A Bread A Day

Week Twenty-Seven: Try It Again; This Time With Feeling.

You may recall last week’s variations on a theme, entitled “Same Dough, Different Methods”.  Well, there was one variation I didn’t try: the sourdough starter method.  I didn’t try it because I decided it was too far out of the realm of “same dough”-ness to really count.  I tried to keep the ingredients as identical as possible, and this variation seemed a bit too fussy for all that.

This is not to say that this is a fussy bread, exactly; quite the opposite, in fact, assuming you have a sourdough starter on hand.  I’ve used the recipe for the starter that I originally made back in March (the original one finally bit the dust, but I’ve got Number Two going strong).  If you make bread with any frequency, you may like to keep a starter on hand in the refrigerator.  They’re very low-maintenance, and it’s a quick and simple way to add extra flavor and keeping ability to any bread!

The starter I used has a 100% hydration level, which means there’s an equal amount by weight of flour and water.  If you have another starter, you may need to adjust the levels of flour and water in the final dough for this bread.  But I highly recommend you try it; there’s hardly a better and easier way to get maximum flavor with little time involved!

Like many of the breads from last week, this loaf baked into a beautifully golden-brown loaf, with plenty of oven spring, making for a very pretty bread.  The texture was lovely and properly chewy, with an even arrangement of gorgeously big air holes in the crumb, more so than many of the other variations.  There was a slight sourdough tang to the flavor, but only barely.  The complex flavors of a long-fermenting dough were there in spades, and combined into a well-balanced overall flavor with the notes of sourdough.

But the most fun part, after I made this bread, was tasting.  Yes, I saved one slice from every variation loaf that I baked, choosing randomly from the middle of the loaf every time.  Labeled and frozen, I’d been looking forward to comparing each to each for almost two weeks.  We mixed up a batch of tuna salad, and set out a plate of dipping oil, while waiting for the slices to toast under the broiler.  (You may notice that a couple got a little overdone.)

from left to right: straight dough, autolyse, overnight ferment, overnight proof, pre-ferment, long rise, and sourdough.

All of the breads were what I’d call acceptable.  There wasn’t a bad one in the lot, but the two “losers” of the bunch were the Overnight Proof bread and the Straight Dough bread.  But there was one clear winner: the Long Rise bread.  Hands down, no question.  The flavor was so amazingly complex, especially compared to the others!  It had such a perfectly chewy texture, not too tough, but with a pleasing resistance to being bitten and pulled apart.  Great job, bread!

The second place winners, if I had to choose, would be a three-way tie between the Autolyse bread, the Overnight Ferment bread, and the Sourdough bread.  All had similar levels of complexity in the flavor, similarly nice textures and crisp crusts, but shared the distinct advantage of not taking seven hours to make.  You won’t go wrong with any of those, and all passed muster with my (now) very discriminating bread-palate.  The Pre-Ferment bread was also very good, and is a good substitute if you just can’t be bothered with a sourdough starter; but I’m not convinced that the time involved was worth the wait.  I think the flavor of the Autolyse bread was just as good, and took less time.  The sourdough starter bread, though, had that fabulous tang to it that you just can’t get in less time, which is why it edged out the win.

I really enjoyed getting to experiment with all these different methods!  It was quite cool to finally see and taste for myself all those things that I had previously only learned on paper.  And so, in the end, if you have literally all day to devote to breadmaking, I highly recommend cutting the yeast in your favorite recipes, and letting time do most of the work for you.  If not, there’s still no better trick to have up your sleeve than an autolyse.  Fast, easy, and it works wonders with any recipe.  Try it for yourself, and happy baking!

The Sourdough Method
Makes 1 big loaf

19 ounces (about 4 cups) unbleached bread flour, divided
3/4 teaspoons instant yeast (see note 1 below)
7 1/2 ounces (1 cup minus 2 tablespoons) room temperature water
3/4 cup sourdough starter, from this recipe
1 teaspoon kosher salt

1.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together all but a handful of the flour and all the yeast.  Add the water and starter, and mix with the dough hook at low speed until a rough dough forms, about 1 minute.  Turn the mixer off, and without removing the bowl or the hook, cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap.  Let stand for at least 15 to 20 minutes, or up to 45 minutes.

