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This is a brief description of breads that I have made recently. These may be the same as or different from the breads listed in the main recipe section. They will have less detail and fewer pictures. Thus they assume a certain level of baking skill on the part of the reader. If you have trouble with any of these recipes, email me johnfrum@optonlne.net.

6-Day Poolish French Bread, 62.5% Hydration, 4-27-2007

I had intended to make a focaccia, but got sidetracked and had to leave the poolish in the refrigerator for almost a week. After 6 days, I made bread with it, and the bread turned out well.

Poolish

Main Dough

• Poolish sat in the refrigerator for 6 days.
• On Friday, I took the poolish from the refrigerator, added all the ingredients except the salt
• Mixed for a couple of minutes, then let sit for 25 minutes.
• Added 1 tablespoon / 15 ml salt and kneaded for 7 minutes.
• Covered the dough and let ferment and folded: ferment 30 minutes, fold, ferment 25 minutes, fold, ferment 20 minutes.
• Put dough on table, let rest for 10 minutes and then shaped as two batards.
• Put on parchment paper. Let rise 45 minutes.
• Heated oven to 440F 225 C, with steam.
• Slashed the loaves and baked 20 minutes, turned loaves, baked 15 more.
• Turned off oven and left loaves in cooling oven for 5 minutes.
• Put on rack to cool.

Straight Dough French, January 27, 2008

I needed some bread in a hurry, so I got out the scale and the flour and set to work. I baked the loaf in a cloche, but you can make the recipe work in any oven.

• Place water, yeast and salt in the bowl of a mixer and stir to dissolve the solids.
• Use the paddle attachment, add half the flour and mix for a minute.
• Switch to the dough hook. Gradually add the rest of the flour and mix for a minute.
• Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
• Uncover the bowl, add the salt and mix for 5 minutes.
• Cover the bowl and let the dough ferment for one hour and 15 minutes, then fold the dough.
• Cover the bowl and let the dough ferment for 20 minutes more.
• Place the dough on the counter for 10 minutes to rest.
• Round the dough into a boule shape, place on parchment paper, cover with a damp towel and let rise 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 450F / 230C. Prepare for baking, using cloche or tiles.
• Use steam in the oven.
• Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the cloche cover or shift the loaf if you aren't using a cloche.
• Bake to an internal temperature of 200F / 93C.
• Turn off the oven and let the bread sit in the oven for 5 minutes.
• Remove to a rack to cool.