* Exported from MasterCook *
Bread, French-style Country
Recipe By :Brinna Sands
Serving Size : 69 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Bread Bread-Bakers Mailing List
Posted
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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Starter:
1 cup water -- (227g), cool to lukewarm 90F to 100F
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast -- or instant yeast
150 grams bread flour -- (1 1/4C)
28 grams whole wheat flour -- (1/4C)
Dough:
all of the starter
1 cup water -- (227g), lukewarm 100F to 115F
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast -- or 3/4tsp active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar -- (14g)
450 grams bread flour -- to 480g (3 3/4C to 4C)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt -- to 2 1/4tsp, to taste
To make the starter: Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently
spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Stir all of the
starter ingredients together to make a thick, pudding-like mixture.
Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 2 hours. For
best flavor, let the starter rest longer; overnight (up to 16 hours)
is best. If you plan on making the dough in a bread machine, place
the sponge ingredients in the bucket, and turn the machine on for
just a few seconds to mix the ingredients together. Turn the machine
off and close the cover, then let the starter rest as directed above.
To make the dough: Stir down the starter with a spoon and add the
water, yeast, sugar, 3 1/4 cups (390g) of the flour, and the salt.
The dough will be a loose, messy mass. Let it rest for 12 to 15
minutes, then stir it again; it should become more cohesive and a bit
smoother. Dough handles better once it's had time for the flour to
absorb the water while resting and relaxing. By using this method,
you'll tend to add less flour, and have much bigger holes in your
finished bread.
Knead the dough, adding up to an additional 3/4 cup (90g) flour (as
necessary to make a soft dough), 10 to 12 minutes.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or plastic container, cover
with lightly greased plastic wrap, and let it rise until almost
doubled (depending on the weather, this could be 1 to 2 hours). If
you're going out, or if you prefer, let the dough rise slowly in the
fridge. If your dough has been refrigerated, allow it to come to room
temperature before shaping; it'll warm up and rise at the same time.
Deflate the dough gently, but don't knock out all the air; this will
create those "holes" so important to French bread. For one large
loaf, form the dough into a round ball; for two loaves, divide the
dough in half and shape into two balls.
Place a semolina- or cornmeal-dusted piece of parchment paper onto a
baking sheet. Gently place the ball(s) of dough on the baking sheet,
seam-side down.
Cover the bread gently with lightly greased plastic wrap, and let it
rise until it's puffy and about 40% to 50% larger, anywhere from 45
to 90 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 475F.
Slash or cross-hatch the bread with a sharp knife or lame. Dust it
with a little flour. Spritz water into the oven with a clean plant
mister, and place the bread in the oven. Reduce the heat to 425F and
spritz with water every few minutes for the first 15 minutes of baking.
Bake the bread for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until it's a rich
golden brown, and its interior temperature registers at least 190F on
a digital thermometer. The smaller loaves will bake more quickly, so
keep your eye on them.
Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack. Store bread,
loosely wrapped in paper, for a couple of days at room temperature;
wrap it in plastic and freeze for longer storage.
Want to bake your bread on an outdoor grill? Preheat your grill to
High. Place the bread (on doubled-up baking sheets) on the grill, and
close the cover. Immediately reduce the heat to Medium (400F), and
allow the bread to bake for 25 minutes, or until it's well-browned.
Reduce the heat to Low, and carefully place the bread directly on the
grill. Continue to bake until completely done, about 5 minutes.
The maximum temperature rating for parchment paper is below 500F, and
at temperatures between 450F and 500F parchment's exposed edges begin
to char. To be safe, keep a close eye on anything being cooked at
temperatures above 450F (especially anything on an upper rack).
Burned edges can also be minimized by trimming away excess parchment
before baking.
S(Internet address):
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/french-style-country-bread-recipe
Yield:
"2 loaves"
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 34 Calories; trace Fat (4.2%
calories from fat); 1g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber;
0mg Cholesterol; 47mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean
Meat; 0 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
NOTES : 2022 - 0723