Rustic Boule Food

ARTISAN BOULE

Steps:

• Poolish: In a small bowl, stir together yeast, water, and bread flour until it has the consistency of thick pancake batter. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature 8 to 12 hours.
• Dough: In a liquid-measuring cup, stir together yeast and water until yeast is dissolved. Place poolish and both flours in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Add yeast mixture and mix on medium-low speed until a sticky dough forms, about 2 minutes. Add salt and increase speed to medium-high; mix until dough is smooth and elastic, and cleans sides and bottom of bowl, about 9 minutes. Scrape dough onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a ball with oiled hands, then transfer to a large oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• On a lightly floured surface, pat dough into a 12-by-10-inch rectangle with one short side parallel to edge of work surface. Fold dough into thirds, aligning edges carefully. Fold dough in half. This completes one turn. Flip dough so seams are facing downward and gently shape into a ball. Return to oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees with a pizza stone on center rack, and a cast-iron skillet on rack below. Be sure to remove any additional racks from oven.
• Place a sheet of parchment on a pizza peel or unrimmed baking sheet and lightly dust with flour; set aside. On a lightly floured surface, repeat folding process to complete a second turn. Gather corners of dough and pinch together, then flip dough over, shaping into a tight ball. Transfer dough, seam-side down, to prepared pizza peel, adjusting shape as needed. Loosely cover with oiled plastic. Let stand in a warm spot until puffy and full of air, about 45 minutes.
• Lightly dust surface of bread with flour. Using an oiled razor blade or a very sharp knife, score surface in a decorative pattern. Working as quickly as possible, carefully slide parchment from peel onto pizza stone. Pull just enough of heated skillet out of oven to add ice before closing oven door. Bake until bread is deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into center reads 205 degrees, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.

SOURDOUGH BOULE

Steps:

• Mix the flour and 1 1/2 cups of the water in a large bowl until a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl with a lid or plate and let stand until the flour absorbs the water, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Add the sourdough starter, salt and remaining 3 tablespoons water to the dough. Squeeze and twist with your hands until a sticky dough forms (it will be soupy at first, but continue mixing). Knead the dough in the bowl by scooping under the dough, stretching it up and twisting it while you rotate the bowl a quarter turn; slap down the dough and repeat. Continue kneading until the dough smooths out and pulls away from the bowl, 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and cover with a lid. Let rest in a warm place, 30 minutes.
• Uncover the dough. Gently reach under the dough with a wet hand, stretch it up as far as it will go without tearing, then fold the dough over itself. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat three times; this is a set of turns. Do another set of turns, then re-cover the bowl and return to a warm place to rest, 30 minutes.
• Do two sets of turns every 30 minutes until the dough has increased in size by one-third and has large bubbles in spots, 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 more hours, covering the bowl after each time. After the last set of turns, cover the bowl and let the dough rest another 30 minutes.
• Turn out the dough onto a generously floured work surface. Slide a bench scraper or large spatula underneath and fold the dough in half. Cup floured hands around the dough and gently roll it in a circular motion into a taut ball. Let rest, uncovered, 20 minutes (the dough will flatten a little).
• Line a medium bowl with a clean lint-free towel and dust generously with flour. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour, then slide a bench scraper or large spatula underneath and flip it over. Working gently to not deflate the dough, pull each of the four "sides" of the dough up and into the center, folding the last side to cover the whole top of the dough. Roll the dough over so the seams are on the bottom. Slide a bench scraper or large spatula underneath and gently invert the dough into the towel-lined bowl with the seam up. Cover loosely with the overhanging towel. Let rest in the refrigerator, at least 8 hours and up to 18 hours.
• About 30 minutes before baking, place a 10- to 11-inch Dutch oven with a lid in the middle of the oven and place a baking stone or large cast-iron skillet on the bottom rack to absorb the heat; preheat to 450˚ F. Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven and uncover. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, uncover and lay a large round of parchment on top. Invert the dough onto the parchment. Carefully lower the dough (on the parchment) into the hot Dutch oven. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, make a few 1/4- to 1/2-inch-deep cuts in the top so that the dough can expand.
• Transfer the pot to the oven; cover with the lid. Bake until the bread has risen and the crust is pale, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the crust is browned and crisp and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 210˚ F, 25 to 35 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes in the pot, then transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 2 hours.