2.  Remove the plastic wrap, and add the salt.  Continue kneading the dough, at medium-low speed.  Knead for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the dough forms a cohesive ball that clears the sides of the bowl, and becomes elastic.  If the dough does not clear the sides of the bowl, add the reserved flour until the proper consistency is achieved.  The dough should not be stiff.

3.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead a few times, forming the dough into a round ball with a skin stretching over the outside.  Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, smooth side up.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

4.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Gently deflate the dough, and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.  Flatten the dough into a slight rectangle or oval shape.  Fold the two corners furthest away from you into the center of the dough, as though you were beginning to fold a paper airplane.  Starting with that point, roll the dough up into a cylinder, pressing gently to seal as you roll.  Press the final seam to seal.  Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, seam-side down.  Tuck the ends under if desired, to make a more attractive loaf.  Cover loosely with lightly-oiled plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.  Thirty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 425º F, and place another baking sheet or oven-safe pan in the bottom of the oven.  If you have a baking stone, heat it with the oven.  If not, your baking sheet is fine.

5.  When fully risen, and using a sharp serrated knife or clean razor blade, make three decisive slashes in the top of the loaf at a 45º angle, evenly spaced.  Transfer the bread to the oven (or baking stone, if using).  Immediately throw 4 or 5 ice cubes into the hot pan on the oven floor.  Bake for 10 minutes, adding additional ice cubes as they melt.

6.  After 10 minutes, remove the ice-cube-pan from the oven, and bake the loaf for an additional 15 to 25 minutes, or until deeply golden brown.  Remove the bread to a wire rack to cool before slicing.

Notes:
1.  If using active-dry yeast, your water should be a bit cooler, around 105º F to 115º F.  Instead of mixing the active-dry yeast into the flour, you should dissolve all of it in a little of the warm water, in the mixing bowl.  Let stand for about 5 minutes, or until foamy.  Add the remaining ingredients, and proceed as directed.

Week Twenty-Seven: Try It Again; This Time With Feeling.

Well, it’s that time again: I’ve gotten through another three months.  That’s right, Faithful Readers, it’s the halfway point!  Woo!  Six months down, six months to go!

*confetti*

So this means that this week, like the final week of the first quarter of the year, I’m devoting my time to re-doing all those breads that didn’t quite turn out right the first time around.  For those of you just joining in, I’ll explain.  You may have noticed that one of my rules for this year was to make a different recipe of bread each day.  That  is all well and good; except that it doesn’t give me the chance to address or correct any mistakes.  It also means, unfortunately, that if there was a particularly enjoyable bread, I have to wait until at least January 1st to taste it again!  (And I think we all know how much cooking anyone does that day, assuming the night before goes according to plan, am I right?)

So, to kick things off this week, I’m giving fougasse another try.  You may have noticed a dirty little trick I used in that post; writing mainly about the history of the bread, and not a whole lot about the flavor of that particular end product.  Yes, I’m afraid that was because it didn’t turn out terribly well.  It was rather dry and crumbly, not at all what I had such high hopes for.

Of course, that may also have been the result of me not getting to taste it until the morning after it was baked, generally a big faux pas for fougasse.  Fougasse, originally, were created as a way of checking the temperature of an oven.  They were essentially the smallest bits of dough you could bake while not wasting any, and still ending up with something to serve at dinner.  Being by nature so quick to bake, they also dry out quickly; you will most always find, somewhere in the recipe, an admonition to eat fougasse the same day it’s made.

So I confess, I didn’t taste my fougasse until 12 to 16 hours after it was baked, during which time it certainly dried out.  But even still, I think it was probably on the dry side from the minute it came out of the oven.  What a waste of delicious cheese, pistachios, and orange flower water!  This time around, I decided to use a more humble, but still quite authentically Provençal, flavoring: oil-cured olives.

I don’t know if you’re familiar with oil-cured olives, but I just love them.  They look a bit like giant raisins, all shriveled up.  But oh, man! do they pack a punch!  I find them much to strong to eat out of hand; but chopped up, I can find a million uses for them.  If you like some giant flavors (think caramelized onions, crushed red pepper, anchovies, etc.), you’re sure to love these.  Here, though, I’ve used a restrained hand with them, using just enough to get little punches of concentrated olive flavor throughout the bread, but not enough to overwhelm.

And this time, I did well.  I’m quite proud of these fougasse (fougasses?)! 

