crust color and texture
I found an interesting difference in my crust and texture by just changing the baking technique. I have been baking Pain De Campagne Rustique every 3 days using a half cup of lavain from the previous loaf. It is rising beautifully, bakes great, and has the nice texture typical of this kind of bread, The only thing I have changed in my baking process is during the actual time in the oven.
Until yesterday, I had been baking the loaf on a stone in the middle of the oven with a small broiler pan containing water on the bottom rack. I only put in enough water to allow the water to evaporate before the end of the bake. This made a nice loaf with a slightly grayish brown, thicker crust and nice soft crumb.
Yesterday, I decided not to use the water in the pan and just put a stainless bowl on the loaf for 20 minutes. I rinsed the bowl with water and shook all the dripping water out of it, so it wouldn't drip on my bread. I covered the loaf for the allotted time and then removed it for the last 10 minutes. The loaf was a beautiful golden color with a thinner, crisper crust. It just looked much prettier and the crust seemed crispier and less chewy than the one with the water in the pan. The crumb was about the same, the oven spring seemed equal. The only difference seemed to be in crust color and testure.
The other thing I have noticed with the same recipe...
When ever I attempted this lavain and bread with King Arthur flour, I had to spike the final dough with a little yeast to get it to rise adequately. When I switched to Gold Medal Better for Bread Unbleached flour, for the entire process, it exploded in comparison, with no commercial yeat necessary. The crumb and flavor is also much better with the GM.
Conclusion for this bread is to use GM flour and a bowl instead of just steaming the oven.
Interesting. As to the flour comparisons; you did not say what type of KA flour you are comparing to the GM bread flour.
In using the bowl, did you find you had to change the height of your oven rack, or did you stay with the middle rack?
As someone who just today tried the bowl method to generate steam for the first time (following discussion in this thread), I have to say I'm a total convert. I've never had a loaf come out with such a golden color - up until now they'd always been pale and lifeless, sure signs that my steaming methods weren't good enough.
I literally pulled it out 10 minutes ago so can't check crust and crumb yet, but I really do not see myself going back. If I want a thicker, chewier crust I think I'll just bake the loaf longer once the bowl is removed.
It is interesting how well it works. The simplicity of the method delivers a far superior end product, imho. You have to give credit to the home baker that made this procedure well known and showed so many of us how she makes those absolutely beautiful Boules.
Eric
Barbara, absolutely everything stayed the same except for the elimination of the water and the addition of the bowl.
As for the flour. the time I used the KA flour, it was also unbleached bread flour. I had attempted this, without the added yeast, several times before with the KA and, each time, had to add it to the first dough. After that, the 1/2 cup dough I saved for the next loaves would do fine for subsequent loaves.
With the GM, I didn't have to ever add the yeast and the 1/2 cup of saved dough is working consistently with the next loaf beautifully and tastefully.
This helps, as I just purchased a larger stainless steel bowl for my baking (I'm a Magic Bowl convert as well) and the height of the bowl means I'll now have to use a lower rack. I was worried about the effect that would have on the crust. I'm doing a bake today, so we'll see.