On the same weekend I made the Acme Baguette and Sample Wedding Cake, I made a bread using the bakers percentage that Stan Ginsberg scribbled quickly on a note pad while we were talking bread (100% flour, 60% water, 2% fresh yeast, and 2% salt). I used a 1:1 ratio of Capitol MT Sunlight Hi-Gluten Flour and NYB Natural Bread Flour (13% Protein). To make the math simple, I used 1000 grams, which created a huge loaf. The dough felt so smooth and its rise was beautiful. For cooking, I didn't use a pan, but parchment on a pre-heated stone. I often take my bread out far too soon, so I let it cook much longer this time. When it came out, it had a very nice brown color and the exterior light-brown flour exhibited a pattern. This probably is not what breads are graded upon, but nonetheless, as a novice, I thought it was noteworthy. The webbed grigne (the lighter area inside the cut) was much more pronounced then I am used to, which perfectly matched the description provided in Maggie's book. My cut across the top of the loaf was curved, not straight, down the loaf. This caused the loaf to rise also in a curved pattern. By the way, I thought the cut on the top was merely for decoration. But when you bake a loaf of bread on a flat pan turn into a funny looking mushroom cloud, its because your didn't put a gas escape cut on the top. How do I know this you ask?
In the finished product, the crumb was closed and had a smooth texture. The flavor was very good and the crust crispy -- it made a wonderful toast.
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| The Finished Product |
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