The Fresh Loaf

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Tartine, Basic Country loaf -- round or rectangle?

David Esq.'s picture
David Esq.

Tartine, Basic Country loaf -- round or rectangle?

 My first sale!

The above breads were made with the same recipe. As I have written before, I was looking for a good sandwich loaf.  The trouble with the round bread is that it is a pain to cut into sandwich size pieces.  The trouble with baking a "white bread" that I have had is that it is so soft that it is a pain to cut into slices without the bread crumbling.

The basic country loaf, when baked in a bread pan, yields a loaf that is both chewy and, as a result, super easy to cut without tearing the bread.  In addition to being easy to cut (and you can cut it fairly thin because it holds together so well), the slices make great sandwiches.

I believe that the pan loaf used about 1/2 the dough or approximately 1000 grams.  I did not weigh it, I just shaped it into a ball and then rolled into a log.  That was not how I planned to do it. I planned to shape it into a baton and put it in the pan, but habit took over and I did it as if I were going to bake it in the combo cooker before I remembered I did not want two round loafs.

I need to take better notes of things like baking times and internal temperatures. I believe the rectangular loaf was taken out before it was as hot as the round loaf, but the thermometer came out dry and the crust was dark enough.  However, the bread is more dense and not as hollow sounding as the round loaf.

Comments

108 breads's picture
108 breads

I do the same thing with the thermometer. It is very useful for seeing if the dough is not wet anymore. Doubles as a cake tester.

Your breads look lovely.

David Esq.'s picture
David Esq.

Thank you. I have yet to make a loaf following all of the instructions to the T.  I invariable forget to lower the oven from 500 to 450 after I load the combo cooker/dutch oven until part way through the bake. But so far I haven't burned anything.

Darwin's picture
Darwin

David I think we are on the same page and you beat me to it.  I plan on making a sourdough 'pullman' on my next bake.  I hope is comes out as nice as yours.

Darwin's picture
Darwin

I am no longer being blocked by the SPAM police!  :)

David Esq.'s picture
David Esq.

Here is a picture of the crumb on the sandwich loaf.  I am going to need one of those bread cutting guides because after a couple of slices I started cutting on a slant.

 

David Esq.'s picture
David Esq.

 Do you know whether putting a lid on top of the dough would be a problem, given the amount of oven spring one gets?

Janetcook's picture
Janetcook

I have found that using a loaf pan works well too.  My family just couldn't adjust to the variation in size when I shape loaves in a boule….I finally succumbed to their eating habits and now, when baking a loaf for them for sandwiches, I use a loaf pan.  My son loves the mini pans. He prefers smaller sandwiches.  Each pan holds only 350g of dough so they bake quickly and are 'cute' too.

Thanks for sharing your discovery here….I really like the crust color on your boule.

Janet

David Esq.'s picture
David Esq.

My son is three and he has given up eating sandwiches.  I say sandwiches but he only ate peanut butter and jelly when he was eating bread. I wonder if making a mini loaf would entice him into trying again.  It is worth a shot, because I'd like to see him eating PB&J again.

Janetcook's picture
Janetcook

You might give it a try.  HERE are the ones I use.  They are great quality pans too.

My kids didn't eat sandwiches/bread growing up…Their go-to lunch was cheese and crackers dipped in applesauce …..

I only baked bread occasionally when they were young but didn't know what I was doing so my loaves turned out like bricks since I have always only used freshly ground whole wheat….I am an old hippie and my kids grew up eating organics before they were refined….anyway…I began baking a couple of years ago because I had time to discover the new 'techniques' for working with fresh whole grains - thanks to Peter Reinhart and his book WHole Grain Breads.

I have been baking daily since then and my son, now 17, has started eating mini sandwiches - so don't give up. My daughter prefers that I shape breads into rolls so this way I can do both.   You never know how things will change but change they will. 

My kids other favorite bread is cinnamon raisin but I do it with honey or agave instead of sugar.

Have Fun,

Janet

FlourChild's picture
FlourChild

When my daughter was little, soft and small were the things that made bread appealing.  She would not have eaten the Tartine country loaf in any shape or form before about age 10 (now, at 12, she will devour a good sourdough).  Keep the crusts soft and perhaps try a potato bread in a small form- rolls, english muffin, etc.  Larger cookie cutters can also be used on a slice to make fun shapes that are appealing.  Crusts and cuttings can be allowed to dry and ground up for bread crumbs (we use the crumbs for pan fried chicken tenders, another kid staple).  

If nothing works, don't worry, in 6 months or a year things will be different and you can try again :)

David Esq.'s picture
David Esq.

See above. :)

BurntMyFingers's picture
BurntMyFingers

That will give you a batard which is much more suitable for sandwiches, yet retains the wonderful crust of the basic recipe cooked in the cast iron pot. I've tried putting sourdough loaves into loaf pans and found the results very unsatisfactory... too chewy to be a true sandwich bread, too pale to be a satisfying country loaf.

Note that the 1000 g basic recipe will make a loaf that is too big to do this with; you'll need to cut it in half (for two small loaves, approx 1 lb each) or better yet increase the recipe by 50% and make two 1 1/2 lb loaves.

David Esq.'s picture
David Esq.

I really am enjoying the loaf I made in the bread pan.  I keep the bread in a ziplock bag so it does not have a crunchy crust (and, the cut end does not go stale), and while it is more chewy than regular sandwich bread, I don't find that at all to be a negative!  In fact, I find the extra chew to add to the bread's satiating quality.

However, unless I my memory is incorrect (and it may be, because I baked a lot that day), I think the sandwich loaf is approximately half the recipe which means it packs a LOT of calories per slice.  I have to start weighing my dough before baking so I have a better idea of the calories I am consuming.