IN BREAD WE CRUST

Dark rye made with rye levain, and rye meal and oat flake soaker.

This particular loaf has become a mainstay in our home.....It is a fragrant, aromatic  and tangy loaf that lends itself well to cheese, cold meats and especially big, honkin' sandwiches.  The dough itself is a 2 stage mix, with just the flour(s), wheat gluten and the H2O, allowed to autolyse for 15 minutes. MIxing is on 2nd speed, for 5 minutes to develop the gluten, then the salt  and soaker is added. At this time the mixture can usually benefit from a water addition, as the gluten sucks up a lot   of moisture, and we all know  that "water is the baker's friend".  The   final result  is a rather sticky (like all ryes) mass, that  will get a 2 hour fermentation, with 2 turns.  The loaves are then divided/shaped into 1KG batards.  Final proofing, in couches will take approximately 90 minutes.  Oven temp 360F, lots of steam, and about a 70 minute bake......Voila.

Anatomy of the Rustique.

The   core   of most bakeries, IMHO,  should be a commitment to excellence:   Properly prepared items/products for   consumer   consumption.  My rule of thumb has always been it has to be good enough for me, and then some.   Pastry people, bakers, chefs    are VERY hard on themselves, and well.........They should be.   I was once  told , "You are   only as good as your last loaf of bread".  Thus, I strive to NOT make an unsatisfactory loaf, ever.  I digress.  This flagship white loaf, called "Rustioque", is a Raymond Calvel inspired white bread that uses a large amount of preferment:  150% in this case.   It   produces a dough that proofs very quickly,   at a very moderate temperature, 78F.  It is as I like to say, a "happy" dough.  Full of life, and raring to go.  The ingredients  are combined till moistened,  and allowed to autolyse for anywhere between 15-45 minutes.                                                                                        

via dohhead.typepad.com

Home baked papa-sized liquid levain loaf, circa 2006.

 
This baby was mixed in   Kitchenaid, with a 30 minute autolyse.  100% liquid levain, unbleached AP flour, sea salt, and .25% fresh yeast.   The loaf had a 30 minute primary fermentation, with a turn, a second  fermentation for 60 minutes, a gentle shaping, than a final proofing  till the volume  doubled.  Oven temp 360F, baked on a clay stone, oven cavity spritzed generously with H2O, as well as the loaf itself.  About 75 minutes, till the internal temp registered 210F.  Very tasty, open-crumbed, a little malty, on the tongue, with just a hint of sour.
 

MO for this blog..........

Look, I love bread...........I love it's smell, it's texture, it's crustiness.........I love how it crackles  when it cools, I love that roasted grain look it has, as it comes off the hearth,  I love the eggy, buttery taste that a toasted Challah has, or the  pungent tang of a dark rye, or the nutty , subtleness of a rustique.  The robust  , in-your-face ness of a multigrain.........Hey, I could go on and on, and I know how to beat a dead horse, (so says my better half!).  Anyways, my goal is simple:  I want to talk about, write about, hear about, know about, see about......Bread.  I welcome your comments, critiques, observations, qualms.....Bring 'em on, I have thick skin, and an even thicker head.  I will be posting exerpts of my baking day, as well as photos aplenty, as they become available.  If you have some great  photos of your own tangible actualizations, then E- them to me.  I'd be happy to post them.  Cheers all, Dohhead.