THE MIRACLE BOULE

Steps:

• Mix the flour, salt and yeast in a bowl. Stir in 1 1/2 cups/375 ml water to blend. What you'll have is a wet, shaggy, sticky dough, but not so wet as to be batter. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let it rest in a warm place for at least 12 hours, and up to 24 hours. It's ready for the next step when the surface is dotted with bubbles.
• Flour a work surface and dump the dough out onto it. Sprinkle over a little more flour and fold it once or twice. Cover with the tea towel and let rest 15 minutes.
• Using only enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to your fingers, shape the dough into a ball. Coat a cotton towel with cornmeal, wheat bran or flour and lay the dough on it, seam-side down. Dust with more cornmeal, wheat bran or flour. (You need quite a lot because you want to be sure the dough doesn't stick to the towel). Cover and let rise for about 2 hours. When ready, the dough will be more than double in size.
• Half an hour before the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F/230 degrees C. Put a 2-liter cast-iron pot or Dutch oven (cocotte) inside to heat.
• When the dough is ready, remove the pot from the oven and turn the dough into it, seam-side up. (It will look messy, but this is OK.) Shake the pot to settle the bread evenly. Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake until the loaf is nicely browned, another 15 to 30 minutes. Cool on a rack.

RUSTIC BOULE

Steps:

• Scrap Dough.
• Mixing: On the evening before you plan to bake the bread: In a small glass bowl, mix the yeast in ½ c lukewarm water (do the baby's bottle test on your wrist) and make sure that it bubbles (about 10 minutes).
• In a medium size bowl, mix flour, salt and 1/3 c of the yeasted water (reserve the extra for the Poolish).
• Kneading and Fermenting: Without adding extra flour, knead until smooth (about 5 minutes).
• Cover the scrap dough tightly with plastic.
• Leave to ferment at room temperature for about 3 hours, then refrigerate until the next morning.
• Poolish.
• Mixing: On the same evening before you plan to bake the bread: Put the flour in another medium size bowl.
• Add 1 Tbsp of the yeasted water from the Scrap Dough ingredients to 2/3 c lukewarm water and beat.
• This will be quite sloppy.
• Fermenting: Cover the bowl with plastic and ferment in refrigerator until the next morning.
• Actual Dough.
• Mixing: In the morning of the day you plan to bake the bread: In a small glass bowl, mix the yeast in 2 Tbsp lukewarm water (do the baby's bottle test on your wrist) and make sure that it bubbles (about 10 minutes).
• Put the flour in a large bowl.
• Pour the water into the fermented Poolish and stir it around a bit.
• Along with the yeasted water, pour the Poolish water into the large bowl with flour.
• Using a wooden spoon, mix until it is just combined.
• Knead it a few times to combine well.
• Cover with plastic and let it rest (Glezer uses the term"autolyse" for this) for about 20 minutes.
• Break the scrap dough up into smaller pieces.
• Add it with the salt to the rested dough.
• Turn the dough out of the bowl onto an unfloured work surface.
• Wash and dry the bowl.
• Kneading: Without adding extra flour, knead the dough until it is silky (about 10 minutes).
• Let your dough scraper (a spatula works) be your friend if the dough is sticking to the board.
• The dough should be soft and smooth.
• If it feels too stiff during mixing, add 1 or 2 Tbsp water.
• Proofing: Put the dough in the large bowl (should be large enough to allow the dough to expand by at least 3 times).
• Cover with plastic.
• Let it ferment at warm room temperature for 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes has passed, lightly sprinkle the work surface with flour.
• Carefully turn the dough out and lightly sprinkle the top of the dough with flour.
• Gently spread the dough out (try not to disturb the bubbles).
• Fold the left side into the center, then the top, then the right side then the bottom.
• Turn the dough over and fold in half once more.
• Place it back in the bowl smooth side up.
• Cover with plastic.
• Let it ferment at room temperature for 20 minutes again.
• Repeat this step twice.
• (This step is done at 20 minutes, 40 minutes, 60 minutes after the first kneading.) After those 20 minute sessions have passed, cover with plastic and let the dough rise undisturbed for about 2 hours until it has doubled and is light and bubbly.
• Shaping: Sprinkle a tiny bit of flour on the work surface.
• Gently turn the dough out, disturbing it as little as possible.
• Lightly sprinkle the top of the dough with flour.
• If you are making two boules, cut the dough in half.
• Gently spread the dough out (try not to disturb the bubbles).
• Fold the left side into the center, then the top, then the right side then the bottom.
• Turn it over.
• Continue to fold it underneath itself to form an even tight ball without actually deflating the dough.
• Place it seam side down on a parchment covered peel.
• Sprinkle generously with flour.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for an hour or more- until the dough is about doubled.
• To test, flour your finger and press gently on the edge- it should very slowly spring back.
• For comparison, try pressing early on to see how it quickly springs back when the dough has not risen enough.
• Baking: Thirty minutes before you are going to bake, put the baking stone on the second from the bottom rack.
• Pour water into a broiling pan and place it on the bottom rack of the oven.
• Turn oven to 475°F.
• At the time of baking, spray the top of the boule liberally with water.
• Put the bread in oven and immediately turn the oven down to 425°F.
• Bake the bread on the second lowest rack for 40- 45 minutes or until it is hollow sounding on the bottom.
• Half way through the baking, remove the tray of water and turn the bread around to account for uneven heat in the oven.
• When the bread is done, turn off the oven.
• Put the finished bread back in the oven and leave with the door ajar for 5 or 10 minutes.
• Remove to cool upended on cooling rack.
• Wait til the bread is completely cool before cutting it.
• If you want to eat warm bread, it is advisable to reheat the bread.
• The broiling pan of water in the oven is to create steam at the beginning of the baking time to make very crusty bread.
• Uneaten bread should be stored at room temperature.
• Bread can also be stored in the freezer- double bagged airtight plastic.
• Take it out of the freezer and leave it in the bag until the bread has thawed.
• To reheat the bread, turn the oven to 500 degrees F for 5 minutes or so.
• Turn the oven OFF.
• Put the bread in the oven for ten minutes.