Like the first time around, this dough uses a starter, which lends a greater complexity of flavor, but also makes the dough easier to work with while shaping.  The shaping is deceptively simple to achieve – just flatten, cut, and pull, how easy is that!? – but every little bit helps.  And remember, if the dough starts to resist being shaped, just cover it and give it a 10 minute nap!

The crumb this time is a bit short, from the olive oil, meaning that you won’t find a chewy, artisinal bread (with long gluten, get it?) here; it’s more akin to certain pizza crusts in texture.  The hits of salty olive in the dough is nicely enhanced with a light dusting of salt on top, and gives everything just enough flavor.  And so pretty, too!  Could you even imagine a prettier centerpiece for a special meal?  I’m calling this one a firm success.  And I think this version might just go in my permanent recipe file!

the streaks on the dough are from lazily drizzling on the olive oil; it's best to brush it on gently!

Cured-Olive Fougasse
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine
Makes 2 loaves

For starter:
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast (see note 1 below)
2 1/4 ounces (1/2 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup moderately hot water (120º to 130° F)

For dough:
1 tablespoon honey
2/3 cup warm water (100º to 110º F)
2 teaspoons orange-flower water (optional)
1/3 cup olive oil, plus extra for brushing on shaped dough
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus extra for finishing
15 ounces (about 3 1/4 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted and chopped finely

1.  To make starter, whisk together flour and yeast in bowl of mixer.  Add water, and whisk until mixture is smooth.  Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 8 hours.  If refrigerated, let come to room temperature 20 minutes before proceeding.

2.  To make dough, stir the honey into the warm water until dissolved.   Add that mixture, the orange-flower water, olive oil, and half of the flour to the starter in the mixer bowl.  Using the dough hook at low speed, mix until smooth, about 1 minute.  Add all but 1 ounce (1/4 cup) of the remaining flour, and knead at low speed until a soft dough forms.  Increase the speed to medium-low, and knead until smooth and elastic, and the dough forms a cohesive ball that pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 5 minutes.  Add the remaining flour as needed to achieve the proper consistency.

3.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead a few times, sprinkling the work surface lightly with flour if dough is very sticky, forming dough into a ball with a skin stretched around the outside.  Transfer the dough, smooth side up, to a large, lightly oiled bowl, turning dough to coat all sides with oil.  Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

4.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.  Gently deflate, and press the dough into a round about 10 inches across, or as big as the dough will allow.  Don’t force it; stop if the dough starts to resist.  Sprinkle the olives across the surface of the dough, and fold the sides in to cover the olives.  Knead gently until the olives are evenly integrated throughout the dough (some may fall out, just press them back in).  Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest 15 minutes.

5.  Lightly oil two baking sheets, or line with parchment paper.  Divide the dough into two equal pieces.  Press or roll each half out to an oval about 12 inches long and 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.  If the dough starts to resist, cover loosely, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before trying again.  Carefully transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheets, one loaf per sheet.

6.  Using a sharp knife or a bench scraper, make a cut down center of each oval, being sure to cut all the way through, and leaving a 1 inch border on each end of the cut.  Make 3 shorter diagonal cuts on each side of the first cut, leaving a 1-inch border on each end of the cuts.  The result is meant to look like the veins of a leaf; do not connect the cuts.  Using your fingers, gently stretch the dough and pull the cuts apart to form holes about 1 1/2 inches across.  Let the shaped loaves rest, uncovered, until slightly risen, about 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 375° F.

7.  Gently brush the loaves with olive oil, being careful not to deflate, and sprinkle lightly with additional kosher salt.  Bake at 375º F for 20 minutes, then switch the positions of the baking sheets and rotate 180º, to ensure even baking.  Continue baking for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on bottom.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Notes:
1.  If using active-dry yeast, increase the amount to 2 teaspoons.  Additionally, your water should be a bit cooler, at 105º to 115º F.

2.  Fougasse are best served the day they’re made; but that’s not an option, or if you can’t finish it all, you can freeze them, wrapped tightly.  Thaw in a 350º oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until warmed through.

3.  The orange flower water is optional, but it lends a nice note if you have some around.  If you don’t, you could substitute orange juice or additional water instead.

Week Twenty-Six: Same Dough, Different Method

[Oh my gosh, you guys!  I forgot to post this!  It was all written, and I totally forgot to hit the “publish” button!  Sorry sorry sorry!]

