Baking by Hand (17 page)
Authors: Andy King
THE SATURDAY MORNING SPECIAL
This is the perfect weekend loaf. Sweet and moist, it’s great for eating with butter, toasting with jam and making into French toast. We sell more of these loaves on Saturday morning than almost any other bread in the bakery. They come out of the oven just after we open, so early risers can grab them warm right off the shelves. And regulars have been known to prepay and hang around waiting for the announcement that they’re ready to sell. Or, you can be like Mrs. Harrington, who has called us and asked to have two loaves set aside for her every Saturday for the past 5 years. We should rename it the Harrington Bread!
• Yield: Four 1 lb 4 oz/550-g loaves
• Desired Dough Temperature: 85°F/30°C
• Mixing Time: 40 minutes
• Bulk Fermentation: ~2 hours
• Proofing Time: ~2 hours
• Baking Time: ~25 minutes
• Cooling Time: ~1 hour
2 lb .75 oz/1 kg white bread flour
3 tbsp/14 g ground cinnamon
1 lb 9.25 oz/715 ml 110°F/40°C water
5.5 oz/155 g rolled oats, plus 1 cup/80 g for garnish
2 oz/60 g honey
2 ¾ tsp/19 g fine sea salt
2 ¾ tsp/11 g instant yeast
11.5 oz/330 g raisins, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes and well drained
Combine your flour and cinnamon in your large mixing bowl. In another bowl, combine your hot water and 5.5 ounces/155 g rolled oats, allowing the oats to absorb the liquid for 10 minutes or until the water temperature drops to about 90°F/32°C. Add the honey, and swish the ingredients around with your hand to combine. Then, dump your flour and cinnamon on top of the liquid ingredients, and mix it by hand for about 30 seconds, until it comes together in a shaggy mass. Don’t forget to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl regularly; you want all of that flour hydrated and don’t want to see any dry spots. Set aside in a warm place, at least 80°F/25°C, for 30 minutes. If you’re having trouble finding your warm place, it’s time to use your trusty heat lamp.
Sprinkle the salt and yeast on top of the dough and grab a four-finger pinch of the dough and pull. It should stretch out like chunky taffy rather than just tear off. Incorporate the salt and yeast into the dough, continuously pushing the sides of the dough into the middle while turning the bowl. After a minute of this, the dough should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl and developing a bit of a sheen, and you shouldn’t feel any crunchy salt crystals. Add your raisins and continue that incorporating action until everything is evenly distributed. Remember, the folds will help distribute the raisins, so don’t wear yourself out mixing them all in perfectly. Cover the bowl, and put it in your warm place for 30 minutes.
Turn your dough onto a lightly floured surface and give it your four-fold (see
here
). It should make a tight little package and after every fold the dough’s volume should increase. It should consistently feel warm and active. Roll the dough over and place it, seam side down, back into the bowl. Repeat every 30 minutes (you’ll fold the dough three times in total) until the dough is strong but puffy, warm to the touch and holds a fingerprint when pressed into the surface. The whole process will take about 2 hours. This dough is a bit denser than some others, so if you want to leave it in your warm spot for another half hour to rise a bit more, we wouldn’t blame you.
Once your dough is ready to cut, turn it out onto your floured work surface. Using your bench knife and scale, divide into four 1 pound 4 ounce/550-g pieces. Gently shape the dough into rounds (see
here
), being careful not to compress the dough too much, and place seam side down on your work surface. Cover and rest for 20 minutes to build a bit more strength into the loaf before final shaping. Set up your proofing board and couche.
Then, take your rested rounds and gently, but firmly, shape them into stubby batards (see
here
)—with this dough, it’s a little like shaping stretchy clay. If your seams feel like they’re coming undone when you lift the loaf up, give it a few minutes sitting seam side down on the table to seal it, and next time, use less flour for shaping. The dough’s moisture should be enough to seal the loaf closed. Spray the surface of each loaf with water and roll the top of each loaf in the 1 cup/80 g rolled oats, then place seam side up (oats side down) on an unfloured couche. Pleat the loaves snugly, and place in a warm area.
