Basic Dough With Pate Fermentee Recipes

SCALI

Steps:

• Place a baking stone in the middle of the oven and preheat to 470 degrees F.
• Lightly dust work surface with cornmeal. With a bench scraper divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Lightly round the halves and let rest on surface for 15 minutes.
• Shape the rested dough halves into French loaves and let rest for 5 minutes. Roll each loaf into a long rope. Twist each rope into a braid. Spray the tops with water and dip the tops in sesame seeds. Transfer the shaped loaves onto the back of 2 cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, cover lightly plastic wrap. Place the loaves in a warm place and let rise for 45 to 60 minutes.
• Working with 1 loaf a time, slide the scali, still on the parchment paper, onto the baking stone and and bake until crispy and brown, about 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer the scali to a rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining loaf.
• Pate Fermentee just means "old dough". "Old dough?", you say. Well, this old dough is basically a starter that is made the day before, and cuts down on the time you eventually spend in the kitchen. Nothing wrong with that. It also makes the bread last longer, gives it a slightly acidic and subtly complex flavor, and helps the inside of the bread form tiny irregular holes that are a sign of great artisanal bread (called "crumb" in baker-speak).
• If you can, try weighing out the ingredients, instead of using measuring cups and spoons; it's much more accurate.
• Use this dough to make Scali, an Italian sesame seed-crusted bread, or Gorgonzola and Walnut Fougasse; or both.
• 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 de-gas 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.

SCALI

Steps:

• Place a baking stone in the middle of the oven and preheat to 470 degrees F.
• Lightly dust work surface with cornmeal. With a bench scraper divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Lightly round the halves and let rest on surface for 15 minutes.
• Shape the rested dough halves into French loaves and let rest for 5 minutes. Roll each loaf into a long rope. Twist each rope into a braid. Spray the tops with water and dip the tops in sesame seeds. Transfer the shaped loaves onto the back of 2 cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, cover lightly plastic wrap. Place the loaves in a warm place and let rise for 45 to 60 minutes.
• Working with 1 loaf a time, slide the scali, still on the parchment paper, onto the baking stone and and bake until crispy and brown, about 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer the scali to a rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining loaf.
• 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 de-gas 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%