It’s really just bread dough, only you don’t bake it. Of course, if you make bread regularly enough you can just make a little extra dough and hold it in reserve for the next batch. Pâte fermentée will keep for 3 days in the fridge and about 3 months in the freezer. A basic formula […]
READ ONPâte fermentée is what we in the English-speaking world call “old dough”, even though it means something closer to “fermented” or “ripened” dough in French. Classically, the old dough technique is very simple. Every time a baker makes a batch of baguettes (or some other bread that might be improved by old dough) he or […]
READ ONI’m a perfectionist about a lot of things, but pain à l’ancienne isn’t one of them. I take the term “rustic” seriously here, so the more oddly-shaped, bulbous and goofy these things turn out, the better. I don’t even care if my dough portions are the same weight…is that gettin’ nutty or what? This bread […]
READ ONThis recipe is taken from Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, an outstanding book that I recommend to all. This dough needs an overnight rest. Basically you mix it in the evening, rush it into the fridge until the next day, let it rise 2 to 3 hours, then shape the loaves and bake. Quite […]
READ ONI love this bread. Such a nice, glossy, slightly golden interior and spongy texture. Great for dipping in olive oil, and let’s not get started about sandwiches. Did I say get started? Then let’s. Your refrigerated starter should be bubbly, about like so (fancy crockery bowl not required): Put it into the bowl of your […]
READ ONDid I mention you’ll need some durum flour? You will, and it can be hard to find. You can of course order it online, or just use all white flour instead. The loaf you’ll get will have as much right to be called “Pugliese” as mine — ’cause neither one of them will be made […]
READ ONThe thing about starters is, they’re incredibly easy. If they weren’t, human beings would never have invented bread. The only trick is remembering to care for it. The vast majority of starter failures come from forgetting to feed one on a regular basis. If you can do that you won’t have any problems. Begin a […]
READ ONGrowing your own starter is an elementary project than can become complicated if your water is compromised in any way. If you’re connected to a municipal water supply that’s heavy on chlorine, for example, or if you have a water softener. On the other extreme a relatively “dirty” water supply can introduce organisms that will […]
READ ONSo what can you do with a bunch of starter that’s been sitting out on the counter all night long? Why not eat it? Old school sourdough pancakes are nothing more than slightly sweetened, egg-enriched starter, poured onto a hot griddle. They were a staple of frontiersmen in the north woods back in the day, […]
READ ONWhenever you’re maintaining an active, full-strength starter, you always need to at least double its weight to keep it healthy and happy. That can be a lot of starter assuming you keep it going at room temperature…two ounces makes four ounces make eight ounces make a pound and so on. Do that every day for […]
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