Baking expert Peter Reinhart posted on last week's bread-list, notes he had
taken on a previous visit with French baking legend Philippe Gosselin, the
subject: pain a l'ancienne bread. The formula (recipe) is slightly
different than published in Peter's recent book, The Bread Baker's
Apprentice. Peter asked readers for feedback if anyone attempted Gosselin's
version. Here is my experience:
The outcome was, well... glorious - rich sweet caramelized nutty flavors,
but not that much different than results achieved by the simplified method
offered in Peter's Baker's Apprentice book.
Peter's bread-list notes last week stated,
"...Philippe Gosselin...mixes a dough of about 65% water to flour, with no
yeast or salt, using very cold water. This is held overnight in the
refrigerator ...The next day he remixes the dough, adding 1% fresh yeast,
approx. 1.75% salt, and another 5% cold water."
I applied the above percentages on a small 530-gram flour batch (Gold Medal
Bread flour), water was at 39F, but the bowl, flour, etc., at room
temperature. The mixture (without salt and yeast) incorporates reasonably
well within a seven-minute machine mix, but the cold water noticeably slows
the blending process (as it always does).
After mixing, the dough's temperature was 64F, and immediately went into
the 39F refrig overnight.
"....Gosselin [the next day] mixes this [adds salt, yeast and +5% water
until thoroughly incorporated, about 4 to 6 minutes or so. This dough is
allowed to ferment [rise] for 6 hours at room temperature, during which
time it awakens and doubles in size. This is a big batch, so a small batch
might awaken faster."
Gosselin's "about 4 to 6 minutes" was well off the mark. Here's what happened:
Adding +5% ice cold water the next day (to an already stiff and cold 39F
dough mass) made blending ingredients - very - difficult (impossible); I
had to pause the mixer and manually separate the dough several times...
required 12 minutes to accomplish, far longer than normal mixing (dough
registered 52F after the lengthy mix period).
The +5% water created a second problem: the water provided superb
lubrication to the cold-congealed dough mass against the wall of the mixing
bowl... the dough adamantly clung to the dough-hook and refused to let go;
even centrifugal force wouldn't break it loose.
Peter's "all at once" mixing method (suggested in the book) is more
practical and easier, i.e., include everything on day-one. (A possible
variation of Gosselin's formula: include - all - the water during day-one,
add salt and yeast on day two?)
"...baked like other baguettes (about 460 F). They nearly double in size in
the oven, resulting in a crumb with holes somewhere between a regular
baguette and a Ciabatta."
I achieved sized doubling in the oven (oven spring), superb crust
coloration, likewise very good crumb and hole criteria.
"...My version is designed to make it more user friendly for
non-professionals who don't have the luxury of baking shifts, waiting for 6
hours..."
Peter's "user-friendly" approach is noteworthy. Baking gurus too-often get
wrapped up in flowery prose and fail to communicate basic if not practical
aspects.
Waiting 6 hours wasn't a problem in my case.... the smaller (530g) batch
achieved its room-temperature doubling in 5 hours.
Peter concluded, "...If anyone tries the more difficult (Gosselin's) method
described above, I'd love to hear how it turns out. Good luck!"
Pain a l'ancienne's methodology, especially the use of ice-cold water and
immediate refrigeration will strike first-timers as very unorthodox if not
daunting. Words likely entering your mind: "this couldn't possibly work!"
But the ending result in bread flavor and appearance is absolutely
remarkable! I'm almost inclined to use the word astounding.
The second aspect of the l'ancienne formula is overall simplicity,
something that becomes apparent only - after - the steps are completed. It
is both simpler and easier than normal baking-recipe methods! The methods
are just different.
The resulting bread taste is almost exotic!
(For bread-list readers unfamiliar with "percentages" (a superb and very
highly recommended method), weight is used to measure ingredients, not
highly-variable "volume" cups. Another bonus: the number of measuring
devices necessary is cut in half, i.e., less cleanup.
100% always represents the flour's total weight (530g was used above for 3
baguettes). 65% water calculates to 344 grams (530g x .65 344g); 1% yeast =
5.3g; 1.75% salt = 9.3g; the next-day extra 5% water = 26g.
The true elegance of weight (plus using grams) is accuracy, repeatability
and simplicity. Making larger or smaller quantities is "a piece of cake,"
er-r-r, bread in this instance.)
- Ed Okie