Pain À L'Ancienne Baguettes: BBA Challenge

This week in the BBA Challenge, we made Pain À l'Ancienne Baguettes using the delayed fermentation method.  You can also make pizza or Foccacia using this dough. I've been making lot's of pizza recently so I wanted to try my hand at the baguettes.

"The unique delayed-fermentation method, which depends on ice-cold water, releases flavors trapped in flour in a way different from the more traditional twelve-stage method.  The final product has a natural sweetness and nutlike character that is distinct from breads made with exactly the same ingredients but fermented by the standard method, even with large percentages of pre-ferment."

-- Peter Reinhart, The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread

Nancy Baggett utilizes a similar method in her book Kneadlessly Simple. In fact, she mentions that she got the idea from Peter Reinhart. I've made several breads using the delayed fermentation method from Kneadlessly Simple and Artisan Bread in Five Minutes. I really like this method although I'm still getting the hang of working with the wet dough.


You might also enjoy some of these other Artisan Breads.

You can find the list of ingredients for this bread in the book.

 

 

Process:

Making the Dough: (Day 1: Thursday, Oct 1st)

 

Combine the flour, salt, yeast, and water in the bowl of your electric mixer.  Mix with the paddle attachment  for 2 minutes on low speed.  Since this dough is really wet, it is best to use a mixer to mix it rather than using a spoon.

 

Switch to the dough hook and mix for 5 to 6 minutes on medium speed.  The dough will be sticky on the bottom of the bowl but should release from the sides of the bowl.  If this doesn't happen, sprinkle in a little flour or if the dough is too stiff and clears the bottom as well as the sides of the bowl, dribble in a little more water.

 

 

Transfer the dough to a lightly oil bowl using a spatula or bowl scraper dipped in water.

 

 

A rubber spatula dipped in water works well for this step.

 

 

Fermenting the Dough

 

Mist the top of the dough with spray oil and cover with plastic wrap.  Place the bowl in the refrigerator and let it retard overnight.

 

 

 

The next day check the dough to see if it's risen in the refrigerator.  It probably won't be doubled in size.  Take the bowl out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours or longer to allow the dough to wake up, lose its chill, and continue fermenting.

 

 

I actually let my dough retard for two nights.  I didn't have time to make the loaves on Friday so I left the dough in the refrigerator until Saturday morning.  I took the dough out of the refrigerator early in the morning and let it sit on the counter for several hours until I was ready to make the loaves.

 

Here is the dough after retarding in the refrigerator for two nights.

 

 

 

This is the dough after fermenting on the counter for several hours.

 

 

 

Preparing the Dough for Shaping (Day 3: Saturday, Oct 3rd)

 

Once the dough has doubled from its original prerefrigerated size, sprinkle the counter with bread flour (using about 1/2 cup).  Gently transfer the dough to the floured counter.  Try to degas the dough as little as possible as you're transferring it. A plastic spatula dipped in water works well for this step.  You may also want to dip your hands in water as well to keep the dough from sticking to them.  If the dough is very wet, sprinkle more flour over the top as well as under it.

 

 

 

Dry your hands really well, then dip them into the flour.  Roll the dough gently in the sprinkled flour to coat it thoroughly, and stretch it into an oblong about 8 inches long and 6 inches wide. If it's too sticky to handle, continue sprinkling flour over it.

 

 

 

Dip a metal pastry scraper into cool water to keep it from sticking to the dough, and cut the dough in half width-wise.  Do this by pressing the pastry scraper down through the dough until it servers it.  Then, dip it into the water again and repeat this action until you have a clean cut down the full length of the dough. (Don't use the blade as a saw, just pinch the dough cleanly with eat cut.)

 

I performed this step three times before the cut went all the way through.  Let the dough relax 5 minutes.

 

 

Prepare the oven for hearth baking

 

Prepare your oven for hearth baking by placing a baking stone and an empty steam pan in the oven according to the instructions on pages 91-94.  Preheat the oven to 500 degrees (or 550 degrees if your oven goes that high).  My oven goes to 550 but it is a very hot oven so I only preheated it to 500 degrees.

