Baking by Hand by Andy King Read Free Book Online Page B

(you’ll fold the dough four times in total) until the dough is strong but puffy, warm to the touch and holds a fingerprint when pressed into the surface. Leave the dough to gain some volume for the last hour. The whole process will take about 3 hours.
    Once your dough is ready to cut, turn it out onto a floured work surface. Using your bench knife and scale, divide into four 1 pound 4 ounce/550-g pieces (or keep as one large, 5 pound/2-kg loaf). Gently shape the dough into rounds (see here ), being careful not to compress the dough too much, and place seam side down on your work surface. Cover and rest for 20 minutes to build a bit more strength into the loaf before final shaping. Set up your proofing board and couche to receive shaped breads (see here ). If you’re going with the large loaf, grab the biggest banneton you have, as it’s going to take up a lot of room.
    Take your rested rounds and gently but firmly shape them into tapered batards (see here ), pinching the seams shut if necessary. Place your shaped loaves seam side up on the proofing board, couche them snugly and place in your trusty warm spot. (Alternatively, shape your 5 pound/2-kg loaf into a large round, and place seam side up in your mega banneton.)
    While your dough is proofing, place your baking stone on the lowest rack in your oven, and your cast-iron pan on the highest rack. Preheat the oven to 450°F/230°C. Check in on your bread periodically; if the surface feels dried out, spray it with a bit of water to allow for maximum expansion. If it feels cold, make it warmer. This may take up to 2 hours, depending on the conditions of your kitchen. The loaf is ready to go in when it feels very airy and holds a fingerprint when pressed into the surface.
    Flip the loaves over onto your peel. It might take a couple of batches to bake all your bread, depending on your oven size. Score each batard with two angled, overlapping slashes (or carve something nice into the face of your large, 5 pound/2-kg loaf). Now, grab three ice cubes from the freezer. Being careful to not keep the oven door open too long and let the heat out, open the oven, slide your loaf onto the stone, throw the three ice cubes into the cast-iron pan and close the door. After 5 minutes, quickly open the door and spray the interior of the oven with water. Continue baking until the loaves are evenly browned, about 25 minutes, and have a nice hollow thump when you tap them on the bottom. (A 5 pound/2-kg loaf might take upward of 45 minutes to bake all the way through, and may end up with a beautiful, super-dark crust. Embrace the dark side.) Let cool for at least 3 hours before cutting.
    VARIATION: SOURDOUGH BAGUETTES
    These can be made successfully with either the North Shore Sourdough or the Pain au Levain dough. There’s one small trick that helps these baguettes burst better: Before you throw them in the oven, let them cool for about 30 minutes, either outdoors (if it’s cold) or in your refrigerator. The drop in temperature followed by the quick heat of the oven gives an extra kick to the oven spring.
    3 lb/1.5 kg sourdough dough, divided into four 12-oz/350-g pieces and preshaped into cylinders
    While your dough is resting, set up your couche to receive baguettes and sprinkle it with a very thin layer of flour.
    After 20 minutes of resting, shape each piece into 15-inch/38-cm tapered baguettes and loosely pleat (see here ).
    After about 45 minutes of resting, or just before you feel like the baguettes are ready to bake, place them in a very cool place for another 30 minutes. Score with three horizontal slashes, and load into the oven (using your standard three-ice-cube procedure), making sure they’re well spaced. Two at a time is fine; just leave the other two in your cool spot until you’re ready to bake them. They will take 20 to 25 minutes, or until they have a dark, golden crust. Let cool for 1 hour before cutting.
    MARINATED OLIVE SOURDOUGH
    BLACK AND GREEN, LIVINg TOGETHER
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