The last variation of the week draws inspiration from that wonder of the baking world, Jim Lahey’s No-Knead Bread.  The principle there is that time does practically all of the work for you, stretching the gluten out slowly instead of having to knead it at all.  It also gives the yeast time to produce as much lactic and acetic acid as possible, which vastly improves the flavor and keeping qualities of the bread.

Knowing that time is one of the most important ingredients in the best breads, I decided to give my dough as much time as I could manage in a day.  In order to do that, I needed to reduce the amount of yeast I used.

A quick word about yeast: those little guys will keep on growing and multiplying as long as the temperature stays within a certain range (not too cold or too hot), and as long as they have food.  That means that even a few grains of yeast will leaven all the dough in the world, given enough time.

Thinking logically, if x amount of yeast leavens the dough in 1 hour, then to leaven the same dough in twice as much time, 2 hours, you would need to halve the amount of yeast.  Less yeast, more time.  So to leaven my dough in 4 hours would require x/4 amount of yeast, or 3/8 teaspoon in this case.  But would it really be that simple?  There was only one way to find out!

Yes, it was really that simple, she said, doing away with any suspense.  In fact, it was spot-on.  In four hours, my dough was perfectly risen, and actually smelling quite delicious.  But unlike a typical straight-dough method, where the first and second rises take the same length of time, this time the second rise took less time than the first, as the yeast had multiplied by then, and needed less time to produce the same leavening.

But the real test came in the tasting.  And boy, was it worth the wait!  This was definitely the winning variation!  The texture was just perfect, soft and supple, while still being appropriately chewy.  The crust was thin and crisp, and was a beautiful golden color.  And the flavor!  So delicious!  The autolyse method had produced the most complex flavors so far, but this blew that away.  It wasn’t more sourdough-y, as I thought it might be, nor was it more robust, it was simply better.  It was really, really excellent!

You can absolutely use this method to adapt any bread recipe, which will surely improve the flavor and texture of your favorite loaf.  One caveat with trying it, though, is that your dough should not be fully kneaded, as the gluten continues to develop throughout the long rise.  If you knead what might otherwise be a proper amount, the gluten will eventually stretch out too much, and snap like a rubber band, resulting in a dense and tough bread.  Also, reduce the amount of flour slightly, as a wetter dough will produce a much better result.

So ends an exciting week in bread!  I’ve really enjoyed getting to know my methods better, and seeing exactly what they all do in my dough.  For me, I can read pontifications on the subject from now until doomsday, but it doesn’t really hit home until I can actually taste the difference for myself.  In the end, the best way to get as much flavor as possible from your four simple ingredients is to just give them time, either through a short autolyse, or with a long rise, if you can.  A combination of the two would probably work miracles, healing the lame, turning water into wine, and all that.  Here’s hoping you’ve learned as much as I have this week, and can start utilizing some of these methods to improve your own bread!  Happy baking!

The Long Rise Method
Makes 1 big loaf

18 ounces (a scant 4 cups) unbleached bread flour
3/8 teaspoon instant yeast, divided (see note 1 below)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups hot water (115º to 130º F)

1.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together all but a handful of the flour and all of the yeast.  Whisk in the salt.  Add the water and mix with the dough hook at low speed until a rough dough forms.  Scrape the bowl if needed, and increase the speed to medium-low and knead for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the dough forms a cohesive ball, and becomes slightly elastic.  This dough should be a bit under-kneaded.  If the dough does not form a ball, add the reserved flour until the proper consistency is achieved.  The dough should be rather slack.

2.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead a few times, forming the dough into a round ball with a skin stretching over the outside.  Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, smooth side up.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 3 to 4 hours.

3.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Gently deflate the dough, and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.  Flatten the dough into a slight rectangle or oval shape.  Fold the two corners furthest away from you into the center of the dough, as though you were beginning to fold a paper airplane.  Starting with that point, roll the dough up into a cylinder, pressing gently to seal as you roll.  Press the final seam to seal.  Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, seam-side down.  Tuck the ends under if desired, to make a more attractive loaf.  Cover loosely with lightly-oiled plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  Thirty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 425º F, and place another baking sheet or oven-safe pan in the bottom of the oven.  If you have a baking stone, heat it with the oven.  If not, your baking sheet is fine.