 

When I bake hearth breads in my oven, I've found it works better to have the baking stone on the middle shelf and the steam pan on the lower shelf rather than placing the baking stone on the bottom shelf and the steam pan above it (or on the floor of the oven).  Having the steam pan underneath seems to work more effectively and keeps the bottom of the loaves from burning before the tops bake completely.  I prefer chewy loaves over crispy ones so having the baking stone on the middle shelf helps prevent the loaves from getting too crispy.  I burned several loaves of bread to a crisp before I figured this out. You'll probably want to experiment to find out what works best for your oven (and your taste preferences).

 

Cover the back of two 17 by 12-inch sheet pans with baking parchment and dust with semolina flour or cornmeal.  I have a rimless baking sheet so I just covered it with parchment and sprinkled it with cornmeal.

 

 

 

Shaping the Dough

 

Note: I didn't have enough hands to work with the wet dough and take photos at the same time so I wasn't able to capture all the steps on film.

 

 

Score the dough strips as for baguettes (refer to page 90), by slashing the tops with 3 diagonal cuts.  I used a serrated knife dipped in water.  I have a lame but the serrated knife seems to work better because it's heavier.  Since this particular dough is so wet, you might even want to use scissors to slash it.  Some of Peter Reinhart's students recommended using scissors and this is also the tool that Nancy Baggett uses in her Kneadlessly Simple method.  I had to dip the blade in water several times in between each cut to keep it from sticking to the dough.

 

 

Shaping Pain a l'Ancienne Baguettes

 

Refer to the instructions on page 193 for shaping the baguettes.

 

Take 1 of the dough pieces, and using the pastry cutter dipped in water, cut off 3 equal-sized lengths.

 

 

 

 

 

Do the same thing with the remaining half.  This will give you 6 lengths.

 

 

 

Flour your hands and carefully lift one dough strip and transfer it to a parchment-lined pan and gently pull it to the length of the pan (or to the length of your baking stone if it is smaller).  If it springs back, let it rest for 5 minutes and then gently pull it out again.

 

 

 

Place 3 strips on the pan, and then prepare another pan and repeat with the remaining strips. I put the 3 strips on the parchment paper, then transferred that to the baking sheet. That seemed to work well.

 

 

 

Take 1 of the pans to the preheated oven and carefully slide the dough (along with the parchment paper), onto the baking stone.  Or, you can bake directly on the baking pan if you prefer.

 

 

Pour 1 cup of hot water into the steam pan and close the door.   After 30 seconds, spray the oven walls with water and close the door.  Repeat this process two more times at 30-second intervals.  After the 3rd time, lower the oven setting to 475 degrees and continue baking.

 

 

In the meantime, dust the other strips of dough with flour, mist with spray oil, and cover with plastic wrap until you're ready to bake them.  You can leave them on the counter a few hours if you want a more rustic-style bread or refrigerate them until the next day if that fits in better with your schedule.

 

 

 

The bread should begin to turn golden brown within 8 or 9 minutes.  If necessary for even baking, rotate the loaves 180 degrees.  I did this to make sure they were browning on all sides.  Continue baking 10 to 15 minutes more, or until the bread is a rich golden brown.

 

 

 

Cooling the Loaves

 

Transfer the breads immediately to a cooling rack and let them cool for 20 minutes.  They should feel very light, almost airy.

 

I used a pizza peel to remove the loaves and parchment all at once.

 

 

 

 

While these loaves are cooling, bake the other loaves.  Just remember to turn the oven back up to 500 degrees to begin the process and remove the used parchment paper if you haven't already.

The loaves ready to be eaten!  They have nice holes and taste great!  Chewy just like I like them.

Thanks for joining us this week in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge.

The next bread in Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge, is Pain de Campagne.  I love this country-style French bread!   I'm looking forward to making it. 

 

Happy Baking!
Cathy

Italian Bread: BBA Challenge

For Day 15 of the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge, we made Italian Bread. This Italian Bread is made with a biga. A biga is the Italian version of a firm pre-ferment. This formula also incorporates diastatic malt powder to give the loaves a beautiful color. The bread is really good!

