COUNTRY BREAD (PAIN DE CAMPAGNE)
MAKES 3 LOAVES
A Great Rustic Loaf
Here's another bread that I just tried today. Have had this recipe torn
from the May 1994 issue of Bon Appetit for several years and never tried
it. It takes more than one day to prepare and have hesitated until
yesterday. We have been snowed in here in Iowa for the weekend and enjoyed
the baking time. I usually knead my breads by hand but this one gave my KA
mixer a work-out.
This bread turned out great. The aroma from the kitchen was wonderful and
the crust and texture of the bread was very nice. Makes you want to head to
the French country side. I scanned the following straight from the page.
Most dough is left to rise in a warm, draft-free place; this one develops
best by longer, slower risings-one of them overnight-at room temperature
(70 F to 75 F).
FOR COUNTRY PEOPLE, bread is both a favorite food and a necessary fuel;
served with every meal, it sustains and satisfies, while marking the rhythm
of the passing day. Our recipe for the quintessential French country loaf
comes to us from Roger Auzet, a fourth-generation baker at his family's
boulangerie in the town of Cavaillon in Provence. The addition of rye
flour-common in many hearty French breads-gives the bread great color and
texture, and a fine crust. It's just the thing to serve with every meal, or
no meal at all.
STARTER
1 cup warm water (105 F to 115 F)
1 tablespoon honey
1 envelope dry yeast
1 cup rye flour
1 cup (about) plus 1-tablespoon bread flour
Mix water and honey in medium bowl Add yeast; stir to dissolve. Let stand
until foamy, 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup rye flour and 1/2 cup bread flour;
stir to combine. Add remaining 1/2 cup rye flour.
Mix in enough bread flour to form shaggy mass that can be worked with hands
& turn out starter onto floured surface; knead 3 minutes. adding more bread
flour if too sticky to work. (Starter will be dough like in texture at this
point) Sprinkle 1 tablespoon bread flour in medium bowl Add starter dough
to bowl
Cover with plastic; let stand at room temperature overnight (starter will
lose its shape and spread to a thick batter).
BREAD
2 3/4 cups warm water (lO5 to 115 F)
1 envelope dry yeast
6 cups (about) bread flour
3/4 cup rye flour
1 1/4 tablespoons fine sea salt
Place 1/4 cup warm water in small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over, stir to
dissolve, Mix 3 cups bread flour and rye flour in bowl of Heavy-duty mixer
fitted with dough hook. Add yeast mixture and remaining 2 1/4 cups warm
water mix on low speed to blend. Add 1 cup bread flour; beat 4 minutes. Add
another 1 cup bread flour to form shaggy mass; beat 4 minutes. Add salt and
starter; continue mixing until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, adding
more bread flour if too sticky to form dough, about 5 minutes.
Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface; turn to coat. Transfer dough
to large bowl. Cover with kitchen towel. Let rise at room temperature 1 hour
Generously flour 1 heavy large baking sheet and 1 heavy medium baking
sheet. Punch dough down. Turn out onto floured surface. Knead until smooth,
2 minutes. Divide into 3 equal portions. Shape each into ball. Place 2
balls on large sheet and 1 on medium sheet. Cover with kitchen towels. Let
rise at room temperature until doubled (test by pressing 2 fingers gently
into dough; if indentations remain, dough has risen completely), about 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 450 F. Place baking pan in bottom of oven; add water to
create steam. Using sharp knife, cut 3 diagonal slits across top of each
loaf. Place baking sheet with 2 loaves in oven. Bake until breads are deep
brown and sound hollow when tapped on bottom, about 35 minutes. Transfer to
rack.
Place remaining loaf in oven. Bake until bread is deep brown and sounds
hollow when tapped on bottom, about 35 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool.
Hope you like this,
Lynn