ARTISAN BOULE BREAD

Steps:

• Mixing and Storing the Dough:.
• Note: If measuring flour rather than weighing, don't press down into the flour as you scoop it in with dry-ingredient measuring cups, By gently scooping up flour, then sweeping the top level with a knife or spatula.you willl get a more accurate measurement.
• In large plastic storage container (with lid) mix together the flour, yeast and salt.
• Add all the liquid at once and mix with a wooden spoon.
• If mixing becomes too difficult to incorporate all the flour with the spoon, reach into the mixing bowl with very wet hands and press the mixture together. Note: kneading isn't necessary.
• When everything is uniformly moist without dry patches your mixing is complete. This should take only a few minutes.
• The dough will be wet and loose enough to conform to the shape of its container.
• Cover with a lid (not airtight) that fits well on the container. Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse, or at least flattens on the top, about 2 hours, depending on the room's temperature and the initial water temperature. Longer rising times, up to about 5 hours, will not harm the result.
• You can use a portion of the dough anytime after this period. Fully refrigerated wet dough is less sticky and easier to work with than dough at room temperature. So the first time you try this method, it's best to refrigerate the dough overnight, or at least 3 hours, before shaping a loaf.
• The breads flavor improves with the retardation, so suggest you wait at least 24 hours before baking the first loaf! Dough may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
• To bake Boule (Round Loaf):.
• First, prepare a pizza peel by sprinkling it liberally with cornmeal to prevent the loaf from sticking (or use parchment paper).
• With wet hands, pull up one end of the refrigerated dough. Using a serrated knife, cut off a 1-pound, or grapefruit-size, piece of dough. Hold the mass of dough in your hands; if it sticks, add a little flour until the dough no longer sticks to your hand. Gently stretch the surface of the dough on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Most of the dusting flour will fall off. The bottom of the loaf may appear to be a collection of bunched ends, but they will flatten out during resting and baking. The dough ball should be smooth and cohesive and take no more than 30 to 60 seconds to shape.
• Now it's decision time, which method to use for baking.
• COVERED POT METHOD:.
• Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 60 - 90 minutes.
• About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place 6- to 8-quart heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (with lid) on rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly flour top of dough and, using razor blade or sharp knife, make one 6-inch-long, 1/2-inch-deep slit along top of dough.
• Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid.
• Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot (let any excess parchment hang over pot edge).
• Cover pot and place in oven.
• Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake covered for 20 minutes.
• Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 200 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes longer.
• Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
• BAKING ON GRILL:.
• First make a 'pillow' of aluminum foil and place in the bottom of the pot. This prevent the bottom from burning. To assure that the bottom does not burn, I also place the pot on a heat diffuser. Preheat the grill and pan to 450 degrees . . . from here follow the oven directions above.
• BAKING ON STONE::.
• Place the shaped ball on the prepared pizza peel (or parchment paper), cover and allow to rest 60 - 90 minutes.
• Place a baking stone on the lowest rack of the oven.
• Place an empty broiler tray (I use my cast-iron skillet) on an oven shelf, making sure it will not interfere with the rising bread as it bakes.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees 20 minutes before baking.
• Spray top of dough with cold water (which allows a knife to slash through the dough without sticking). Use a serrated bread knife to slash a 1/4-inch-deep cross or tic-tac-toe pattern onto the top.
• Slide the loaf off the pizza peel onto the preheated baking stone using a quick, forward jerking motion. If using parchment just lift off peel and place on stone.
• Pour 1 cup hot water into the broiler tray and close oven door to trap steam.
• Bake about 30-35 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and sounds hollow when tapped.
• The loaf will crackle, or "sing," when initially exposed to room-temperature air.
• Allow to cool on a wire rack for best flavor, texture and easy slicing.
• Store remaining dough in the refrigerator in your lidded container and use during the next 10 days.
• Additional ideas on how to use this recipe:.
• Pita Bread: Recipe #310219.
• Lavash: Recipe #310451.
• Flatbread: Recipe #TBA.