The Bread Baker's Apprentice

The cut should be on an angle, not straight down, so the slit is almost parallel to the surface of the bread.

That is why the key step in shaping a boule is to press firmly on the bottom crease to tighten the surface (like getting the wrinkles out of a sheet).

One of the techniques that bakers often use to minimize mixing (and thus to reduce oxidation that causes natural bleaching of the flour) is to mix the flour and water for only a few minutes, enough time to hydrate the flour fully, and then let the dough rest for 20 minutes. During this resting, or what the French call the autolyse, the protein mole

The delayed-fermentation technique, revealed to me by Gosselin, and intuited by many others without knowing why, is all about how enzymes affect fermentation and release flavor. At culinary schools, we teach a fundamental principle: flavor rules. But to release flavors, remember enzymes.

Raymond Calvel might be coming to town. (Note: When I first wrote these words, the esteemed bread teacher of bread teachers was in his late eighties and had already committed his knowledge to a superb series of videos he made with the Bread Bakers Guild of America in 1994. He passed away in 2005.)

The Poilâne loaves, these two-kilo country miches, have become so distinctively associated with Poilâne that it is easy to forget that hundreds of other bakers throughout France make similar loaves called the same thing. They are round, not too high, about four inches thick and twelve inches in diameter, dusty with the excess surface flour from the

When making lean, crusty breads, it’s important to employ gentle handling to retain as much of the carbon dioxide as possible after the primary fermentation. These small pockets of holes become the foundation for the large, irregular holes formed during proofing and during baking that are the hallmark of high-quality hearth breads.

Transfer this sponge to a clean plastic, glass, or ceramic storage container that is twice as large as the barm is. When transferring it to the container, repeatedly dip your hand, spatula, or bowl scraper in water to keep the barm from sticking to it. Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap and ferment at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours,

As a general rule, a higher percentage of protein (gluten) in flour translates to more water absorption and slightly longer mixing times.