Bordeaux Rustic Bread Pain Rustique Bordelais Recipes

BORDEAUX RUSTIC BREAD (PAIN RUSTIQUE BORDELAIS)

Steps:

• You will need 2 jelly roll pans, dusted with cornmeal.
• The starter: in a bowl, whisk the yeast into the water and then stir in the flour; cover with plastic wrap and allow to ferment for 8 hours in a cool place.
• If the room is warm, let the sponge rise at room temperature for 1 hour, then for the remaining 7 hours let it rise in the refrigerator.
• When the starter is done, make the dough--place the water in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk in the yeast by hand.
• Use a rubber spatula to scrape the starter into the water and mix it in.
• Add both flours and the salt, and use the rubber spatula to mix the ingredients into a rough dough.
• Place the bowl on the mixer with the dough hook and mix on lowest speed for 2 minutes; allow the dough to rest 10 minutes.
• Mix on medium speed until dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky, about 2 minutes.
• Scrape the dough into an oiled bowl and turn it over so that the top is oiled; allow the dough to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• To form the loaves, scrape the dough onto a floured work surface; shape the dough into a 12-inch square; cut into three 4 x 12 inch rectangles, using a knife or bench scraper.
• Transfer the loaves to the prepared pans, placing 2 on one pan and 1 on the other.
• Cover the loaves with cloth or plastic wrap and allow them to rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 hour.
• About 15 minutes before the loaves are completely risen, set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 450°.
• Place the pans in the oven and bake until the loaves are beginning to color well, about 20 minutes.
• Turn the pans from back to front, then place the top pan on the lower rack and the bottom pan on the upper rack; close the oven and decrease temperature to 350°.
• Bake until the loaves are deep golden and the internal temperature reaches about 200 degrees, about 20 additional minutes.
• Cool loaves on racks.
• Serve: cut the bread into 1-inch slices.

BORDELAISE SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the wine in a saucepan and reduce by 3/4. Add, shallots, peppercorns, bay leaf, thyme and demi-glace. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes and strain. Swirl in 2 ounces of butter. Use as a sauce over your meat of choice.

BORDELAISE SAUCE WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and shallot, and cook until the shallot has softened and turned translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, then stir in the mushrooms once the butter has melted. Cook and stir the mushrooms until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Pour in the beef broth, wine, and Worcestershire sauce; season with the bay leaf and thyme, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once simmering, season to taste with salt and pepper, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue to cook, uncovered until the sauce reduces slightly, about 30 minutes. Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water, and stir into the simmering sauce until thickened. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

PEARS BORDELAISE

Steps:

• Put wine and sugar in a pan and bring to a boil. When sugar has melted and syrup is well blended, add pears and poach them gently, spooning the liquid over them. Turn pears to cook evenly. When fruit is tender and well colored, remove to a bowl to cool. Add jelly to syrup and cook and blend for several minutes. Pour syrup over pears. Let them stand and become thoroughly chilled in the liquid before serving.

PAIN DE CAMPAGNE - COUNTRY FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• To make the sponge, whisk the 1/2 teaspoon yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Stir in the whole wheat flour until the mixture resembles a thick batter. Beat for about 100 strokes to form longs strands of gluten. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let sit at room temperature for 2 to 8 hours (longer is better for flavor development). You can also let the poolish ripen in the refrigerator for 12 to 15 hours, bringing it back to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.
• When the poolish is ready, it will be bubbly and loose, with a yeasty, sour aroma. Scrape the poolish into a bowl and stir in the 2 1/2 cups water and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon yeast. Stir well to combine. Add the bread flour 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition, until the dough becomes too difficult to stir.
• Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead for 10 to 12 minutes, adding more flour only when the dough becomes too sticky to handle. Sprinkle the salt over the dough and knead it for an additional 5 to 7 minutes. The dough should have a smooth surface and spring back to the touch. Shape the dough into a round and cover with a damp cloth for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning to coat the surface of the dough with oil. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 2 to 3 hours.
• Deflate the dough and cut it into two pieces. Shape the dough into two rounds, cover them with plastic or a damp cloth, and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
• Shape the dough into baguettes. Place a heavily floured cloth on a baking sheet, arranging a fold down the center to separate the loaves. Place the loaves, seam-side up, on the floured cloth. Dust the tops of the loaves with flour, cover with a damp towel, and let rise until doubled in bulk again, about two hours.
• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal. Gently transfer the risen loaves to the baking sheet, placing them seam-side down on the cornmeal. Make several diagonal slashes in the loaf with a serrated knife or razor blade.
• Immediately place the scored loaves in the preheated oven. Bake the bread until the loaves are golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool the loaves on wire racks.