Baking by Hand (6 page)
Authors: Andy King
THE “WHEREVER-YOU-ARE” SOURDOUGH
This is the most basic sourdough we make at the bakery. We make it right from the Liquid Sourdough Starter, flake it with some whole wheat to give it a bit of color and texture and bake it to a beautifully dark golden brown. We call ours the North Shore Sourdough because of the culture’s propensity toward adapting itself to the natural bacteria in a particular location. That’s a major part of what gives sourdoughs their distinctive flavors. So, wherever you are, develop your culture, bake this bread and call it your own.
• Yield: Two 1 lb 12 oz/800-g loaves
• Desired Dough Temperature: 85°F/30°C
• Mixing Time: 40 minutes
• Bulk Fermentation: ~3 hours
• Proofing Time: ~2 hours
• Baking Time: ~25 minutes
• Cooling Time: ~3 hours
Mix your final starter. This will be enough for the bread formula, plus some extra to carry on the starter.
12.5 oz/350 ml 75°F/20°C water
2.5 oz/65 g liquid sourdough
10 oz/280 g white bread flour
1 lb 5.5 oz/640 g white bread flour
3.25 oz/90 g whole wheat flour
1 lb 6.5 oz/630 g liquid sourdough
13.25 oz/375 ml 95°F/35°C water
2 tsp/14 g fine sea salt
Combine both flours into your large mixing bowl. Pour your sourdough and water into another large bowl, and remember to keep that water warm to give your wild yeast a comfortable atmosphere to grow. Then, dump your flours 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 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 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. Cover the bowl, and put it in your warm place for 30 minutes.
Turn your dough out onto a lightly floured surface and give it your four-fold (see
here
). It should make a tight little package—this is how we’re building the dough’s strength, 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 this four-fold procedure every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours (you’ll fold the dough four times in total), until the dough is strong but puffy, warm to the touch and holds a fingerprint when pressed into the surface. Leave the dough to gain some volume for the last hour. The whole process will take about 3 hours.
Once your dough is ready to cut, turn it out onto a floured work surface. Using your bench knife and scale, divide into two 1 pound 12 ounce/800-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 let rest for 20 minutes to build a bit more strength into the loaf before final shaping. This is what bakers call a “bench rest.”
Dust two round bannetons lightly with flour; then take your rested rounds and gently but firmly shape them into rounds again. If your seams feel like they’re coming undone when you lift a 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. Place your shaped loaves seam side up in your bannetons, cover with a 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 your 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 proofing 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. Score the face of each loaf with your razor in your desired pattern. 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 loaves 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 loaves are evenly browned and have a nice hollow thump when you tap them on the bottom, about 25 minutes. Let cool for at least 3 hours before cutting.
TOASTED WALNUT SOURDOUGH
THE TWINS
This is two breads in one—choose garlic or toasted walnuts for your addition. We love the aromatic garlic bread, and here’s the key to it: We roast our garlic to the point where you could spread it on a cracker, and then fold it gently into the dough. The walnut bread uses the same dough, except that we fold in nuts rather than garlic. The walnuts have a curious reaction with the dough, turning it pale purple as the dough progresses. This one is equally at home spread with fresh chèvre as it is used in a fantastic French toast.
• Yield: Three 1 lb 8 oz/700-g loaves
• Desired Dough Temperature: 85°F/30°C
• Mixing Time: 40 minutes
• Bulk Fermentation: ~3 hours
• Proofing Time: ~2 hours
• Baking Time: ~25 minutes
• Cooling Time: ~3 hours
Mix your final starter. This will be enough for the bread formula, plus some extra to carry on the starter.
15 oz/445 ml 75°F/20°C water
3 oz/60 ml liquid sourdough
12 oz/340 g white bread flour
Prepare poached garlic or toasted walnuts (see
here
)
1 lb 9.5 oz/720 g white bread flour
4 oz/110 g whole wheat flour
1 lb 7.75 oz/665 g liquid starter
1 lb 1 oz/480 ml 95°F/35°C water
3 ½ tsp/24 g fine sea salt
2.25 oz/65 g poached garlic, or 10.75 oz/305 g toasted walnuts
Combine both flours into your large mixing bowl. In another bowl, mix your liquid starter and water, and remember to keep that water warm to give your wild yeast a comfortable atmosphere to grow. Dump the flours 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.
Sprinkle the salt 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 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. Cover the bowl, and put it in your warm place for 30 minutes.
For Poached Garlic Sourdough.
Toss the garlic into the bowl, and very gently incorporate into the mix. You’ll want to crush some, but not all, of the cloves. Carefully push them into the dough while folding it over, but remember that your future folds will distribute the garlic evenly over the next couple of hours. Cover the bowl, and put it in your warm place for 30 minutes.
For Toasted Walnut Sourdough.
Toss in the walnuts, and push them into the dough while folding it over, but remember that your future folds will distribute the walnuts evenly over the next couple of hours. 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 the four-fold procedure every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours (you’ll fold the dough four times in total) until the dough is strong but puffy, warm to the touch and holds a fingerprint when pressed into the surface.
Leave the dough to gain some volume for the last hour. The whole process will take about 3 hours.
Once your dough is ready to cut, turn it onto a floured work surface. Using your bench knife and scale, divide into three 1 pound 8 ounce/700-g pieces. (If you’re making the Toasted Walnut Sourdough, you’ll have some extra dough at this point because of the added weight of the walnuts. Just distribute this dough equally among the three loaves.) 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 let rest for 20 minutes.
Next, dust three round bannetons lightly with flour and set them to the side. Take your rested rounds and gently but firmly shape them into rounds again. If the seams feel like they’re coming undone when you lift a 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. Place your shaped loaves seam side up in the bannetons, cover with a 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 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. Score the face of each loaf with your razor in your desired pattern. Now, grab three ice cubes from the freezer. Being careful not to keep the oven door open too long and let the heat out, open the oven, slide your loaves 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 loaves are evenly browned, about 25 minutes, and have a nice hollow thump when you tap it on the bottom. Let cool for at least 3 hours before cutting.
