The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Homemade couche in the tropics

beanfromex's picture
beanfromex

Homemade couche in the tropics

Well, I used my pie rolling out canvas to couche two french loaves, and kept them in my kitchen.They rose wonderfully, but due to high humidity ( I think) when it came time to put them into the oven, I could not remove them from the fabric. I had used liberal amounts of flour, so humidity is the only answer I can come up with.

Today, I am trying the french bread experiment again. Put my starter together last night, and as I write this the bread is at the fermentation stage . Couches may NOT be a possibility here due to climate, unless we get an air conditioner into the kitchen.

I have not had the opportunity of looking for a baking stone yet, but will visit several tile shops when I next have the car and loads of errands to run.  

 I have taken seeral digital photos, and opened an account at photo bucket, but need to play around with the next stage of photo transfers..whatever that may be. 

 

Be well everyone. 

 

cognitivefun's picture
cognitivefun

the secet to getting a couche to release I learned somewhere here, which is to use rice flour and thoroughly flour the couche.

This has worked like a charm, even for a very slack dough I recently used. Absolutely easy release with no sticking.

Then I brush off the rice flour (as much as I can brush off) and bake. No off flavor and it gives the bread a rustic look!

beanfromex's picture
beanfromex

Cognitivefun

Thank you! They actually do sell that here, I will try that next time and let you know how it works.

 I was actually quite surprised that the dough stuck to the pie pastry canvas, but attributed it to perhaps high humidity in the kitchen (southern mexico)... 

Regards from Villahermosa