Which could actually be a subtitle for my blog, don't you think?
I decided to make bread this week. Not just any bread--I've made bread for years, though not on a really regular basis. Julia Child's bread.
I had borrowed the library's copy of this
and after trying her cornmeal pizza crust, I had to order a copy for us before I could return it. Crazy to spend $50 on a cookbook for just one recipe, you say? You didn't try the pizza crust. Amazing stuff. I think we've had pizza once a week ever since. However, I decided that since there are more than just 2 pages and one recipe in this book, maybe I should try a second recipe. So I picked the whole wheat bread.
It is actually a 2-day process, because
in a 4-cup measuring cup
(which she is VERY specific about), you mix up water, yeast, and sugar and set it in a warm place overnight. Andy was a bit disgruntled to learn that I will turn the heat up for a yeast sponge but not for
him, but the sponge doesn't get handmade sweaters, so I think it all evens out.
Why does it specifically have to be a 4-cup measuring cup, you might ask? No idea. Yesterday, I ended up with this
so it isn't a matter of it overflowing, but I think the whole point is to make it easier to pour the liquid through the hole in a food processor lid. Julia is kind enough to provide instructions for mixing it up in a food processor, though I'm guessing it's a pretty good way to kill off a food processor or two. I got it all combined without killing ours (barely), then it was time for the first rising. Julia says the French don't grease the bowl that the dough will rise in.
That's fine, but then the French need to come up with a good way to get the darn dough back OUT of the bowl once it has risen. Rise number two got a little spritz of olive oil
I'm not saying the French are wrong on this one, but how far do I really want to trust people who think snails are a delicacy? (Not that I haven't had escargot, but every time I've had it, it was just a butter & garlic delivery device, and while I can appreciate THAT part, couldn't it be something a bit less slimy?)
The next step was to form the dough into a sort of cushion, pinching the ends together to seal
which was actually a lot tougher than it sounds. I had to do a lot of pinching before it would finally stick together and I still ended up with a bit of a hole. THEN
it was time for a THIRD rising, tucked between two "lightly floured" towels. I've never floured a towel before, so I'm not quite clear on how much is "lightly floured" and how much is "heavily floured," so I just aimed for "slightly-less-flour-than-is-on-my-shirt-by-now."
The really exciting step was when I slid it onto the hot baking stone and--per Julia's instructions--threw 1/2 cup of water into the bottom of the electric oven. I get the whole steam idea, but I did struggle to get past the whole "water + electric heating element = bad idea" prejudice I seem to have acquired. Of course, Julia was right and there were no explosions, fires, or other disasters, and I believe the oven still works--though it's going to be a few days before I go near it again.
Another two hours later......
The crust is a little bit darker than it should be, but since the baking directions are completely vague & "when it feels light" doesn't really cut it when there are options like turn down to 400, then to 375 for large loaves but without the "when" detail, I was just pleased that it even resembled bread.
Earlier this year I was scoffing at the idea of paying $5.00 a loaf for "artisan" breads at the Farmer's Market, but
now I have an entirely new appreciation of their price.
I would have charged $1000.
6 comments:
Ooh, it looks fabulous!
Okay, now I have to ask- have you encountered a book called 'Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day'? This was recommended to me, and skeptically, I got it out of the library to try it. After the first test, I went out and bought my own copy.
It's a collection of recipes for wet dough method breads, which you mix up, *don't knead*, let do a modest first rise, and then can store in the fridge for up to two weeks. When you want to bake it, you whack off a chunk, sprinkle a bit of flour on it, shape it and let it rise for 20 minutes, then pop it in the oven. (There's no kneading at all.)
You use the steam bath method to get the nice chewy crust (I pour the water into cookie sheet on the another shelf of the oven though, not the bottom). And it's pretty darn good bread. (And I need to go home and mix up some dough for it tonight- just looking at your photo is making me hungry.)
That should read 'let rise for 40 minutes'...
This line made ma laugh out loud (which is a little dangerous when drinking tea!): "Andy was a bit disgruntled to learn that I will turn the heat up for a yeast sponge but not for him, but the sponge doesn't get handmade sweaters, so I think it all evens out."
Following the instructions really sounds like a labour rather than a pleasure.
That book mentioned by RobinH ("Artisan bread in 5 minutes a day") sounds interesting.
I was always told by my mum that you needed to put a cup with water in with the bread to get a nice crispy crust. But pouring it out? Man alive! as if my oven isn't messy enough yet?
And it looks like it's worth $1000
I have also heard a recommendation for Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day, from a friend who makes all of her bread due to her husband's allergies. It's on my Christmas list, since the recipes from both of my current books take enough time that I don't bake as often as I would like to have homemade bread. I really like both of them, though. Dough is my favorite, though, because the technique DVD that comes with it is so helpful. Also, instead of throwing the water in the oven, which scares me the same way it scares you, I use another breadmaker's technique and I put an iron skillet on the other oven rack. When the oven is preheated and I put the bread in, I throw a couple of cubes of ice into the skillet. It steams right up, too, but you can aim it right into the skillet easily.
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