Baking by Hand (9 page)

1 ¼ tsp/5 g instant yeast

10.5 oz/300 g sharp cheddar cheese, cut into small dice

1 small bunch chives, minced

Combine your flours into your large mixing bowl. In another bowl, mix your liquid starter, water and olive oil, and remember to keep that water warm to give your yeast a comfortable atmosphere to grow. 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 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. Mix
in the cheese and chives using the same motion. Remember, they will keep getting mixed in with the folds, so don’t wear yourself out getting them perfectly distributed. 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.

Once your dough is ready to cut, turn it out onto a floured work surface. Using your bench knife and scale, divide into three 1 pound 10 ounce/750-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. While you’re waiting, dust three round bannetons with corn 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 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. Be careful not to shape them too tightly, or little cheese squares will continuously pop through the surface of the loaf. 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 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 an hour, 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 the loaf with your razor in your desired pattern. Before you load your bread, lay a piece of parchment paper down on the baking stone to catch any cheese that melts out of your loaf; burning cheddar is not a pleasant smell. 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 parchment-lined 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.

• Yield: Three 1 lb 10 oz/750-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

Mix your levain (see
here
). This will be enough for the bread formula, plus some extra to carry on the starter.

1 oz/30 ml 75°F/20°C water

2 oz/40 ml liquid sourdough

5 oz/140 g white bread flour

0.5 oz/14 g whole rye flour

1 lb 7 oz/650 g white bread flour

9 oz/250 g whole rye flour

8 oz/160 g levain

1 lb 7.75 oz/675 ml 90°F/32°C water

3 ½ tsp/25 g fine sea salt

1 ¼ tsp/5 g instant yeast

8 oz/250 g raisins, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes and well drained

7.5 oz/215 g small pecan pieces, toasted

Combine both flours in 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 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 the raisins and pecans, and using the same mixing motion, incorporate them into the dough. Remember,
your four folds will distribute everything evenly, so don’t wear your arms out with this step. 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 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.

Once your dough is ready to cut, turn it out onto a floured work surface. Using your bench knife and scale, divide into three 1 pound 10 ounce/750-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.

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 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. 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 the oven to 425°F/220°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 3 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 the 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 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.

• Yield: One 3-lb/1.5-kg Pullman loaf

• Desired Dough Temperature: 85°F/30°C

• Mixing Time: 40 minutes

• Proofing Time: 3+ hours

• Baking Time: 40+ minutes

• Cooling Time: 3+ hours

Mix your final starter (see
here
). This will be enough for the bread formula, plus some extra to carry on the starter.

10 oz/280 ml 75°F/20°C water

2 oz/40 ml liquid sourdough

8 oz/230 g white bread flour

1 lb 1.75 oz/500 g white bread flour

1.5 oz/40 g whole wheat flour

1.5 oz/45 g granulated sugar

¼ tsp/1 g baking soda

2 tsp/15 g fine sea salt

¾ tsp/3 g instant yeast

10.25 oz/290 g liquid starter

15.5 oz/440 ml 80°F/25°C water

1.5 oz/45 g milk powder

Semolina flour, for dusting

Combine your flours, sugar, baking soda, salt and yeast into your large mixing bowl. In another bowl, combine your liquid starter, water and milk powder, 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 resembles a smooth batter. Don’t forget to scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated—a whisk might work better than your hands after a certain point. 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.

After an hour, you’re going to fold your dough, but the process will look a lot different with this particular dough. We call it the “flop”: Reach into
the bowl and, with two hands, scoop the top quarter of the batter and flop it toward the middle. Do this for the bottom, and then both sides, and then repeat the flop a second time. Cover the bowl and set aside in your warm place for another hour.

In the meantime, oil your Pullman pan, and coat the entire inside with semolina flour by scooping a cup into the pan and knocking it around a bit. Dump out the excess. Pour the batter into the pan, and spread it around a bit to even out the surface. Put the loaf back into your warm place for the final rise. If you have a deep plastic bin, cover the pan with that, as a cloth or plastic will stick to the surface as the dough rises. If not, just keep an eye out for the surface drying and spritz accordingly.

After 1 more hour, the batter will have risen to about ½ inch/1 cm from the surface of the pan. If it’s not there yet, just hold on until it is. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 400°F/200°C and arrange the racks so that the pan can cook on the baking stone and not bump into the rack above. When your dough is finally ready, sprinkle the surface with a dusting of semolina flour and slide the pan directly onto the stone. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the surface is dark brown and the sides and bottom are golden. Remove the loaf from the pan immediately and cool on its side; this prevents the sides from collapsing as the interior firms up. Let cool for at least 2 hours before cutting and toasting.