Bread Machine (74 page)
Always remove the bread from the baking pan as soon as it has completed baking. You don’t want your loaf to sit in the machine and become soggy and lose its crisp crust. Bread machine-baked country loaves have a higher percentage of inner crumb to outer crust, but the firm texture and feel of the bread will be comparable to regular oven-baked country loaves.
Breadmaking is a fulfilling and highly creative task. No matter what method you use, you must still use your senses to feel, smell, touch, and taste, measures that artisan bakers internalize as part of their craft. What you might not achieve in a classically shaped appearance will be compensated for in the satisfaction of making a country bread of an excellent texture, with good nutrition, noticeably different from those that are mass-produced, that brings pleasure to people around you. Don’t forget—during baking you’ll still have that ethereal aroma that is present in the kitchen of all good bakers. And after all, it is the baker who transforms the grain into bread.
T
his is one of the first lean breads, or breads made without butter, to master. It is a simple country bread made in what is called the direct method, and used from Portugal and the Pyrenees to Poland and Greece. There is no starter, and the bread undergoes an extra kneading cycle to develop the gluten. This produces a delightfully crusty outside and a tender, chewy inside. The character of this bread will change slightly depending on the type of olive oil used—French oil is more acidic and fruity; Spanish oil is known for being smooth with an olivey aftertaste; Greek oil is thick and robust; and Italian oil is fruity and clean, but even within these categories, each brand will have its own flavor.
1
1
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2
-POUND LOAF
1
1
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8
cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
3
1
/
4
cups bread flour
2 teaspoons gluten
2 teaspoons sugar
1
1
/
2
teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
1
/
2
teaspoons bread machine yeast
2-POUND LOAF
1
1
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2
cups water
3 tablespoons olive oil
4
1
/
4
cups bread flour
1 tablespoon gluten
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2
1
/
2
teaspoons SAF yeast or 1 tablespoon bread machine yeast
Place all the ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. Set crust on dark and program for the Basic or French Bread cycle; press Start. (This recipe may be made on the French Bread cycle using the Delay Timer.) If using the Basic cycle, after Knead 2, press Stop, reset the machine, and start the cycle again, allowing the dough to be kneaded an extra time. The dough ball will be smooth, slightly moist, and springy.
When the baking cycle ends, immediately remove the bread from the pan and place it on a rack. Let cool to room temperature before slicing.
1
1
/
2
-POUND LOAF
1
1
/
4
cups water
2
1
/
4
cups bread flour
3
/
2
cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons gluten
1
1
/
2
teaspoons salt
1
3
/
4
teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
1
/
4
teaspoons bread machine yeast
2-POUND LOAF
1
2
/
3
cups water
3 cups bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon gluten
2 teaspoons salt
2
1
/
4
teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
3
/
4
teaspoons bread machine yeast
CHUCK WILLIAMS’S COUNTRY FRENCH
T
his is a loaf created by Williams-Sonoma mail-order catalog and shop founder Chuck Williams. The recipe was originally developed for baking in a La Cloche baker, a covered ceramic baking pan that they offer.
Technique: Baking with a La Cloche Ceramic Baking Dish
I give instructions for baking it in a La Cloche in a home oven, but it makes a wonderfully satisfying bread baked fully in the machine. Time it so the bread is ready for dinner.
Place all the ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. Set crust on dark and program for the Basic or French Bread cycle; press Start. (This recipe may be made using the Delay Timer.)
When the baking cycle ends, immediately remove the bread from the pan and place it on a rack. Let cool to room temperature before slicing.
Technique: Baking with a La Cloche Ceramic Baking Dish
A La Cloche baking dish is an unglazed clay baking dish with 2-inch sloping sides and a domed cover that is used for baking oversized country loaves. La Cloches are popular among home bakers, who use them to achieve very nicely shaped loaves with extra-crisp crusts. There is a 12
1
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4
-inch round La Cloche for round loaves, and a 15
1
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4
-by-5
1
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4
-inch rectangular La Cloche baker that makes an elongated French bread shape (the loaf ends up looking like a fat baguette). Any recipe in this chapter can be baked in the oven in a La Cloche. A La Cloche works best with doughs that do not contain sugar, as high-sugar doughs tend to adhere to the porous surface of the baker and when the sugar burns it is virtually impossible to clean off. Always use heavy oven mitts, like barbecue mitts, when handling a La Cloche; it is very hot just out of the oven. Here is how to use a La Cloche baking dish: