How to master batards?
Hello,
Batards are my favorite shape, especially for sandwich bread. I'm trying to master their bake but am running into recurring problems - mainly, they aren't rising in the bake as much as I'd like them to.
The pic below is a recent 75% WW hybrid levain from FWSY. It was baked at 475 (per recipe) on a preheated stone and I use a stainless steel bowl inverted over the top for the first 30 minutes. While it isn't the worst looking loaf, it definitely isn't as tall as the batards in the pictures (I'm thinking of Maurizio from The Perfect Loaf).
I know this recipe has a lot of WW which could be contributing but it has both sourdough and commercial yeast. I use a banneton that should help with keeping its shape in the fridge overnight.
Finally, as you can see, I've tried scoring it with a curved lame but I clearly didn't do something right. Was it my depth?
Overnight final proof in the refrigerator gives the dough too long to relax, in my experience, and so leads to flatter shapes. This is most pronounced in the larger dough quantities.
I think your loaf looks pretty good. Maybe a bit darker than optimal, but you may like it this way. In that regard, when baking Forkish's breads on the hearth, as opposed to in a DO, I lower the temperature. So a 900 to 1000 g bâtard, I bake at 460ºF with steam (or covered) for 15 minutes, then another 30-35 minutes uncovered.
Now, to your question: First, with that much WW, you are not going to get as high a rise. The gluten structure won't support it. Second, you can influence final loaf hight somewhat by how you score the loaf. The loaf expands at right angles to the cut(s). So, when you make a single longitudinal cut, the loaf widens with oven spring. The resulting slice shape becomes less round, more oval, i.e., "flatter." To get maximum height and a rounder slice shape, score the loaf at right angles to it's long axis. Note that this is not traditional, but it will help you achieve your goal.
Hope this helps.
David
That helps a lot. Thanks for the info on the baking temps and times on the hearth.
I'm trying to picture the scoring you are suggesting in my head. Is there a good source to go to in order to learn the ways to score batards? Maurizio on The Perfect Loaf scores beautiful batards that open with a giant ear.
The traditional way to score bâtards is with one or two or three longitudinal cuts. Have you seen my scoring tutorial? Here's a link: Scoring Bread: An updated tutorial
I was describing a scoring pattern more often used with rye breads.
This is the traditional method:
David