playing with technique

When I was helping my Mom finish her Christmas shopping, I bought myself a new cookbook.  I know, surprise!  It is called Bien Cuit:  the Art of Bread.  I will not say that the breads in this book are earth shattering but I will say that the attention to technique is fabulous.  I love Zachary Golpers attention to detail and explanations of technique.  I have not put this book away since I opened it about two weeks ago.  Yes, it took that long.

He weighs his ingredients, which I am really liking because it gives me the consistency of starters I like.  He does what he calls rolling and pulling which is exactly how I knead.  Do not know where I learned that especially since one of the people he trained with was a MOF.  He does folds the dough about three times for each type he makes.  And his dough is not like the Tartine bakeries cookbooks where the hydration is so high that it is a pain to work with.  It is a nice soft dough.

The only thing I have changed is that I only use levain or sourdough.  I have not active dry yeast in the house.  Every recipe has worked so far and turned out well.  I have a feeling even my every day sandwich bread will turn out better the next time I make it using his techniques.

The pane dolce in these pictures is just lovely.  I am making it again tonight.  Once I leave the computer I have dough to put in the refrigerator.  I will bake it tomorrow night.  I am going to have to twist his directions and shape when it comes out because  I do not have room in my refrigerator for shaped dough to rise.  I need a refrigerator just for baking.

I made a chocolate loaf and a walnut currant loaf using his techniques.  So good!  More bread to be made!  My overflow bread friends are waiting.