Baguettes Made With Pâté Fermentée Recipe 455

BAGUETTES MADE WITH PâTé FERMENTéE RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Steps:

• Yields about 4-6 baguettes, depending on amount of dough used for each. Add all ingredients to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer except for the pate fermentee. Using the dough hook, mix on first (lowest) speed for 3 minutes just to incorporate all the ingredients. As the dough comes together, add the pâté fermentée in small portions (about 1/4 cup at a time). If necessary, add additional flour or water so that the dough remains moderately loose and not too stiff. Raise the mixer speed to next higher speed, and continue to knead for 3-5 minutes. The dough should be fairly loose and supple with an optimum temperature of 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the dough in a large glass (or nonreactive) bowl which has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest and rise for 1 hour. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and fold the dough in half, return to bowl, recover with the plastic and allow to rise for another hour. Return the dough to a floured surface and divide it dough into 12-16 ounce pieces (4-6 pieces). Shape lightly into rounds and allow to stand on a lightly floured work surface covered with plastic for 10-30 minutes. Then, shape the rounds into baguettes and place them onto the bottom, smooth, side of baking sheets which have been lined with parchment paper (2-3 baguettes per baking sheet). Cover with a large piece of plastic and allow to rest for another 1 to 1-1/2 hours at about 76F. Place a large, rectangular pizza stone in the middle rack of the oven and a shallow, metal pan on the shelf right beneath it and preheat the oven to 450F for about 30 minutes. Using a very sharp, serrated knife or razor blade, make 5-7 slashes on the top of each baguette. Open the oven and, holding the baking sheet just above the pizza stone, tilt it gently so that the parchment and baguettes slide off carefully onto the pizza stone. You may need to guide the parchment with your free hand (using an oven mitt, of course). Pour 1 cup of hot water into the shallow pan under the pizza stone and close the oven door quickly. Bake for about 24 to 26 minutes, until golden brown.* *If you wish to par-bake a few baguettes, cut the baking time down by about 10 minutes - or until they are a very pale, light brown. Cool, wrap in plastic wrap or foil and freeze. Unwrap and allow to come to room temperature before the finished baking in a preheated 450F degree oven for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

BASIC DOUGH WITH PATE FERMENTEE

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the pate fermentee and water and, using your hands, break up the dough into the water.
• In another bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the pate fermentee mixture and mix by hand until firm and cohesive, about 3 minutes. Allow dough to rest for 10 minutes.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough until very elastic and smooth, about 10 to 15 minutes. Take the dough's temperature. It should be at 78 degrees F. Transfer the dough to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap (the plastic should not touch the dough). Place the bowl in a warm place (about 75 to 78 degrees F.) and let rise for a total of 1 hour and 45 minutes. After the first 45 minutes, fold the dough and turn it over in the bowl. (It will somewhat deflate the dough, but it is gentler than what's commonly referred to as "punching down.")
• Let the dough rise, undisturbed, for 1 hour more. (The dough will rise considerably at this point.)
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Press the dough gently into a rectangle, to degas it.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the water and, using your hands, mix until incorporated, about 3 minutes. (Alternatively, mix in a mixer on the lowest setting possible.) Cover bowl with plastic wrap and put in a warm place (about 75 degrees F.). Let the dough ferment for 1 hour. Take the dough's temperature. It should be at 75 degrees F.
• Refrigerate the dough at least 10 hours and up to 36 hours. When ready, it will be roughly doubled in size and have a fine network of filaments and holes. Make this recipe the night before you mix the dough.

PâTE FERMENTéE

Steps:

• Stir together the flours, salt, and yeast in a 4-quart bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). Add 3/4 cup of the water, stirring until everything comes together and makes a coarse ball (or mix on low speed for 1 minute with the paddle attachment). Adjust the flour or water, according to need, so that the dough is neither too sticky nor too stiff. (It is better to err on the sticky side, as you can adjust easier during kneading. It is harder to add water once the dough firms up.)
• Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for 4 to 6 minutes (or mix on medium speed with the dough hook for 4 minutes), or until the dough is soft and pliable, tacky but not sticky. The internal temperature should be 77° to 81°F.
• Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and ferment at room temperature for 1 hour, or until it swells to about 1 1/2 times its original size.
• Remove the dough from the bowl, knead it lightly to degas, and return it to the bowl, covering the bowl with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in the refrigerator overnight. You can keep this in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze it in an airtight plastic bag for up to 3 months.
• You can use this on the same day that you make it, if you ferment it at room temperature for 2 hours instead of refrigerating it. I prefer to give it the overnight treatment, however, as it seems to bring out even more flavor.
• If you only have bread flour or only all-purpose flour, you may make this pre-ferment with that flour exclusively, but the blend seems to bring about the best results.
• Pâte Fermentée %
• Bread flour: 100%
• Salt: 1.9%
• Instant yeast: .55%
• Water (approx.): 65%
• Total 167.5%