There are many different kinds of Italian breads. Italy was once made up of a number of independent states, and each developed its own favorite bread. The distinguishing characteristic of most Italian bread is not with the dough itself, but in the shaping, slashing and baking of the bread. -- Ingram, Christine and Shapter, Jennie. Bread: The breads of the world and how to bake them at home

You might enjoy these other Italian Bread recipes.

Italian Bread

Makes: 2 Loaves

 

From: The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart

Ingredients:

Biga:

• 2 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
• 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons to 1 cup water, at room temperature

Final Dough:

• 3/12 cups biga
• 2 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
• 1 2/3 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon diastatic barley malt powder (optional)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, vegetable oil, or shortening
• 3/4 cup to 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water 
• Semolina or cornmeal for dusting

Directions:

First Step: Make the Biga

Stir together the flour and yeast in a bowl or you can use your stand mixer if you prefer. I like to do it by hand whenever possible.  Add the water and stir until everything comes together and makes a coarse ball.  Adjust the flour or water as necessary to ensure the dough is neither too sticky nor too stiff.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it ferment at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours, or until it nearly doubles in size.

Remove the dough and knead it lightly to degas.  Return the dough to the bowl and recover with plastic.

 

Place the bowl in the refrigerator overnight or for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it at this point for up to 3 months. Just make sure you use an airtight plastic bag. I kept mine in the refrigerator for a couple of days until I was ready to bake it.

Next Step: Make the Dough

Remove the biga from the refrigerator 1 hour before making the dough.  Cut it into about 10 small pieces with a pastry scraper.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter for an hour to take off the chill.

Stir together the flour, salt, sugar, yeast, and malt power in a bowl. Add the biga pieces, olive oil, and water and stir together until a ball forms. The dough should be slightly sticky and soft, but not batter like or too sticky. Adjust the flour or water as necessary.

 

 

Transfer the dough to a floured counter, and knead for about 10 minutes or until the dough is tacky, but not sticky, and supple.

 

 

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and roll the dough around to coat it.

 

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let the dough ferment at room temperature for 2 hours or until it doubles in size.

Shaping the Loaves

Remove the dough from the bowl and transfer it to a lightly floured counter.  Cut the dough into 2 equal pieces (about 18 ounces each).

Form the pieces into batards making sure to degas them as little as possible. Start by gently patting the dough into a rough triangle.

Being careful not to degas the dough, fold the bottom third of dough, letter style, up to the center and press to seal, creating surface tension on the outer edge.

Fold the remaining dough over the top.

Use the edge of your hand to seal the seam closed and to increase the surface tension all over.

Lightly dust the loaves with flour.

Cover the loaves with plastic wrap and let them rest for 5 minutes.  After the batards have rested, extend the loaves to about 12 inches in length.

 

Proofing the Loaves

Line a sheet with baking parchment and dust with cornmeal. Place the loaves on the pan and lightly mist with spray oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap.  Proof at room temperature for about an hour, or until the loaves have grown to about 1 1/2 times their original size.

Prepare the oven for hearth baking (described on pages 91-94)

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Score the loaves with 2 parallel, diagonal slashes or 1 long slash. I painted the loaves with water first so that the lame wouldn't get stuck in the dough. It seems to help a little bit.

 

Baking the Loaves

Dust a baker's peel or the back of a sheet pan with cornmeal and very gently transfer the batards to the peel or pan. I used a baking pan without sides and parchment paper sprinkled with cornmeal.  Transfer the batards to the baking stone. Pour a cup of hot water into the steam pan and close the oven door.  After 30 seconds, spray the oven walls with water and close the door. Repeat 2 more times at 30 second intervals.

 

Then lower the oven setting to 450 degrees F. and bake for 10 minutes.  Rotate the loaves for even baking and continue baking another 10 minutes, or until the loaves are a rich golden brown. It should take about 20 minutes for the loaves.

Cooling and Serving the Bread

Remove the loaves from the oven and cool on a rack for at least an hour before slicing or serving.

 

 

 

Thanks for joining us this week in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge. See you next time...

For Day 16 of the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge, we be made Kaiser Rolls.

