TastyTuesdays- Fresh baked bread!

I've been baking, every two days, for some time now. It's really pretty fun! It's very intensive in the beginning as you learn the process, but once you get it down, you begin to relax into it and develop a habit. Habits turn into a comfort zone, you even get a little bored, so you experiment a bit more. Before you know it, you're making giant, amazing loaves, maybe even sprinkled with herbs or poppyseeds, When you first try these recipes, don't feel bad that your loaves come out totally uneven with crusts that look like gray human skin. It takes a while to get used to the technique! Just keep at it, no matter what, every two or three days, and eventually, you'll be turning out perfect, crispy loaves that will make all your friends go: "WOW!" Mine are still pretty pathetic looking for the most part, as you can see, but they taste GREAT!

I grew up with a loaf or two of fresh baguette on the breakfast table every morning. In fact, in France, the first person to get up, if they are feeling generous, usually sneaks out to the corner bakery to pick up some hot bread and a couple of croissants to serve the rest of the family for breakfast. Our bakers baked at night, which I only know because I would sneak out as a teenager to hang out with the other village kids. We would convene in the town square, usually on the steps of the Church, laughing and giggling together in the night as the sweet smell of rising dough and baking crusts filled the air and the sounds of life in the bakery kitchens below warmed us up.
Every French baker has his own recipe and his own techniques. As a baker, you will develop your own, turning again and again to the same bowls and the same dough scrapers, the same cabinets or shelves, and eventually, as I said, you will have altered this recipe and this technique to make it "yours."

The recipe is for a traditional "Pain au Levain," a French Sourdough, which I often make in the round "boule" shape (a ball loaf) but which works great as a torpedo loaf as well. These loaves cost around $3.26 to buy at the grocery store, but cost me about $.30 to make.  This is NOT an easy bread recipe, and there are many far easier and less time consuming bread recipes to choose from. However, this is my favorite, and I use it whenever I bake, which is every two days. You should also know that though the recipe calls for a specific type of flour, I have successfully used all types of flours-- I have substituted whole wheat for white wheat and vice versa and it has always come out fine and interesting and tasty. In our house, we try to avoid bleached out carbs, so we LIKE the whole wheat, but some of you may not. I leave it up to you to decide how best to meet your own nutrition goals. The recipe is adapted from the wonderful book "Bread Alone."

Equipment you will need:
a large mixing bowl - I use a cheapo plastic bowl I bought at the dollar store.
a large tupperware that holds a few quarts.- I use an ice tea pitcher made of plastic, lol.
a wooden cutting board
a good, sharp knife
a plastic or wooden mixing spoon.

Step One: Making the Chef (this is the "starter" of the "starter" (levain) you will use.)

DAY ONE
20% bran wheat or whole wheat flour 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp
Spring Water (not tap water, not purified water) 1/2 cup
Dry yeast a pinch

Combine everything into a 2-3 quart plastic container with a lid. Stir well enough to make a thick, soft dough. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, cover tightly with the lid, and let sit in a moderate (about 70) place for 24 hours.

DAY TWO

20% bran wheat or whole wheat flour 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp

Spring Water (not tap water, not purified water) 1/2 cup

The Chef should have doubled in volume. There will be tiny bubbles and a very distinct, musty smell. Add the flour and water and vigorously stir to oxygenate. Scrape down the sides, cover tightly as before, and let stand in a moderate place for 24 hours.

DAY THREE

20% bran wheat or whole wheat flour 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp

Spring Water (not tap water, not purified water) 1/2 cup

Today, the chef will have the consistency of thick batter (think pancakes) and will smell super "agressively vinaigary."  If you don't want to make the Levain immediately, you can refrigerate the chef for up to three days. Otherwise, see below.

THE LEVAIN

20% bran wheat or whole wheat flour 1 1/4 cups

Chef (full batch)

Dump the flour directly into the box with the chef and stir like crazy until it forms a stiffer dough.

(this is when the tang gets determined, so make sure it is stiff!)

Scrape down the sides, cover tightly, and let stand in a cool to moderate draft free place for 8 to 10 hours.

AND NOW: THE FINAL DOUGH

MAKE THE FINAL DOUGH

Measure out two cups of the levain but DO NOT DISCARD or REMOVE THE REST and combine with 2 1/4 cups spring water in a large bowl. Break it up until it is frothy, even working it with your fingers if necessary. Add 1 cup of  flour and stir until well ocmbined. Add 1 tblsp fine sea salt and enough dough so that it becomes difficult to stir. Turn out onto a well floured board and knead, adding more flour as needed until dough is soft and smooth (total flour will end up being about 5 cups) Knead. The dough is ready when a little dough pulled from the mass springs back quickly. Shape it into a ball and let it sit while you scrape and clean the bowl, then LIGHTLY oil it and put the ball of dough in. Turn it once to coat the ball, and then cover with some plastic wrap and place in a moderately warm place for 2 hours.

FEED THE NEW BATCH OF CHEF:

Take the remainder of the Levain in the same 2 quart box and add 3/4 cups plus 2 tbsp spring water and 1/2 cup 20% Bran wheat or whole wheat flour to the box. Stir vigorously, and place in your refrigerator. This will be the chef you use next time-- in a few days-- to create Levain again. Chef MUST be "fed" every week, so once a week make sure to stir in 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp flour and 1/2 cup springwater.

DIVIDE AND REST

Deflate it, transfer to a lightly floured working surface and knead briefly. Cut it into two equal pieces and shape each piece into a little round ball.  Cover with plastic wrap or a clean, damp towel and place in a moderately warm place for 30 mins.

SHAPE THE LOAVES

Flatten the balls with the heel of your hand and shape them into torpedoes.

PROOF THE LOAVES

Place the loaves seam side up on a well-floured couche (this is the part where I just flour the baking stone and  place the shaped loaves on them) Cover with a clean damp cloth or plastic wrap and place in a moderately warm spot for a couple hours until an indentation remains when you press the dough with your fingertip.

Preheat the oven to 450.

SCORE AND BAKE THE LOAVES

Using a super sharp knife, score the loaves by making quick, shallow cuts 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep along the surface. Slide the loaves from the peel to the baking stone OR stick the pans or stones with the loaves already on them in the oven. :P

Spray the inner walls of the oven with water (you can use a spritzer but I use my fingers and a glass of water.) QUICKLY close the door again to trap the steam it creates. Repeat several times throughout the baking process.

DO NOT spray the lightbulb, as it can shatter.

Bake 25-30 minutes. Remove and hold the loaves upside down. STrike the bottoms firmly with your finger. If the sound is hollow, the breads are done. if not, bake 5 mins longer. Cool on a wire rack and DEVOUR.

You can bake at night or bake in the morning, just work backwards from the time you want fresh baked loaves to figure when to start making the levain.

Enjoy!!! Let me know how it goes or if you have questions.