Baking by Hand (7 page)
Authors: Andy King
1 cup/160 g garlic cloves, peeled
Canola oil to cover
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Place the cloves in a heavy-bottom saucepan and cover with the canola oil. Roast until they are very, very soft, about 1 hour.
Strain the oil out and let the garlic cool before using. The oil can be used for salad dressings, sautéing or anything else that might be enhanced by garlic-flavored oil.
10.75 oz/300 g walnut pieces
Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Spread the walnut pieces on a sheet pan and toast for 10 minutes or until crispy and fragrant.
THE SOURDOUGH LOVER’S SOURDOUGH
If there is a “most French” French bread that we bake here, the Pain au Levain is it. The translation of its name is “bread made from sourdough starter,” and we call it the “baker’s bread” because cooks in the know tend to be drawn to it. We make a 1 ¼-pound/550-g batard and a hefty 3-pound/1.5-kg round at the bakery; you can make an even bigger 5-pound/2-kg loaf from this recipe, provided you have the banneton and oven space to contain it. Making this bread takes an extra step than the North Shore Sourdough, as we’re using the Liquid Sourdough Starter to make a rye-laden stiff starter—the Levain. So, give yourself an extra 12 hours for this one.
• Yield: Four 1 lb 4 oz/550-g loaves or one large, 5-lb/2-kg loaf
• 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 levain (see
here
). This will be enough for the bread formula, plus some extra to carry on the starter.
5.75 oz/160 ml 75°F/20°C water
2 oz/40 ml liquid sourdough
9.5 oz/270 g white bread flour
0.75 oz/20 g whole rye flour
1 lb 15.25 oz/885 g white bread flour
2.25 oz/60 g whole wheat flour
1.5 oz/40 g whole rye flour
1 lb 1.5 oz/500 g levain
1 lb 10.5 oz/750 ml 95°F/35°C water
3 ¾ tsp/26 g fine sea salt
Combine all three flours into your large mixing bowl. In another bowl, combine your levain and water, and remember to keep that water warm to give your wild yeast a comfortable atmosphere to grow. (You should pull your levain apart with your fingers when adding it to the water, so it incorporates into the rest of the ingredients more easily.) Then, 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. 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 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 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 four 1 pound 4 ounce/550-g pieces (or keep as one large, 5 pound/2-kg loaf). 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 to receive shaped breads (see
here
). If you’re going with the large loaf, grab the biggest banneton you have, as it’s going to take up a lot of room.
Take your rested rounds and gently but firmly shape them into tapered batards (see
here
), pinching the seams shut if necessary. Place your shaped loaves seam side up on the proofing board, couche them snugly and place in your trusty warm spot. (Alternatively, shape your 5 pound/2-kg loaf into a large round, and place seam side up in your mega banneton.)
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 each batard with two angled, overlapping slashes (or carve something nice into the face of your large, 5 pound/2-kg loaf). 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 loaves are evenly browned, about 25 minutes, and have a nice hollow thump when you tap them on the bottom. (A 5 pound/2-kg loaf might take upward of 45 minutes to bake all the way through, and may end up with a beautiful, super-dark crust. Embrace the dark side.) Let cool for at least 3 hours before cutting.
These can be made successfully with either the North Shore Sourdough or the Pain au Levain dough. There’s one small trick that helps these baguettes burst better: Before you throw them in the oven, let them cool for about 30 minutes, either outdoors (if it’s cold) or in your refrigerator. The drop in temperature followed by the quick heat of the oven gives an extra kick to the oven spring.
3 lb/1.5 kg sourdough dough, divided into four 12-oz/350-g pieces and preshaped into cylinders
While your dough is resting, set up your couche to receive baguettes and sprinkle it with a very thin layer of flour.
After 20 minutes of resting, shape each piece into 15-inch/38-cm tapered baguettes and loosely pleat (see
here
).
After about 45 minutes of resting, or just before you feel like the baguettes are ready to bake, place them in a very cool place for another 30 minutes. Score with three horizontal slashes, and load into the oven (using your standard three-ice-cube procedure), making sure they’re well spaced. Two at a time is fine; just leave the other two in your cool spot until you’re ready to bake them. They will take 20 to 25 minutes, or until they have a dark, golden crust. Let cool for 1 hour before cutting.
BLACK AND GREEN, LIVINg TOGETHER
This recipe is very similar to the Pain au Levain, with the added bonus of marinated olives. At the bakery, our olive loaf is our most popular sourdough, and it’s easy to see why: Big chunks of salty olives pair with the tang of our longestfermented bread, and it’s bold, bold, bold. We actually have to reduce the salt percentage in this dough to make way for the briny ingredients. You can simply use rinsed black and green olives (pitted, please!), or you can marinate them for a few days to boost the flavor. Either way, if your green olives are very large, give them a few whacks with the chef’s knife to break them up and allow them to incorporate into the dough a little more easily.
• Yield: Four 1 lb 4 oz/550-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 levain (see
here
). This will be enough for the bread formula, plus some extra to carry on the starter.
5.75 oz/160 ml 75°F/20°C water
2 oz/40 ml liquid sourdough
9.5 oz/270 g white bread flour
0.75 oz/20 g whole rye flour
Marinate olives (see
here
)
1 lb 12 oz/790 g white bread flour
2 oz/60 g whole wheat flour
1.5 oz/40 g whole rye flour
14 oz/400 g levain
1 lb 10 oz/740 ml 95°F/35°C water
2 ½ tsp/17 g fine sea salt
8 oz/230 g marinated olives
Combine all three flours into your large mixing bowl. In another bowl, mix your levain and water, and remember to keep that water warm to give your wild yeast a comfortable atmosphere to grow. (You should pull your levain apart with your fingers when adding it to the water, so it incorporates into the rest of the ingredients more easily.) Then, dump the flours on top of the liquid ingredients, and mix 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. Dump your olives into the dough, and continue to incorporate. If you’re using marinated olives, the oils will make incorporation a little more work. But remember, the folds will finish distributing the garnish into the dough, so don’t sweat getting them all mixed in at this point. 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 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 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, 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 the final shaping.
Next, take your rested rounds and gently but firmly shape them into stubby batards (see
here
), pinching the seams shut if necessary. Place your shaped loaves seam side up in the bannetons, cover them with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and put back in your warm place.
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.
