So this year for Christmas neighbor gifts I am making small artisan bread loaves and giving those out with garlic bread seasoning. I've tried a few different recipes/methods of artisan bread and I liked this one the best for making in bulk. I also really like the baking in a dutch oven method, but that would take too long to bake individual loaves in this case.
These instructions are straight from Peter Reinhart's book "Artisan Breads Every Day" and I just took them from npr.org, which had so kindly reprinted them online for me so I didn't have to type them up. It looks like a long and complicated process, but it really isn't. It just takes a couple tries to get the method down and then it's so easy peasy! And I really love the bread because it reminds me of European bread--a hard, crispy crust with a soft, airy inside. The kids aren't the biggest fans because the crust is crispy but Steve and I both really like it. This goes so well with soups and salads and basically anything that goes well with Euro bread!
PETER REINHART'S CLASSIC FRENCH BREAD
Makes 2 large loaves, 4 small loaves, or many rolls.
5-1/3 cups (24 oz / 680 g) unbleached bread flour
2 teaspoons (0.5 oz / 14 g) salt, or 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
2-1/4 teaspoons (0.25 oz / 7 g) instant yeast
2 cups (16 oz / 454 g) lukewarm water (about 95°F or 35°C)
Do Ahead
Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed for 1 minute. If mixing by hand, use a large spoon and stir for 1 minute, until well blended and smooth. If the spoon gets too doughy, dip it in a bowl of warm water. The dough should form a coarse shaggy ball. Let it rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium-low speed for 2 minutes or knead by hand for about 2 minutes, adjusting with flour or water as needed. The dough should be smooth, supple, and tacky but not sticky.
Whichever mixing method you use, knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured work surface for about 1 minute more, then transfer it to a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then immediately refrigerate overnight or for up to 4 days. If the dough feels too wet and sticky, do not add more flour; instead, stretch and fold it one or more times at 10-minute intervals, as shown on page 18, before putting it in the refrigerator. (If you plan to bake the dough in batches over different days, you can portion the dough and place it into two or more oiled bowls at this stage.)
On Baking Day
Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 2 hours before you plan to bake. Gently transfer it to a lightly floured work surface, taking care to degas it as little as possible. For baguettes and batards, divide the cold dough into 10-ounce (283 g) pieces; for 1 pound boules, divide the dough into 19-ounce (53 g) pieces; and for freestanding loaves, use whatever size you prefer.
Form the dough into batards and/or baguettes (see pages 21 and 22) or boules (see page 20). Mist the top of the dough with spray oil, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and proof at room temperature for about 1-1/2 hours, until increased to 1-1/2 times its original size.
About 45 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 550°F (288°C) or as high as it will go, and prepare the oven for hearth baking (see page 30).
Remove the plastic wrap from the dough 15 minutes prior to baking; if using proofing molds, transfer the dough onto a floured peel.
Just prior to baking, score the dough 1/2 inch deep with a serrated knife or razor. ( I like to do one long slash lengthwise) Transfer the dough to the oven, pour 1 cup of hot water into the steam pan, then lower the oven temperature to 450°F (232°C). (Cover the oven door window with a towel while you do this or the water could potentially spill on the glass and crack it.)
Bake for 12 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 15 to 25 minutes, until the crust is a rich golden brown, the loaves sound hollow when thumped, and the internal temperature is about 200°F (93°C) in the center. For a crisper crust, turn off the oven and leave the bread in for another 5 minutes before removing.
Cool the bread on a wire rack for at least 45 minutes before slicing or serving.
Variation:
By simply varying the method so that the shaped loaves undergo cold fermentation, rather than the freshly mixed bulk dough, you can create a spectacular loaf with a distinctive blistered crust. After the dough is mixed and placed in a clean, oiled bowl, let it rise at room temperature for about 90 minutes, until doubled in size. Divide and shape as described above, mist with spray oil, then cover the shaped dough loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight, away from anything that might fall on it or restrict it from growing.
The next day, remove the dough from the refrigerator 1 hour before baking. It should have grown to at least 1-1/2 times its original size. Prepare the oven for hearth baking, as described on page 30. While the oven is heating, remove the plastic wrap and let the dough sit uncovered for 10 minutes. Score the dough while it's still cold, then bake as described above.
* I form this bread into 4 small "batards" usually. Here is what Peter Reinhart says about that:
To shape a classic batard, gently pat the risen dough into a thick rectangle. Fold the bottom half to the center and press with your fingertips to hold the dough in place and seal the seam. Fold the top half to the center, and once again press with your fingertips to seal the seam. Roll the top half of the dough over the seam to create a new seam on the bottom of the loaf. Pinch the new seam closed with your fingertips or the edge of your hand to create surface tension on the outer skin, making a tight loaf. Gently rock the loaf back and forth to extend it to the desired length, typically 6 to 12 inches. To create a torpedo shape, taper the loaf slightly at each end with increased hand pressure while rocking the loaf. Transfer the shaped loaf to a floured proofing cloth or an oiled pan, seam side down, cover and proof.
(It's hard to follow this without pictures, so you can find videos on youtube showing you how to do this.)
No comments:
Post a Comment