4.  When fully risen, and using a sharp serrated knife or clean razor blade, make three decisive slashes in the top of the loaf at a 45º angle, evenly spaced.  Transfer the bread to the oven (or baking stone, if using).  Immediately throw 4 or 5 ice cubes into the hot pan on the oven floor.  Bake for 10 minutes, adding additional ice cubes as they melt.

5.  After 10 minutes, remove the ice-cube-pan from the oven, and bake the loaf for an additional 15 to 25 minutes, or until deeply golden brown.  Remove the bread to a wire rack to cool before slicing. 

Notes:
1.  If using active-dry yeast, you should increase the amount to 1/2 teaspoon, and your water should be a bit cooler, around 105º F to 115º F.  Instead of mixing the active-dry yeast into the flour, you should dissolve all of it in a little of the warm water, in the mixing bowl.  Let stand for about 5 minutes, or until foamy.  Add the flour and salt, and proceed as directed.

Week Twenty-Six: Same Dough, Different Method

You all remember what a pre-ferment is, right?  Well, for those of you who can’t be bothered  to click on links, a pre-ferment is what you get when you ferment some of your ingredients for a long time before mixing all the ingredients into the final dough.  Yes, it’s just that easy; but, of course, being so easy, there’s nearly infinite variations.  Here goes.

A pre-ferment, also known in the vernacular as a “starter”, can vary wildly in hydration level, from as low as around 50% (twice as much flour as water, by weight), to well over 100% (equal amounts of flour and water, by weight); but generally, a pre-ferment is wetter than the final dough will be.  Oh, and that little “by weight” bit is important; remember that a cup of flour and a cup of water do not weigh the same!

So although the hydration level of your starter can vary, that level isn’t really important to the success or failure of your finished dough.  What is important in the finished dough is how much flour and water you add to that pre-ferment.  This is why it’s important to have either a good recipe, or a good eye for dough consistency, or best of all, both.

You can use this method with practically any bread recipe (take some of the flour, mix with some of the water, add a pinch of the yeast, let sit, etc.); but often, you won’t be able to add all of the flour that the original recipe called for.  This is because the portion of the flour used for the pre-ferment has soaked up much more liquid, sitting so long, than it would have if you just made a straight dough with the ingredients.  In turn, this means that there is less moisture available to hydrate the remaining flour.  Are you still with me?

Also, a pre-ferment is not an autolyse.  Remember, an autolyse (ideally, anyway) uses no yeast; a pre-ferment does.  The actual chemical changes taking place are similar, as a type of fermentation is actually taking place in both; but in a pre-ferment, the yeast begin to act, creating lactic and acetic acids, those crucial dough conditioners that strengthen your gluten and improve the flavor of your bread.  In an autolyse, the carbohydrates begin to break down into sugars, and the proteins begin the process of forming gluten.

But technicalities aside, how does it taste?  Well, if I’m honest, I’m a bit on the fence with this one.  So far, the winner this week has been the bread that used the autolyse method: that dough was soft and supple, it rose gorgeously, had a delightful oven-spring (how much it rises in the oven), the crust was a picture-perfect golden brown, and those air holes in the crumb were ideal.  And the taste was pretty spot on, nicely complex and tasting like bread ought.

This bread, however, the bread for today, was even more complex in flavor than that.  It had the faintest hint of a sourdough flavor, but only so slightly; otherwise, it was deep and – dare I use this word again? – complex.  Apologies, but there’s no other way I can think to say it!  It doesn’t taste of anything but bread, except it just tastes better.  So this bread edges out the autolyse in the “flavor” category.  Win!

As for texture, though, I was rather disappointed by the way the shaped and unbaked loaf deflated when I slashed it.  There was a reassuring amount of oven-spring; but the slight density of the crumb after baking remained as a finger-pointing reminder.  Perhaps I over-kneaded the dough, over-developing the gluten at first, causing the structure to collapse at the end?  That, to me, seems the most likely culprit; I’m sure I didn’t let it over-rise, or any other of the usual suspects involved in a dense bread.

The crust ended up perhaps a touch paler than I’d like to see ideally, but it was so beautifully crisp and thin that I’m willing to overlook that.  The interior was wonderfully chewy, and neither the crumb nor the crust was at all tough.  All in all, it didn’t turn out badly by any stretch of the imagination, pretty well, in fact; but I was expecting something a bit more airy, a bit more swiss-cheese, if you will.  With proper dough handling, I think this variation could be the winner.