Click here to see all of the breads we made in the challenge.

Happy Baking!

Cathy

Rustic European Whole Wheat Bread

This rustic European-style loaf is made with whole wheat and walnuts. The bread is round shaped and slightly porous. It is a rather wet dough so it’s best to form it by the sink so you can wet your hands frequently to keep the dough from sticking.

To begin the process, you make an Italian biga in the bread machine and let it sit overnight. Use 1/3 cup of the biga and mix the rest of the ingredients using the dough setting on the bread machine.

Using the bread machine definitely makes the dough easier to work with. After about 20 minutes in the bread machine, we'll take the dough out and let it rise and bake in the La Cloche. Or, if you prefer, you can use a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and tented with foil to rise then bake it on a baking stone.


Italian Biga for Wheat Breads

Adapted from: Rustic European Breads from Your Bread Machine by Linda West Eckhardt and Diana Collingwood Butts

Note: The longer you allow the biga or homemade starter to stand, the more sour the flavor will become. 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 teaspoon bread machine yeast
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons spring water
• 1 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons organic bread flour

Directions:

Add the yeast, water, and flour to the bread machine pan and process on the dough setting until the starter has mixed for 5 minutes, then turn off the bread machine.

Let the biga sit in the bread machine or in a covered jar overnight, or for a minimum of 10 hours. I let my biga sit for 12 hours before using it in the recipe.

Remove the starter to a 2-quart glass or plastic storage container. Cover it tightly and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Alternatively, store it in the warm kitchen for a few days, stirring from time to time to further "sour" the taste. Feed this starter as you would any other: Add 1/2 cup each organic bread flour and spring water, knead thoroughly, cover, and set aside n the warm kitchen overnight or until it becomes bubbly and active again.


A Rustic Round of Whole Wheat and Walnuts

Adapted from: Rustic European Breads from Your Bread Machine by Linda West Eckhardt and Diana Collingwood Butts

Makes: one 1 1/2-pound loaf

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon bread machine yeast
• 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons bread flour
• 1/3 cup Italian biga
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1/2 cup black walnuts or English walnuts if black are not available, or more to taste.

Directions:

Add the yeast, flours, biga, salt, and water to the bread machine pan.

Process on the dough setting just until mixed and kneaded, about 20 minutes.



Remove the dough from the pan to a large, lightly greased bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set to rise for 4 hours, or until tripled in bulk.




Note: The dough can be left alone to rise in the refrigerator overnight or for as long as 24 hours if need be. If you leave it in the refrigerator for the long, cool rise, bring it back to room temperature before shaping.

Lightly flour a work surface close to your sink. With wet hands, scoop the tripled dough out of the bowl onto the work surface.

This is the scooped dough. Although mine sort of just plopped out.

Flatten it into a 12-inch disk.  Sprinkle the surface with the walnuts



Press them into the dough with flat palms.  Pull the sides of the dough into the middle and form a tight, smooth ball.



Line a rimless cooking sheet with parchment paper and coat it lightly with flour.  Place the dough ball on the parchment paper and tent it with heavy-duty aluminum foil or cover with a large bowl, making sure the dough has plenty of room to rise and will not touch the foil or bowl and stick.

The dough was really wet and I didn't want to add additional flour so I decided to let it rise and bake in the La Cloche rather than putting it on a baking sheet to rise.




Let the dough rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

Thirty minutes before baking, preheat the oven with a baking stone (if using) in place to 450 degrees F.

When the loaf has doubled, carefully slide the parchment paper with the dough on it onto the hot stone. After about 15 minutes, pull the paper out from under the loaf to help insure a crisp bottom.

Bake until browned and crusty, 30 to 35 minutes. Since I baked the loaf in the La Cloche, I let it bake about 40 minutes.



Cool the bread completely on a rack.  It will keep in a brown paper bag for up to 4 days.

This loaf is delicious! Crusty on the outside, but chewy on the inside.



This bread is very good by itself. In fact, I made a meal of it. It's very hearty (and healthy for that matter), but not too heavy. It tastes great warm with butter or you can spread other yummy stuff on it. I prefer just butter.

Happy Baking!
Cathy