Baking by Hand (11 page)

Mix your whole wheat poolish (see
here
).

12.75 oz/360 ml 75°F/20°C water

½ tsp/2 g instant yeast

12 oz/340 g whole wheat flour

1 lb 7.5 oz/665 g whole wheat poolish

12.75 oz/360 ml 90°F/32°C water

2 oz/60 ml extra-virgin olive oil

1.5 oz/40 g honey

1 lb 7.75 oz/670 g whole wheat flour

3 tsp/20 g fine sea salt

¾ tsp/3 g instant yeast

½ cup/80 g sesame seeds (optional)

In a large bowl, combine the poolish, water, olive oil and honey, and remember to keep that water warm to give your wild yeast a comfortable atmosphere to grow. Swish the liquid ingredients around a bit to break up the honey. Then, dump your flour 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. 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 your floured work surface. Using your bench knife and scale, divide into two 2 pound/1-kg 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, lightly oil two 5-inch × 9-inch/12 × 23-cm bread pans and set them to the side. Take your rested rounds and gently but firmly shape them into stubby cylinders (see
here
), leaving them seam side down on the table. If you like, you can spray the surface of each loaf with water and roll in the sesame seeds for a more interesting crust. Place your shaped loaves seam side down in your loaf pans, cover with a damp 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. This is a pretty dense loaf, so it will always feel a bit more solid than other bread you have worked with.

When you’re ready to bake, score the face of the loaf with four or five diagonal slashes. This releases tension in two directions, so when the oven spring occurs, you get a nice, even expansion of the surface of the 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 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 loaf is evenly browned, about 30 minutes, and has a nice hollow thump when you tap it on the bottom. Immediately, but carefully, remove the loaves from the pans and place them on a cooling rack. If the sides and bottom of the loaf look light, feel free to pop them back in the oven for a few minutes. Let cool for at least 3 hours 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: ~1.5 hours

• Baking Time: ~25 minutes

• Cooling Time: ~3 hours

Mix your biga (see
here
).

8 oz/240 ml 75°F/20°C water

13 oz/370 g white bread flour

½ tsp/2 g instant yeast

1 lb 6.75 oz/640 g whole wheat flour

9.5 oz/270 g white bread flour

1 lb 5 oz/600 g biga

1 lb 10 oz/740 ml 90°F/32°C water

4 tsp/28 g fine sea salt

1 ¼ tsp/5 g instant yeast

1 lb/450 g seed mix (see
here
)

Combine both flours in your large mixing bowl. In another bowl, combine your biga and water, and remember to keep that water warm to give your yeast a comfortable atmosphere to grow. (You should pull your biga 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. Pour in 12 ounces/350 g of your seed mix, and continue to incorporate until the seeds are spread throughout the dough. The folding process will make sure they’re all
mixed in, so if your arm tires out, that’s okay. Just get them halfway there. 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 your 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, grab those three oval bannetons and set them to the side. Take your rested rounds and gently but firmly shape them into stubby batards (see
here
). 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. To garnish, spray the surface with water and roll the top of the shaped loaves on a plate containing the remaining 4 ounces/100 g of your seed mixture. Place your shaped loaves seam side up in your bannetons, cover with a cloth or plastic wrap and place in your trusty warm spot. If you do not have the fancy proofing baskets, you can actually rise these loaves seam side down right on a floured proofing board. That’s what we do at the bakery. Either way works fine.

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 (or gently lift, if you’re not using a banneton) 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 3 hours before cutting.

• Yield: Four 12 oz/350-g baguettes

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

• Mixing Time: 40 minutes

• Bulk Fermentation: ~2 hours

• Proofing Time: ~45 minutes

• Baking Time: ~20 minutes

• Cooling Time: ~15 minutes

Mix your biga (see
here
).

6 oz/170 ml 75°F/20°C water

10 oz/280 g white bread flour

¼ tsp/1 g instant yeast

6.75 oz/190 g white bread flour

1 oz/30 g whole wheat flour

14.75 oz/420 g biga

1 lb 2.25 oz/520 ml 90°F/32°C water

3 tsp/20 g fine sea salt

¾ tsp/3 g instant yeast

Combine both flours in your large mixing bowl. In another bowl, mix your biga and water, and remember to keep that water warm to give your 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 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 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. 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 with a warm kitchen and warm dough.