So, to sum up, a pre-ferment is a great way to get as much flavor as possible out of your humble ingredients.  Just be careful not to over-knead when mixing the final dough (long and technical story short; though I can certainly explain if anyone really has a burning desire to know), lest your dough turn into a flat tire at the last second.  (There’s very little that’s quite as disappointing as watching all your time and effort literally dissipate into thin air!)  Yes, a pre-ferment takes a load of time; but that’s what the best breads are made of, and there’s just no replacing it!

The Pre-Ferment Method
Makes 1 big loaf

19 ounces (about 4 cups) unbleached bread flour, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast (see note 1 below), divided
1 1/2 cups room temperature water, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt

1.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together 6 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) of the flour and 1/8 teaspoon of the yeast.  Add 6 ounces of the water and whisk until smooth.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature for at least 6 and up to 10 hours.

2.  Remove the plastic wrap.  Add the remaining yeast, water, and all but a handful (about 1/2 cup) of the remaining flour.  Add the salt.  Using the dough hook, mix at low speed until a rough dough forms, about 1 minute.  Increase the speed to medium-low, and continue kneading for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the dough forms a cohesive ball that clears the sides of the bowl, and becomes elastic.  If the dough does not clear the sides of the bowl, add the reserved flour until the proper consistency is achieved.  The dough should not be stiff.  Take care not to over-knead.

3.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead a few times, forming the dough into a round ball with a skin stretching over the outside.  Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, smooth side up.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

4.  Let the dough stand at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour before proceeding.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Gently deflate the dough, and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.  Flatten the dough into a slight rectangle or oval shape.  Fold the two corners furthest away from you into the center of the dough, as though you were beginning to fold a paper airplane.  Starting with that point, roll the dough up into a cylinder, pressing gently to seal as you roll.  Press the final seam to seal.  Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, seam-side down.  Tuck the ends under if desired, to make a more attractive loaf.  Cover loosely with lightly-oiled plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.  Thirty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 425º F, and place another baking sheet or oven-safe pan in the bottom of the oven.  If you have a baking stone, heat it with the oven.  If not, your baking sheet is fine.

5.  When fully risen, and using a sharp serrated knife or clean razor blade, make three decisive slashes in the top of the loaf at a 45º angle, evenly spaced.  Transfer the bread to the oven (or baking stone, if using).  Immediately throw 4 or 5 ice cubes into the hot pan on the oven floor.  Bake for 10 minutes, adding additional ice cubes as they melt.

6.  After 10 minutes, remove the ice-cube-pan from the oven, and bake the loaf for an additional 15 to 25 minutes, or until deeply golden brown.  Remove the bread to a wire rack to cool before slicing.

Notes:
1.  If using active-dry yeast, your water should be a bit cooler, around 105º F to 115º F.  Instead of mixing the active-dry yeast into the flour, you should dissolve all of it in a little of the warm water, in the mixing bowl.  Let stand for about 5 minutes, or until foamy.  Add the flour and salt, and proceed as directed.

2.  If you would like the starter to be ready a little sooner, increase the amount of yeast to 1/4 teaspoon.  Let rest as directed, but it should be ready to use after about 3 or 4 hours.

3.  On the other hand, if you’d like a little more time out of your pre-ferment, make it as directed, then refrigerate it, covered, after letting it sit for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature (giving the yeast time to activate).  It can be refrigerated for up to 2 days; let stand at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes before proceeding as directed in the recipe.

Week Twenty-Six: Same Dough, Different Method

Now this bread right here, the one pictured right above this line, this is why I’m doing all these variations.  Yesterday, I experimented with fermenting (aka: the first rise) the dough overnight in the refrigerator.  Today, I tried proofing the dough overnight in the refrigerator.  What’s the difference, you ask?

Well, the same chemical processes are taking place in both fermentation and proofing: yeast multiplies, converting carbohydrates into alcohol, carbon dioxide, and acids.  The network of gluten holds in gases, and the bread becomes leavened, or risen, in both stages.  But fermentation takes place before the bread is shaped, and proofing takes place afterwards.  Yes, that’s the only difference.  So what’s the point of this experiment?  How much difference could there possibly be? 

Plenty!  Yesterday’s bread, with an autolyse and a refrigerated overnight ferment, came out pretty much exactly like the bread from the day before, the one with an autolyse and a 1 hour room-temperature ferment.  Today’s bread, however, which used an autolyse and a refrigerated overnight proof, waaaaaas rubbish!

