Making Bread. September 2011

We use a floured Couched bed to proof them in the speed rack.

Bread Proofing in a warm steamed area

This is the final product of the first day we made Bagette. On this first day we me made our started Old Dough with Active Dry Yeast and we named it "Boris". Up until today we feed it everyday after we use it in the morning: 1 Cup of Bread Flour and 1 Cup of Water (room temp.) and then we let him stay out and breethe for at least 7 hours. He likes it and grows in this period. At night, we put him back in the cooler and he retards for the evening, sleeping like a baby.

Curiosity: Did you know that in a couple restaurants in San Francisco there are Started Doughs that are 150 years old? Their bread must taste delicious!

During our Pastry week we also learned how to make a basic Bread with Old Dough. I learned that one of the most important rules for making bread is following the 10 steps for bread making, no matter what kind of bread you are going to make. This specific one was a bread dough for Bagette. An easy way to know if its done "Bulk Fermenting" is to place it in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic. place it in a warm place 110 degrees and trace an outline with the marker of the dough before it grows. Some time later, look at it. When it doubles in size and when you confirm by pining the dough and it doesn't bounce back, its ready to be pressed for a second fermentation.