Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 (34 page)
Read Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 Online
Authors: Julia Child
For about 1 pound of flour
, making 3 cups of dough, to fill one 8-cup covered pan or two 4-cup covered pans
1)
The preliminary dough mixture—le fraisage. Either by hand:
1 cake (0.6 ounce) fresh yeast, or 1 package dry-active yeast
3 Tb warm water (not over 100 degrees) in a measure
2 tsp salt
1⅓ cups tepid milk in a measure
3½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (
scooped and leveled
)
A 4- to 5-quart bowl with fairly straight sides
A rubber spatula, and a pastry scraper or stiff metal blade
Mix the yeast in the warm water and let it liquefy completely while measuring out the rest of the ingredients. Dissolve the salt in the tepid milk. Measure the flour into the mixing bowl. Then stir in the liquefied yeast and salted milk with a rubber spatula, cutting and pressing the dough firmly together into a mass, being sure all bits of flour and unblended pieces are gathered in. Turn dough out onto a flat kneading surface, scraping bowl clean. Dough will be quite soft and sticky; let it rest for 2 to 3 minutes while you wash and dry the bowl.
2) Start kneading by lifting the near side of the dough, using a scraper or spatula to help you, and flipping it over onto the other side |
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| In 2 to 3 minutes dough should have enough body so that you can |
3)
Kneading in the butter
4 Tb (½ stick) chilled butter
When butter is incorporated into a dough in most French recipes, it is added after kneading.
Soften the butter by beating it with a rolling pin. Then smear it out with a scraper, spatula, or the heel of your hand until it is soft and malleable but still cold |
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| By tablespoon bits, start rapidly folding and smearing the butter into the dough with the heel (not the palm) of your hand |
Dough will be ropy, very messy, and even stickier until it begins to absorb the butter. |
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