Okay, maybe “rubbish” is a bit harsh.  But this bread was definitely sub-par!  Perhaps the gluten became overdeveloped by sitting so long, because the oven-spring (how much the loaf rises in the oven) was minimal, as you can tell from the above picture.  The slashes are flat and even with the rest of the crust, see?  Now look at the picture of the bread from yesterday.  That’s a big difference!  And can you tell how squat and flat this bread is?

As you might have guessed from the lack of oven-spring, the crumb was a bit dense.  There were a few big air pockets, but overall, it was much less airy than the previous three variations.  The flavor was basically good, if a little sour (as all long-rising breads tend to be; it’s not necessarily a bad thing); but the texture was overly chewy, and the crust was somehow crisp and tough.

Not to mention that while the bread sat at room temperature after its chilly proof, just before baking, it developed a monster air bubble on one side, like a giant tumor.  It deflated like a flat tire when I slashed the bread, making the loaf lopsided, and looking a bit sad.  This particular part of the crust also bears the distinct and dubious honor of marking the first time I’ve ever cut myself on bread crust.  This was not a little puncture (which I’ve done before, tearing apart a slightly stale and particularly crusty bread), but a legitimate cut.  What the heck, bread?  What’d I ever do to you?

Oh, right – I let you proof in the fridge overnight.  I’m sorry, bread.  I promise never to do it again.  Unless, that is, explicitly instructed to by Nancy Silverton, or those of her ilk.  Otherwise, I pledge to autolyse as often as possible, ferment in the fridge if necessary, but never proof in the fridge!  Friends?  Okay!

The Overnight Proof Method
Makes 1 big loaf

19 ounces (about 4 cups) unbleached bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast (see note 1 below)
1 1/2 cups hot water (115º to 130º F)
1 teaspoon kosher salt

1.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together all but a handful of the flour and all the yeast.  Add the water and mix with the dough hook at low speed until a rough dough forms, about 1 minute.  Turn the mixer off, and without removing the bowl or the hook, cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap.  Let stand for at least 15 to 20 minutes, or up to 45 minutes.

2.  Remove the plastic wrap, and add the salt.  Continue kneading the dough, at medium-low speed.  Knead for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the dough forms a cohesive ball that clears the sides of the bowl, and becomes elastic.  If the dough does not clear the sides of the bowl, add the reserved flour until the proper consistency is achieved.  The dough should not be stiff.

3.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead a few times, forming the dough into a round ball with a skin stretching over the outside.  Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, smooth side up.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

4.  Let the dough stand at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour before proceeding.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Gently deflate the dough, and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.  Flatten the dough into a slight rectangle or oval shape.  Fold the two corners furthest away from you into the center of the dough, as though you were beginning to fold a paper airplane.  Starting with that point, roll the dough up into a cylinder, pressing gently to seal as you roll.  Press the final seam to seal.  Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, seam-side down.  Tuck the ends under if desired, to make a more attractive loaf.  Cover loosely but thoroughly with lightly-oiled plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight, or for 8 hours.

5.  Remove dough from refrigerator, loosen plastic wrap if needed, and let stand at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 425º F, and place another baking sheet or oven-safe pan in the bottom of the oven.  If you have a baking stone, heat it with the oven.  If not, your baking sheet is fine.

6.  Using a sharp serrated knife or clean razor blade, make three decisive slashes in the top of the loaf at a 45º angle, evenly spaced.  Transfer the bread to the oven (or baking stone, if using).  Immediately throw 4 or 5 ice cubes into the hot pan on the oven floor.  Bake for 10 minutes, adding additional ice cubes as they melt.

7.  After 10 minutes, remove the ice-cube-pan from the oven, and bake the loaf for an additional 15 to 25 minutes, or until deeply golden brown.  Remove the bread to a wire rack to cool before slicing. 

Notes:
1.  If using active-dry yeast, your water should be a bit cooler, around 105º F to 115º F.  Instead of mixing the active-dry yeast into the flour, you should dissolve all of it in a little of the warm water, in the mixing bowl.  Let stand for about 5 minutes, or until foamy.  Add the flour and salt, and proceed as directed.

2.  In case it wasn’t made clear, I do not reccommend this method; unless you have a very good reason for doing so.