French Classics Made Easy (72 page)

When forming loaves made with bread flour, you may find them springy and hard to form. When this happens, stop working, cover the dough with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 2 to 5 minutes to allow the tension in the dough to relax.

YEAST:
The other vital component in bread making, yeast needs to be dissolved in a warm liquid, usually water, and most recipes provide a temperature range. If you do not have a thermometer, just put your finger into the warm water. If the water feels warm or even very warm, it is in a good range; it should not feel hot.

I have used both fresh and active dry yeast with equally good results, so try both to see if you have a preference. Fresh yeast can be stored in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. I do not recommend “quick rising” yeast; the difference in rising time is not appreciable and the flavor is not as good as in breads made with traditional yeasts.

WATER:
If your local water contains chemicals, you may find the flavor of your bread improved by using bottled (or filtered) water.

CAUSES AND EFFECTS:
Yeast dough has a tendency to be temperamental and inconsistent in its behavior. Being aware of the factors that may affect the dough will help you handle its moods.

Occasionally, you may find that your dough is stiffer or softer than usual, and that the amount of rising time it needs increases or decreases substantially. (A stiff dough takes longer to rise than a softer one.) Both the type of flour and the amount of humidity in the air play a role in determining the amount of water your dough may need, so don’t hesitate to add up to ¼ cup more if you feel the dough is too stiff. And if the dough is too soft and sticky, add more flour.

Other things that may influence rising time are altitude and room temperature. High altitudes can reduce both the rising and baking times, so keep an eye on your dough. Similarly, a dough left to rise in a warm place will rise more quickly than one left in a cold or drafty room.

A final, perhaps more obvious, factor that will affect your bread is oven temperature. French bread is baked at relatively high temperatures to give color, flavor, and crunch to the crust. If you find the temperature too high, lower it 25 to 50 degrees. If you are using black pans or baking sheets, this is a good rule of thumb anyway.

FRENCH BREAD

[PAIN FRANÇAIS]

Although I do not consider myself a bread baker, never having formally studied the subject nor worked in a bakery, I do pride myself on the recipe and techniques I’ve put together for teaching French bread making to American home cooks. By following the suggestions in the recipe, your first loaf of bread will be a certain success.

The first step in bread making is combining the flour, water, and yeast to form a dough. Mixing these basic ingredients by hand can be a difficult and messy task, but with a food processor it becomes a snap.

Many bread recipes produce a sticky dough that needs to be formed on a floured surface and kneaded with floured hands to keep from sticking. Working with dough in this way can be difficult and messy for the novice. In my recipe the dough is rarely sticky, eliminating the need for additional flour and making the forming process much easier and neater.

Once the dough is mixed, it must rest to give the yeast time to grow. While the yeast grows, it emits carbon dioxide, which causes tiny air pockets to appear in the dough. This rising or leavening of the dough takes several hours and should not be rushed, because it is during this rising period that the bread also develops some of its flavor. Once the dough has risen to two or three times its original volume, it needs to be deflated, or punched down, and kneaded to release the gas. If the dough is left inflated too long, the bread will have a strong taste similar to baking soda from overexposure to carbon dioxide.

Many bakers allow their dough to rise three or four times, the flavor changing slightly with each rise. I have found that most people are unable to tell the difference in taste between two and three rises, so I suggest that you form your bread after the first rise to considerably shorten the time needed for making it. When you have the time, give it the additional rises, and determine for yourself if they are beneficial.

Traditionally, once formed and risen, and just before going into the oven, a loaf of bread’s surface is slashed with a sharp knife or razor blade to enhance its beauty and fullness when baked, and to prevent the crust from bursting as the moist interior expands more rapidly than the drier exterior. Slashing a fully risen, fragile loaf can cause it to deflate, producing both a low loaf and a low spirit. I recommend that you slash about halfway through the rise, when the loaf is more resilient, until you become more confident in your slashing. Should you forget to slash, there is no need to panic. Even if your loaf is not picture perfect, it will still taste great.

Many French bakeries use bread ovens that inject steam to moisten the surface of the bread as it bakes, creating a thicker and crunchier crust. Home bakers have tried to simulate the professional steam oven in a variety of ways. Some have put pans of boiling water in their ovens to create steam; some open their oven door to spray their baking loaves with a plant mister; others put ice cubes on the bottom of their hot ovens, while others merely brush their loaves with water to produce the thicker crust. However, if the surface of your dough has been kept moist by being well covered throughout the rising process (in my method, I use plastic wrap instead of the usual kitchen towel, which lets air dry out the dough’s surface), no additional moisture is needed to produce a crisp and crunchy crust.

To bake baguettes, the typical 16- to 18-inch-long loaves of French bread, you can use baking sheets or, if you have them, baguette pans, special long loaf pans designed for French bread.

MAKES 2 TO 3 BAGUETTES

1 package active dry yeast or ½ ounce fresh yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ cup warm (90°F to 115°F) water

3¼ cups (455g) unbleached all-purpose flour, or half bread flour and half all-purpose (see “Bread Basics,”
page 338
)

1 teaspoon salt

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons cold water

Oil for baguette pans or all-purpose flour for baking sheet

1.
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Let sit until foamy and showing signs of life, 2 to 5 minutes. If the yeast is not active, discard and start again with new yeast.

