you'll know the dough is mixed well enough when it pulls off the sides of the bowl easily and feel easy enough to handle with out it sticking to your hands – be aware to not over flour. toss some butter into your second bowl to prep it for the fist rise. pinch flour onto your work surface. turn dough out and knead 8-10 minutes. get into a rhythm and don't be afraid to slam the dough around – eventually, you'll have a sexy ball of dough.
7. first rise: smear butter around the large bowl you have for this purpose and place dough ball the middle. you should at least drape a towel over the bowl but you want the bowl covered in a somewhat air tight manner - some folks use plastic wrap but i for one hate plastic wrap - it is the most annoying and wasteful kitchen product ever conceived. my alternative is to drape a towel over the bowl and then stretch a plastic shopping bag over it. you should check your dough in 30 minutes - so, make sure that you'll be reminded. you can let your oven rest now, if the kitchen feels warm enough, and let the dough rise in this warm place in the kitchen.
8. prep your other room: ready your bannetons and/or pans - i'll often sift white wheat or rye flour onto the the cheesecloth and canvas. all purpose flour i'll coat any metal pan with. make sure you have enough towels to cover everything
9. check the dough: the dough needs to double and this could could happen just 30 minutes into the first rise. do not let it rise beyond double it's bulk - the yeast shouldn't expend this much energy yet, we still got a ways to go until their ultimate doom. over risen dough can be corrected in your continuing method, you'll have to be crafty. the only way to test if the dough has risen enough is by depressing the top-middle of the risen dough ball with two of your fingers – did you see the impression of your fingers remain on the doughs surface for at least 5 seconds? – good, you're golden! did your dough deflate? - that sucks, but you've gone this far, press onward and see what happens
10. deflating: punching down dough creates a different texture than folding over dough, i prefer the latter. when you fold the dough, gases release in certain ways that will give you a larger crumb
11. divide dough: turn dough onto your floured surface and briefly knead. cut the dough into whatever divisions you like. with this recipe, i'll usually cut it into four equal blobs.
12. shaping: be patient - there's no need to blow through all the loaves in record time. shaping dough is like origami, it's about flattening and folding over and over again - each style of loaf will require a different attack. i can't type decent direction, shaping dough is something i didn't understand until seeing someone in action. lucky for you, the internets are here. youtube has a wealth of visual data ready for you to stream. i suggest watching the following videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCDtV86H1Ps and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STtFnRbmQ7E. be sure to pinch your seam closed. a nice round loaf will feel as if you can pick it up like a water balloon.
13. proofing: when using metal pans, the shaped dough can proof in the pan it will bake in. if using bannetons, place dough with seam side up as this will be the side that will make contact with your stone. i suggest that only towels be used to cover - if you dare use plastic wrap at this step, be sure to oil the side that will come in contact with the dough - if the plastic wrap touches the dough without oil, well then, you should convert your efforts over to making tortillas. the time needed to proof will always vary, this recipe can proof very quickly. check the loaves 30 minutes into proof - they do not need to double - the last stage of proofing occurs when the bread bakes.
14. prep the oven: get the oven going again and aim for a temperature no less than 325ºF. preheat your stone at this time and have a pan positioned on the bottom of the oven for water
15. finishing touches: once your loaves are well along in the proofing you have a few options before they go into the oven. slashing is considered critical - this allows the loaf to expand - use a short and sharp blade - i have a pocket knife that suites this purpose - some folks get real anal and use razor blades but that's a bit excessive for my tastes. fat round loaves can use a cross a the top, baguettes can use diagonal slashes about ever 4 inches down however long you made them. not slashing can create other desired qualities in the final product such as a random burst or crispy air pockets. it all depends on what you're going for. you can now sprinkle a little bit of flour over the loaves or apply a wash - wash is basically a watered down solution consisting of something like egg, honey or salt - brush it on or drizzle it.
16. transferring loaves: if you're in a pan already, you have a simple task here. if you're going from banneton to stone, you must be careful - this is where a peel comes in handy. i haven't obtained one yet and what i've been doing is cradling the loaf by hand - try not to plop them over, you risk deflating the loaf. toss some water in the bottom of the oven and shut her tight.
17. baking: if you've preheated to about 350ºF, you should steadily bake your bread for about 20-25 minutes. baking at a higher temperature (450ºF - 500ºF) for the first 10 minutes will toughen up the crust, lower it to about 325ºF for the remain time it needs to bake. you can tell when baking is done if you can lift the bread up and flick the bottom to hear a hollow sound – the internal temp should be, i dunno, up to 200ºF i'm guessing, never checked – the crust should be golden
18. cooling: allow one hour to cool on wire rack, you can drape a towel over the loaves if you like.
hope that worked out - use a serrated knife if you can rather than ripping apart your precious creations in a heathenish rampage. without applying any pressure, just saw through the middle. store your bread in plastic bags if you intend to keep it for a few days. wrap loafs airtight with plastic if you want to store in a freezer.
now, here's a brief evolution in pictures i've had in one month of constant baking experiments
these are some of the first loaves i ever pulled off, obvious issues in the shaping and general baking - they both have an egg wash and on the left is rosemary. using a similar recipe i eventually got to what you see below
this is a generically acceptable baguette - the crumb was rather tight due to my misinformed handling after the first rise - it had a great shape and even texture - major differences in this batch's recipe was the addition of sea salt and raw honey in place of sugar
now here's a fun accident - this is what happens if you over proof your dough - what looked like a perfect shape deflates in the oven - not a total disaster however - it somehow achieved a faux-sourdough taste and made a fantastic couple of sandwiches when sliced through the side. the crumb (below) remained open enough to keep springy and didn't become obnoxiously chewy.
here's when things starting making sense, obviously, and not only in the bread baking but also in my photo documentation. using the method i've disclosed one can achieve these results. here a crumb shot...
still working toward more air - i really should get a sourdough starter going before winter sets in
these are baguettes made using a similar formula as the round loaves above - the crust had a nice crunch, the crumb was closer to what i dream of - i started loosening up on my pretensions of shape, allowing the loaves to take on a form of their own
by kevin walsh, 2010
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