More Bread - Pain a l'Ancienne

[JPM]

This is the first time I made this recipe, it is from Peter Reinhart's, "The Bread Baker's Apprentice". I need to work on shaping the baguettes and I didn't score them deeply enough to get the crust to open up, but they tasted seriously good. Here are some pictures.

 

[JPM]

Just in case anybody is interested, I thought I'd post the recipe. It is actually pretty easy. The secret is in retarding the rise process by refrigerating over night.

6 cups or 27 ounces unbleached bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons or .56 ounces salt
1 3/4 teaspoons or .19 ounces instant yeast
2 1/4 cups or 19 ounces water at 40 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl and mix on low speed using paddle attachment for 2 minutes. Switch to dough hook and mix at medium for 5 to 6 minutes. The dough should be sticky on the bottom of the bowl but release from the sides. If not, add a bit more flour or water to get to the right consistency. Lightly oil a large bowl and immediately transfer dough to bowl. Mist the dough with spray oil and cover bowl. Immediately place dough in refrigerator to retard over night.

The next day, remove dough from refrigerator 2 - 3 hours before baking.

When dough has doubled in size from pre-refrigerated size, sprinkle work surface with about 1/2 cup flour and gently scrape dough onto work surface. Sprinkle flour on top of dough and gently roll dough into a 6" X 8" oblong.

Dip a metal dough scraper in cold water and cut the dough in half the long way. Pinch through the dough, don't saw through it so as not to degas the dough. Cut each half into 3 strips. (I actually only managed to cut each half into two strips. They baked through fine.) Let dough rest for five minutes.

On the back of a sheet pan, place a piece of parchment paper and dust with semolina or corn meal. Stretch dough into baguette shapes on parchment. 2-3 loaves per sheet pan. Score dough with a razor blade (we all should be able to find one of those ) or a sharp knife.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees with a pizza stone inside. Place a cast iron skillet in the oven on the rack below the stone. Heat about a cup or so of water on the stove. Slide the dough including the parchment paper onto the stone. Pour the hot water into the skillet being careful of the steam. Reinhart warns to put a towel over the oven window when you pour in the water because you can crack the glass if you drip water on it. After 30 seconds, open the door and mist water onto the sides and bottom of the oven to create steam. Avoid spraying the dough or the oven light. Repeat twice more at 30 second intervals.

Reduce oven to 475 F and bake for 9 minutes. Turn loaves 180 degrees and bake another 10 to 15 minutes. Internal temp should reach 205 F.

Place on cooling rack and let cool for 20 minutes. If baking the remaining loaves now, reheat the oven to 500 F and repeat steaming process. If not, spray extra loaves with spray oil and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the next day.

Enjoy.

 

[SHarris]

Lovely looking bread and thanks for posting the recipe.

As I'm from the UK I was looking carefully at the units, unless my cups are different do you mean 0.2 oz (5-6 grams) or 3/4 tablespoon of yeast?

 

[Phog Allen]

Another winner John! Baguettes, according to each bread expert I have ever read, is the holy grail of breads for most bakers. Consistently getting those holes with a chewy crust is a goal that few achieve. This goes high on my list now too. Thank you for posting.

Regards, Todd

 

[holiday]

Awesome again!
We really need a ''post your loaf" sticky in the mess hall. There has been some fantastic dough based pics lately.

 

[JPM]

Lovely looking bread and thanks for posting the recipe.

As I'm from the UK I was looking carefully at the units, unless my cups are different do you mean 0.2 oz (5-6 grams) or 3/4 tablespoon of yeast?

Let me double check the recipe and I'll post. It was late when I was typing.

 

[BentonClay]

Beautiful work. I have made this one too. I remember leaving the kitchen briefly only to come back and find my 4-year-old had devoured half a baguette! I love Peter Reinhart's philosophy and recipes.

 

[Jim]

Looks great!

 

[JPM]

Looks great!

Thanks Jim!

 

[icon]

Well done where is the cheese ?

 

[Sullybob]

Another winner John! Baguettes, according to each bread expert I have ever read, is the holy grail of breads for most bakers. Consistently getting those holes with a chewy crust is a goal that few achieve. This goes high on my list now too. Thank you for posting.

Regards, Todd

When I saw the picture I immediately thought that the bread had great air hole formations.

 

[JPM]

Lovely looking bread and thanks for posting the recipe.

As I'm from the UK I was looking carefully at the units, unless my cups are different do you mean 0.2 oz (5-6 grams) or 3/4 tablespoon of yeast?

Sorry it took me awhile to get back to this. It should say 1 3/4 teaspoons or .19 ounce of instant yeast. I edited the recipe to reflect that.

 

[PaulUK]

Lovely looking bread and thanks for posting the recipe.

As I'm from the UK I was looking carefully at the units, unless my cups are different do you mean 0.2 oz (5-6 grams) or 3/4 tablespoon of yeast?

Lakeland used to do a set of measuring cups with American measures for just these very recipes. Sadly I can't find them on their website (but I have some in the cupboard).

This might help: http://www.miketodd.net/encyc/cooking.htm

1 cup = 237mls
1 teaspoon US = 4.9mls
1 tablespoon US = 14.8mls

 

[dullblade]

I gave this recipe a shake today.

Not the best looking loafs, but it was my first attempt at bread.

Now i need some cheese.

 

[JPM]

I gave this recipe a shake today.

Not the best looking loafs, but it was my first attempt at bread.

Now i need some cheese.

Looks good to me!

 

[52tele]

This is the first time I made this recipe, it is from Peter Reinhart's, "The Bread Baker's Apprentice". I need to work on shaping the baguettes and I didn't score them deeply enough to get the crust to open up, but they tasted seriously good. Here are some pictures.

These look damn near perfect! Ive got a sourdough starter thats just come to life this morning, it'll take another week or 2 to build up but then Ill be making some bread.

My process is similar to this recipe, the key and best tip is the cast iron skillet and boiling water. All that steam makes a thick, chewy crust that takes a lot of tooth to tear into.

Some nice bread, a bottle of chimay, a hunk of blue cheese and Ive got a meal.

 

[Sullybob]

I gave this recipe a shake today.

Not the best looking loafs, but it was my first attempt at bread.

Now i need some cheese.

They look fine. You'll get better with more practice.

The important thing is how did they taste?

 

[FiXXXer]

There are few foods I enjoy more than a crusty, chewy baguette. Those look absolutely delicious.

 

[dullblade]

They taste great! a little wine and olive oil! my other loafs looked a mess better and I let the crust get a little more stiff.

 

[JPM]

I've got a whole wheat bread rising overnight that will get baked tomorrow morning and I put together a pate fermentee, which is a pre-ferment for a pane siciliano that I will bake on Friday. The pane siciliano looks like it is an interesting recipe with part of the flour being from semolina. Look out, more bread photos to follow!