2.
Place the flour and salt in a food processor and add the dissolved yeast. With the processor running, add the cold water in a steady stream and process until the mixture forms a smooth dough, 40 to 60 seconds.

3.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface. It should be soft, smooth, and easy to knead. To test it, squeeze the dough in one hand, lift it into the air, and let it fall back onto the work surface. If the dough leaves your hands clean, it is perfect. If it sticks to your hands, sprinkle it with a little flour and knead until smooth and no longer sticky. If the dough is too firm or dry, dip your fingers into water and plunge them into the dough. Knead the dough and repeat the process until the dough has softened.

4.
Tuck the edges of the dough underneath itself, and press to form into a flat round or disc. Place the dough in a large bowl or saucepan (4- to 5-quart) and cover tightly with plastic wrap or a lid (the plastic should not touch the dough). Allow the dough to rest in a cool room until doubled in size, 1½ to 2 hours. The dough is ready when a clear impression remains when a finger is inserted into its center.

5.
While the dough rises, oil your baguette pans. If using a baking sheet, sprinkle enough flour on it to prevent the dough from touching it.

6.
Punch down the dough and turn it onto the work surface. Knead about 30 seconds, to force out air bubbles that formed during the rising. (If desired, the dough can now be given one to two additional risings in the bowl.)

7.
Cut the dough into two or three equal portions, each weighing ½ to ¾ pound, depending on the size of your pans, and cover the pieces you are not working on with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.

8.
Flatten one of the portions of dough with your fingers into a rectangular shape, pressing out the air bubbles as they move to the edge of the dough. Depending on the width of your rectangle, fold the dough in half or in thirds lengthwise to form a long, narrow piece of dough about 2 inches wide. Press down on the edges as you fold the dough to seal them and to break any air bubbles that may still appear. Elongate the dough by rolling it back and forth with the flat palms and extended fingers of your hands, and at the same time moving your hands from the center down to the ends. The dough should resemble a piece of rope, measuring approximately 1 inch in diameter, and be the same length as your baguette pan or baking sheet.

9.
If using baguette pans, place the loaves into the prepared pans and cover completely with plastic wrap. If using a baking sheet, cover the loaves with a deep roasting pan. Neither the plastic wrap nor the roasting pan should touch the rising dough. If they do, the dough will stick. In such cases, you should remove the plastic wrap (carefully to prevent the loaves from falling) and then carefully re-cover the dough. Let the loaves rise about 30 minutes, or until risen by half.

10.
Uncover the loaves and make three or four diagonal slashes in each loaf with a sharp knife—a serrated knife works well. Each slash should be 3 to 4 inches long and about ½ inch deep, and, if possible, the blade should be held at a 45-degree angle to the loaf. Re-cover the loaves and allow them to continue rising until doubled or tripled in size, about 45 minutes.

11.
Preheat the oven to 450°F with the oven rack placed in the lowest position.

12.
Remove the plastic or roasting pan and bake the loaves until evenly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. If they begin to brown more on top than on the bottom, turn them over in the pans or baking sheet for the last 5 minutes.

13.
Transfer the loaves to a rack to cool. Do not be concerned if you hear the crust cracking. When the bread is completely cool, freeze any that is not to be eaten within 24 hours. (Frozen bread will keep for several weeks, well wrapped in plastic or aluminum foil. To serve, reheat until the crust crackles when squeezed: 10 minutes at 350°F if frozen, 5 minutes at 400°F if thawed.)

C
OATING
B
AKING
S
HEETS

If you are baking your loaves on a baking sheet, do not oil it as you would a bread pan, or they will spread out rather than up. Instead, coat the sheet with enough of a layer of flour to keep the bread from touching the sheet. The flour will not change the bread’s flavor, but if you feel so inspired, try coating your baking sheet with cornmeal, sesame seeds, caraway, or poppy seeds to add another dimension to your bread.

VARIATIONS

P
ITA
B
READ

[PAIN LIBANAIS]

Pita is definitely not French, but is common in France because of the large numbers of North African and Middle Eastern immigrants. It doesn’t need a final rising before baking and bakes in just a few minutes.

Follow the recipe through step 4. Preheat the oven to 500°F and place an uncoated baking sheet or baking stone on the lowest rack of the oven. Omit step 5 and after following step 6, form the dough into a long sausage-like shape and cut off 2- to 4-ounce pieces. Keep the pieces covered with plastic wrap when not being worked with. Flatten each piece with your fingers until it is as thin as possible. Place (or toss) these flat, pancake-like pieces of dough onto the hot sheet or stone. The pita will puff and bake in about 4 minutes. If they are beginning to get too brown, turn them after 3 minutes. Cool on a rack.

R
OUND
L
OAF

[BOULE]

Follow the recipe through step 7 and form one round loaf as illustrated (at right). Preheat the oven to 425°F with the rack placed in the lowest position. Place the loaf on a baking sheet (sprinkled with flour), cover with a bowl or pot, and let rise until doubled or tripled in size, about 1 hour. Just before placing in the oven, make a slash about 1 inch deep through the center. Bake until evenly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a rack.

W
HOLE
-W
HEAT
B
READ