The Fancy Boyz swept the Photog’s Choice prize with their antique-ishly decorated bread display, complete with bow ties and burnt parchment. Their bread du jour, “Pain a l’Ancienne”, was not only part of a great display, but got a bunch of votes and was a real crowd favorite! Bake and enjoy this fanciness, boyz and girlz! Continue reading for recipe…
The Fancy Boyz
“Pain a l’Ancienne”
Ingredients:
- 6 c. (27 ounces) bread flour
- 2 1/4 tsp. (.56 ounces) salt
- 1 3/4 tsp. (.19 ounces) yeast
- 2 1/4 c. to 3 c. (19 – 24 ounces) ice water (sans ice, of course)
- boiling water for baking
- clean spray bottle filled with water for baking
Directions:
Combine flour salt yeast and 19 ounces of water in the bowl of an electric mixer.
Mix for 2 minutes with paddle before switching to dough hook and kneed for 5-6 minutes.
Dough should be sticky on the bottom of the bowl, but release from the sides.
Add water or flour until desired effect occurs.
Don’t worry TOO much about it after about 6 minutes. Baking is a science, but it shouldn’t stress you out.
Park it in the fridge ASAP overnight. (18 – 24 hours)
The next day remove the dough and rest on the counter in a cool place. Let the dough rest until the dough has doubled in size from what it was the previous day. Allow the chill to come off and allow the dough to wake up a bit.
Place a baking or quary stone in the center rack, and a metal jelly roll pan on the lower rack of your oven.
Heat your oven to 500˚, preferably 550˚ if it goes that high. If you can, let your oven stay at this temperature for 15-20 minutes to make sure the stone is heated through.
Gently transfer the dough to a floured counter – put a really good ammount of flour on your surface, becaue the dough will be sticky.
Roll the dough in the flour to coat, stretching it into an oblong shape about 8 inches by 6 inches wide.
Use a metal pastry scraper, or similar utensil dipped in water to cut the dough in half widthwise – Do not saw in half, pinch/cut it in half. You will now have two 6×4-ish halves.
Let the dough rest for 5 minutes. Cut each piece of dough into equal thirds using the same technique as before. You will now have 6, 6″ length strips of dough.
Take 3 of the strips and gently stretch to fit your baking surface. Place the loaves on a baker’s peal or on a cookie sheet lined with parchment, let the strips rest for 5 minutes. You can bake the remaining three after your bake the first 3.
Boil water and pour out 2/3 c. water for steaming, and prepare a spray bottle with water.
Transfer the loaves to your baking stone by pulling the parchment onto the stone,
Immediately (or simultaneously if you are working with a partner) pour 2/3 cup of boiling water in the jelly roll pan in the lower rack of the oven (it will steam so be careful)
Spray the oven door and sides of the oven with 3-4 sprays from the spay bottle
repeat spraying the oven door and sides every 30 seconds 3-4 more times
Reduce the oven temperature to 475˚ and bake for 8 minutes
Rotate the loaves (again by pulling on the parchment) and bake for 10-15 minutes.
The internal temperature should be 205˚ with a golden brown crust, feel light and sound hollow.