Yes it was a sad day yesterday when I FINALLY discovered why my bread was not what it was suppose to be. Many of the older baking books stressed the need to "proof" the yeast before using it in baking bread. After all, it is 2012 and the new strains of yeast are fool proof, right? Wrong. The last batch of bread was so bad that I doubt if the birds will eat it. It was probably April or May of 2010 when my yeast was purchased, when it died completely is not clear. Therefore, at least four half loaves of bread now in the freezer will be saved for the birds, if they will eat it.
Today, Thanksgiving, I am making two loaves of Basic Artisan Bread and fine tuning the recipe based on what I have learned during the last two years of trying to be a great Sous Chef.
One thing I learned the hard way was that it was better to separate the dough into two pieces right after mixing the dough.
When I tried to upload a picture, Google came on and said I had used up my 1 GB of free storage and for a mere $2.95 a month it would let me continue. FAT CHANCE ! Until I can figure out how to get around this, there will not be any pictures.
Revised Basic Artisan Bread recipe follows:
À bientôt,
Mr Nut
Basic Artisan Bread
Oct 14, 2011 revamped 11-22-12
European style: (Crisp-crust; large air spaces)
Inspired by The Basic No-Knead Bread from Jim Lahey’s My Bread page 61
Modified for 7 qt Cuisinart stand mixer.with speeds from 1 to 12
Yield: Two seven inch rounds
Planning was crucial: Mixing time for the ingredients was minimal. Then the dough was divided into two pieces. The first fermentation required from 12 to preferably 18 hours. Each piece of dough was folded unto itself and “shaped” into rounds and fermented for about another 1 to 2 hours. The longer fermentation tended to result in a more flavorful bread. Even a 12 hour rise was acceptable.
7 cups (35 ounces; 980 g ) Bread flour
1 tablespoon Sea salt
1/2 teaspoon instant dry yeast
1/4 cup Dough Enhancer
1/4 cup Millet "beads"
Almost three cups water
1.In the stand mixer bowl, using the Chef Whisk on speed one, mix the Blue ingredients.
2. Change to the Flat Paddle at speed 2 and slowly add the Red Ingredient and mix just until you have a workable dough.
3. Divide the dough into two pieces.
4. The first Fermentation: (12 to 18 hours) Move the dough to oiled bowls. Cover the bowls to prevent evaporation and let it sit at room temperature (about 72-75℉ a heating pad helps), out of direct sunlight, until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is doubled in size. This will take a minimum of 12 hours and preferably up to 18 hours. This slow fermentation makes a more flavorful bread. NOTES: Long low temperature (70s℉) fermentation allows both the yeast and bacteria to feed on the sugars in the dough, which enhances the flavor.
5. Second Fermentation: Remove the dough to a floured work surface. Each piece of dough was folded unto itself and “shaped” into rounds. Set out two 15-inch squares of baking parchment paper. Generously dust them with flour. Place each round into the center of the parchment papers. Generously dust the rounds with more flour. Tent the dough with larger bowls. Let them ferment for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
6. Prepare Oven: 20 minutes before baking time, put a rack in the middle of the oven with the Dutch ovens; preheat the oven to 450°F. If you have a pizza stone place it near the bottom of the oven it will act as a heat sink.
7. Final Dough preparation: Using the parchment paper as a sling, carefully lift the dough into the HOT pots; take care not to touch the hot pot. Spray water onto the loaf and Immediately top the pots with its lid.
8. Baking: Bake on the lower rack for 30 minutes. Remove the lid. Using the parchment paper, lift the loaf from the pot and remove the parchment paper. Place a piece of aluminum foil on the oven rack. Then place the loaves on the aluminum foil (If the top is browned to your satisfaction, cover the loaves with foil and finish baking.). Bake for 25 to 35 minutes longer, (watch the tops for brownness) until a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just a few crumbs on the tip (or until the center registers about 200-205°F on an instant-read thermometer). Then bake for 5 minutes longer to ensure the center is baked through. Note: the appearance of the loaves is more important in determining the doneness of the loaves than the internal temperature (from Cook's illustrated magazine, May-June 2011 page 31). Cool thoroughly on a wire rack.
9. SERVING AND STORING: Cool before slicing and storing. The flavor improves after several hours of storage. To maintain the crisp crust, store in a large bowl draped with a clean tea towel or in a heavy paper bag. Or store airtight in a plastic bag or foil: The crust will soften, but can be crisped by heating the loaf, uncovered, in a hot oven for a few minutes. The bread will keep at room temperature for 3 days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.
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