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Step 1
Scaling:
When you scale your ingredients it is advisable to use a scale instead of cups specially for flour because a scale is more accurate and professional recipes are based on weight and not volume. If you have to use cups try to fluff up the flour with a spoon or fork so that it's not too compacted, this way you don't get more flour than the recipe requires. To scale yeast and salt you can use teaspoon measurements because yeast and salt are used in small amounts and unless you have a commercial bakery you don't need to use a scale. -
Step 2
Mixing:
This step I find is the most crucial because most home bakers tend to under mix the dough and that makes a dense bread. Artisan bread has a light and airy crumb with irregular holes and the first key to getting the light crumb is to mix the bread very well. Many bread books that I read do not emphasize the importance of kneading the dough very well to develop the gluten. Good mixing makes an elastic dough that will stretch and rise well and hold the rise without collapsing due to the well developed gluten. If you ever baked bread before you may have noticed sometimes that after scoring the dough it collapses substantially and that's due to mainly under mixing. Of course there are other reasons why the risen dough collapses like over proofing but most home bakers tend to under mix the dough. In my instructional DVDs which you can find on my website www.danielsrusticbread.com I demonstrate the mixing by hand and using an electric mixer. I personally find that an electric mixer does a better job developing the gluten because it is tougher than hands and it works the dough very well. If you're mixing by hand you really have to knead the dough very well for a good 15 to 20 minutes and not 5 to 7 minutes like some books suggest. You can also try the autolyse method after few minutes of mixing. Autolyse is covering the dough with a cloth and letting it relax for 20 to 30 minutes which allows the flour absorb the water and makes the dough softer and easier to knead and that also helps shorten the mixing cycle. -
Step 3
Fermenting:
Fermenting allows the dough to rise and develop flavor. -
Step 4
Folding:
Gently folding the dough without deflating it too much in the middle of the fermentation process allows the yeast to be redistributed so that the dough doesn't form large air bubbles. After folding continue the fermentation -
Step 5
Dividing:
In this step you divide the dough with a dough divider or a scraper and scale it to final weight. -
Step 6
Pre-Shaping:
Depending on the bread that you're making you may need to pre-shape the dough. For baguettes you usually form the dough into rough logs and let them rest before doing the final shaping. -
Step 7
Bench Resting:
After the pre-shaping you cover the dough with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let it rest for about 20 minutes to become more extensible and easier to shape into baguettes. -
Step 8
Shaping:
This is where you do the final shaping and form the logs into thin long baguettes. Shaping is very important because you need to handle the dough gently without deflating it too much and at the same time stretch it to its final form. This is the part that gets better with practice and gives the bread its name "Artisan". The bread you find at super markets that is labeled "Artisan Bread" is not really artisan because it was shaped by machines that deflate the air/gas inside the dough which gives the flavor and light texture. Most super market bread is made with frozen dough that is proofed and baked in house. Any warm bread tastes good until you taste real artisan bread. -
Step 9
Proofing:
Proofing means fermenting the dough after it's been shaped. It allows the dough to rise and develop more. Crispy bread like French bread and baguettes is usually proofed using a Baker's Couche (see image). Baker's couche is a canvas cloth made from untreated natural fiber used to proof the dough. The rough surface absorbs the extra moisture in the dough giving the bread a thick crispy crust which is a characteristic of French bread. You will still get good results without it but if you want to perfect your bread like the French do you can use an untreated linen canvas cloth. Baker's Couche is also available on my website www.danielsrusticbread.com -
Step 10
Scoring:
Scoring is slashing the dough with a blade or a sharp knife to allow it to expand during baking. By now you have noticed the emphasis on expanding and rising in every step of the way. Rising Rising Rising... is the key to bread making to achieve a nice light airy flavorful bread that is not too dense. -
Step 11
Baking:
No need to expand on this step except to say that artisan bread is usually baked on a baking stone which absorbs the extra moisture in the dough giving the bread a crispy crust. Also the use of steam in the first few minuted of baking gives the bread a crispy crust. You place a thick metal pan on the bottom of the oven under the baking stone. After heating the oven you transfer the dough onto the baking stone and you pour a cup of water on the pan to produce steam. You can also spray the oven walls with water. To see a quick demonstration of the steaming and all the steps watch the video clip on my website www.danielsrusticbread.com -
Step 12
Cooling:
After the baking step let the bread cool on a cooling rack. While cooling the bread is still developing flavor and cooking inside. It is important not to cut right into it when it comes out of the oven. Allow about 30 minutes for baguettes to cool and 45 minutes to an hour for large loaves.
