Use Your Loaf: How to bake bread at home and get perfect results (4 page)

BOOK: Use Your Loaf: How to bake bread at home and get perfect results
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The
tapered baton

The
tapered baton shape is a bit easier to form. Place your relaxed dough smooth
side down and flatten with your fingertips. Fold the top edge into the centre
and seal the seam. Next fold the top two corners into the centre at a 45
o
angle
and press along the seams. Roll it tightly towards you tucking in as you go.
Seal the seam on top and flip it over. Now cup your hands around the ends of
the dough and roll it back and forth. Increase the pressure on the outer palms
to taper the ends.

The
baguette

The
baguette starts the same as before; flatten your relaxed dough smooth side down
with your fingertips. Roll it towards you, seal the seam on top and flip it
over. Now with your hands in the centre, roll it back and forth moving your
hands apart to make a long sausage – imagine you are playing with plasticine!
You can now leave the ends as they are or taper them as before.

The round
loaf

The round loaf is the simplest shape, as you will have
done this at least twice already. A round loaf is formed exactly the same way
as shaping a round. Shaping rolls are exactly the same, just smaller.

 

Coiled Loaves

 Divide
the dough in half. Divide each portion in half. Roll one piece into a long,
smooth strip. Coil this strip into a circle on a greased baking tray. Pinch the
end under. Divide second portion into 2 unequal strips, about 2/3 and 1/3. Roll
into smooth strips, then take the larger of the 2 and make a second coil on top
of the first. Take the last piece and make a third coil on top.

 

 

Plaited loaves

Plaited breads are made from dough strands - just like
making a baguette. After plaiting, the dough can be baked on a baking tray. To
begin plaiting, arrange dough strands side-by-side in a pan or right on the
baking tray. Begin to plait in the middle of the strands and plait to the end
on its side. Do the same with the other side. With the heel of your hand
lightly pressing on the dough, seal the strands together and turn the sealed
parts under the loaf.

Rolls

Here are a few different roll shapes to try.

Ø
 
Cloverleaf
:
Divide each piece of dough into three pieces and
shape into balls. Place three dough balls into a lightly greased muffin cup.

Ø
 
Bow knots
:
Roll individual pieces of dough into strands 8-10
inches long and about 1/2 inch thick. Form each strand into a knot, and place
on a lightly greased baking tray. For a "rosette" turn ends of single
knot to centre.

Ø
 
Simple coiled rolls
:
Divide each half into equal pieces; roll each to a
9 inch long strand. Coil each rope and tuck end under the coil.

Ø
 
Crescent rolls:
Divide the dough in half and let each
ball rest under a damp (not wet) towel. Rest them for 5-10 minutes. Then roll
each ball into a 12 inch circle. If you like, you can spread the circle with
soft, almost melted butter. Cut the circle into 12 to 16 wedges and then roll
each, starting at the wide end into the crescent. Curve rolls slightly to form
crescents. Repeat with the second ball of dough. 

Ø
 
Butterfly rolls
:
Press or roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into strips about 5 inches long
and 1 inch wide. Butter and roll the strip. Press each roll in centre with a
knife handle or with a finger.

Once
you have shaped your loaves it is best to coat them in flour. This helps to
prevent the top from drying out and also prevents sticking to any linen towels
used to cover them. You can use the same flour you made the bread with, plain
flour or something a little coarser such as rye flour or polenta. Just sprinkle
a handful over the loaves and roll them in the flour to coat them fully.

You
could also coat your loaves in seeds or grains. I like to use sesame seeds,
poppy seeds, sunflower, seeds, oatmeal and barley flakes. Just pick whatever
you like and place in a bowl or on a plate. Add some milk or water to another
bowl and roll your bread in the liquid. Or you could spray the dough lightly
with oil. Then roll the loaf in your seed mix and pat them to help the coating
stick. After you have coated your loaves, they need to be left to rise for a
final time.

The final rise

The final rise is also known as “proving.” This is because
you have proved that the dough is still active by the fact that it has risen.
At this stage the yeast cells are highly active and doubled in number. If you
are using a loaf tin, cover loosely with a black bin liner. If not, place your
shaped loaves on a well-floured board or linen cloth. Or you could place them
straight onto the baking tray so they can go straight into the oven. Whichever
option you choose, make sure the surface is well floured or lightly oiled to
prevent sticking. You should prove loaves the right way up unless you are using
proving baskets, in which case they need to go in smooth side down. Cover the
dough with a plastic bag or well-floured cloth. I like to use a cloth at this
stage as you can tuck the cloth around the dough to give it a bit of support as
it proves. Leave the dough to prove till it has doubled in size. Due to the
activity of the yeast, the final rise is quicker than the previous rise,
normally taking around 20-60 minutes. One thing I have noticed is that, in my
experience, loaves left to prove in a loaf tin take almost twice as long as
loaves left to prove on a board. Why is this? I am not sure. Perhaps the cold
metal slows down the yeast. You could try pre-warming the tins in a low oven
first. It is important to keep an eye on your dough during this final rise, as
you don’t want to over-prove. A loaf that has risen too much will be crumbly
and will dry out faster because of the extra air. Conversely, if your dough is
under-proved the gluten will not have formed enough to allow the bread to
expand. This results in the loaf cracking, usually along the side. It will also
be a little dense and heavy, and is also prone to “flying crust syndrome.” This
is when the top crust balloons away from the rest of the loaf when baked in the
oven.

It is always better to slightly under-prove as the bread will rise some
more when placed in the oven. When you think the dough has risen enough, see if
it passes the touch test. If it does, then you can pre
pare
them for baking.

 

Preheating
the oven

This is a very important step. When you have shaped the
loaves and left them to prove for the final time, it is a good time to preheat
the oven as high as it will go – most ovens heat up to 230
o
C/Gas
Mark 8/ 450
o
F. When you bake bread there are 2 things you want in
your oven.

Firstly
you need heat, as much as possible, so turn your oven up full. When the loaf is
first placed in the oven, the heat causes a final burst of fermentation and
expansion. This is known as “oven spring” and gives the bread a nice, rounded,
well-risen top. This spring continues for the first 10 minutes of baking, and
stops when the bread reaches 60
o
C/140
o
F; this is the
temperature at which the yeast dies. The starches in the flour gelatinise and
the gluten sets, making the loaf’s shape permanent.

The
second thing you need is steam. By creating moist air in the oven, this helps
the dough stay moist for longer resulting in a better oven spring. I use a
heavy roasting tin or Pyrex bowl in the bottom of the oven. Place it in when
you turn the oven on. If you are using a baking stone, place it in now too.

The
bread crust browns and hardens in the final stages of baking. The sugars that
didn’t ferment during rising caramelise from the heat of the oven, resulting in
a nicely browned crust with lots of flavour. This is caused by the Maillard
Reaction and is caused by the complex reaction between the sugars and the
proteins on the surface of the loaf.

BOOK: Use Your Loaf: How to bake bread at home and get perfect results
6.28Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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