While your dough is proofing, place your baking stone on the lowest rack in your oven, and your cast-iron pan on the highest rack. Preheat the oven to 450°F/230°C. Check in on your bread periodically; if the surface feels dried out, spray it with a bit of water to allow for maximum expansion. If it feels cold, make it warmer. This may take up to 2 hours, depending on the conditions of your kitchen. The loaf is ready to go in when it feels very airy and holds a fingerprint when pressed into the surface.
Flip the loaves over onto your peel. It might take a couple of batches to bake all your bread, depending on your oven size. Slash the surface of the loaves in your desired pattern; we use an alternating diagonal pattern that really increases the volume in all directions. Now, grab three ice cubes from the freezer. Being careful to not keep the oven door open too long and let the heat out, open the oven, slide your loaf onto the stone, throw the three ice cubes into the cast-iron pan and close the door. After 5 minutes, quickly open the door and spray the interior of the oven with water. Continue baking until the loaf is evenly browned, about 25 minutes, and has a nice hollow thump when you tap it on the bottom. Let cool for at least 1 hour before cutting.
WHITE BRED WHITE BREAD
Pain de mie
means “bread of the crumb,” because it’s baked so that the crust is a light golden brown rather than the classic deep russet of other artisan loaves. It’s basically the way the French get to enjoy what most folks in America regard as “normal” bread. There’s a very soft spot in our hearts for white bread. It’s what we grew up on, and it absolutely has its place in the pantheon of breads. Fried baloney just doesn’t work on a crusty baguette or sourdough.
• Yield: Two 1 lb 8 oz/700 g 5-in × 9-in/12 × 23-cm pan loaves
• Desired Dough Temperature: 85°F/30°C
• Mixing Time: 40 minutes
• Bulk Fermentation: ~2 hours
• Proofing Time: ~1 hour
• Baking Time: ~25 minutes
• Cooling Time: 1 hour
1 lb 10 oz/740 g white bread flour
0.75 oz/20 g granulated sugar
2 ½ tsp/17 g fine sea salt
1 lb 1.75 oz/500 ml 90°F/32°C water
1.25 oz/35 g milk powder
1.25 oz/35 g unsalted butter, melted
2 ½ tsp/10 g instant yeast
This mixing procedure is a little different from the rest of the breads, so please pay attention! Combine your flour, sugar and salt in your large mixing bowl. Mix with your hands to combine. In another bowl, mix your water, milk powder, butter and yeast. Swish them together to dissolve the milk powder and yeast, and remember to keep that water warm to give your yeast a comfortable atmosphere to grow. Then, dump your dry ingredients on top of the liquid ingredients, and mix it by hand for about 30 seconds, until it comes together in a shaggy mass. Don’t forget to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl regularly; you want all of that flour hydrated and don’t want to see any dry spots. Note: There’s no autolyse for this dough. It’s moving right off the bat.
Turn your dough onto a lightly floured surface and give it your four-fold (see
here
). It should make a tight little package and after every fold the dough’s volume should increase. It should consistently feel warm and active. Roll the dough over and place it, seam side down, back into the bowl. Repeat every 30 minutes (you’ll fold the dough three times in total) until the dough is strong but puffy, warm to the touch and holds a fingerprint when pressed into the surface. The whole process will take about 2 hours.
Turn the dough out onto your floured work surface; it should be very pillowy. Using your bench knife and scale, divide into two 1 pound 8 ounce/700-g pieces. Gently shape the dough into loose rounds (see
here
). Cover and rest for 20 minutes to build a bit more strength into the loaf before final shaping.
Next, lightly oil two 5-inch × 9-inch/12 × 23-cm bread pans and set them to the side. Take your rested rounds and gently, but firmly, shape them into stubby cylinders (see
here
) and place your shaped loaves seam side down in your loaf pans. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, and place in your trusty warm spot.
While your dough is proofing, place your baking stone on the lowest rack in your oven, and your cast-iron pan on the highest rack. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Check in on your bread periodically; if the surface feels dried out, spray it with a bit of water to allow for maximum expansion. If it feels cold, make it warmer. This may take up to 2 hours, depending on the conditions of your kitchen. You might not want to stick your finger into the surface of this particular loaf—it gets pretty light and airy, and you don’t want to deflate it.
Spray the surface of the loaves one last time with a few spritzes of water, score them with four or five diagonal slashes along the surface and slide them onto your peel.
Now, grab three ice cubes from the freezer. Being careful to not keep the oven door open too long and let the heat out, open the oven, slide your loaf onto the stone, throw the three ice cubes into the cast-iron pan and close the door. After 5 minutes, quickly open the door and spray the interior of the oven with water. Continue baking until the loaf is an even golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan immediately and place on a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes before cutting. If the sides and bottom seem too light after removing the pan, feel free to place it back in the oven for 5 minutes.
PORK AND SPICE MAKES EVERYTHING NICE
Full disclosure by Andy: I had bacon in many, many more recipes in this book, but I was voted down by Jackie. I’m just saying. Anyway, smoky, thick-cut bacon and black pepper is one of my favorite flavor combinations in the whole wide world, so it makes sense that they would somehow make their way into a loaf of bread. I couldn’t bear to toss all of that flavorful bacon fat from the roasting pan, so in that went as well—and before you say “gross,” a traditional bread spread served at a local Polish restaurant is rendered lard speckled with bacon bits, and it’s amazing. Trust me.
• Yield: Three 1 lb 8 oz/700-g loaves
• Desired Dough Temperature: 85°F/30°C
• Mixing Time: 40 minutes
• Bulk Fermentation: ~2 hours
• Proofing Time: ~1 hour
• Baking Time: ~25 minutes
• Cooling Time: ~1 hour
Mix your poolish (see
here
).
10.5 oz/300 ml 75°F/20°C water
10.5 oz/300 g white bread flour
½ tsp/2 g instant yeast
Roast bacon (see
here
)
1 lb 8 oz/680 g white bread flour
2 oz/60 g corn flour
1 lb 4.75 oz/600 g poolish
1 lb 1 oz/480 ml 90°F/32°C water
2 oz/50 g bacon fat, rendered
2 tsp/15 g fine sea salt
1 tsp/4 g instant yeast
5 oz/140 g roasted bacon, diced (see
here
)
2 tbsp/30 g coarsely ground black pepper
Combine your flours in your large mixing bowl. In another bowl, mix your poolish, water and bacon fat, and remember to keep that water warm to give your yeast a comfortable atmosphere to grow. Then, dump your flour on top of the liquid ingredients, and mix it by hand for about 30 seconds, until it comes together in a shaggy mass. Don’t forget to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl regularly; you want all of that flour hydrated and don’t want to see any dry spots. Set aside in a warm place, at least 80°F/25°C, for 30 minutes. If you’re having trouble finding your warm place, it’s time to use your trusty heat lamp.
Sprinkle the salt and yeast on top of the dough and grab a four-finger pinch of the dough and pull. It should stretch out like chunky taffy rather than just tear off. Incorporate the salt and yeast into the dough, continuously pushing the sides of the dough into the middle while turning the bowl. After a minute of this, the dough should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl and developing a bit of a sheen, and you shouldn’t feel any crunchy salt crystals. Toss
in your bacon and pepper, and, using the same arm motion, incorporate them into the dough. Remember, the folds will help distribute everything, so don’t wear yourself out getting that bacon perfectly mixed. Cover the bowl, and put it in your warm place for 30 minutes.
Turn your dough onto a lightly floured surface and give it your four-fold (see
here
). It should make a tight little package and after every fold the dough’s volume should increase. It should consistently feel warm and active. Roll the dough over and place it, seam side down, back into the bowl. Repeat every 30 minutes (you’ll fold the dough three times in total), until the dough is strong but puffy, warm to the touch and holds a fingerprint when pressed into the surface. The whole process will take about 2 hours.