11/3/12 - Compost Bread

Oh, what to do with old bread during Hurricane Sandy…  Lucky for us, we live on the UWS, so we only got some rain and lots of wind…  We had power, internet, food, etc…  We couldn't go to work either as our offices downtown were without power and trains weren't working…

Anyway, back to old bread.  I tend to keep old bread and dry it with the intention of putting it back into new bread…

Behold…  Compost Bread

Old Bread Soaker
112g     Dried baguette (from Silver Moon Bakery)
124g     Old rye bread (from my kitchen)
26g     Croutons (from a failed loaf attempt)
528g    Water

790g    Total

Biga
300g    AP flour
180g    Water
Pinch    IDY

480g Total

Final Dough
438g    AP flour
20g     Sea salt
480g    Biga
790g    Old bread soaker

1728g    Total

11/2/12
7:40pm - Soak old bread mix in water.
11:00pm - Mix biga, place in covered container on counter, let ferment.
11:10pm - Transfer soaked old bread to covered container, refrigerate.

11/3/12
2:40pm - Weigh out all remaining ingredients using a digital scale.  In a large mixing bowl, place old bread soaker and mash with hands until reasonably smooth and there are no large chunks.  Cut up biga and place on top of old bread mash, add salt and flour.  Mix with wooden spoon until a dough is formed.  Continue mixing by hand.  Do not add any additional flour.  Knead for a few minutes until flour is hydrated.  Place in lightly oiled continer, cover and let rest.

6:00pm - Turn dough (stretch and fold) and form into ball, cover and let rest.

7:45pm - Preshape into boule.

8:00pm - Final shape into boule, lightly dust with flour, using a bench knife, make 3 cuts like a "peace sign" almost all the way through, transfer cut side down into lightly floured basket, cover with towel and proof.

9:35pm - Place dutch oven into oven on middle rack, preheat to 450F.

10:00pm - Turn boule out onto peel, make vertical slashes between the cuts, carefully, with oven mitts, take off top of dutch oven, slide boule into dutch oven, cover and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove top with oven mitts, turn oven down to 400F and bake for another 30 minutes.  Bread will be done when internal temp reaches 205F to 210F.  Cool completely (overnight) before eating…

Now preparing for the Nor'Easter…  Ugh...

Tim