The Fresh Loaf

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MC's Gerard Rubaud Miche ala Shiao-Ping

CaptainBatard's picture
CaptainBatard

MC's Gerard Rubaud Miche ala Shiao-Ping

 

I am totally exhausted after packing and cleaning my house for the last three weeks in anticipation of perspective renters coming to look at it on Saturday....I can see the light end of the tunnel with my fingers crossed. One more day of cleaning and then a quick trimming of my sleeping garden and I can get to the real business at hand, taxes, getting a plane ticket, studying French, once again packing and of course, the weekly bread fix!

I want to really thank all the people at FreshLoaf for making this site what it is, a place to learn and exchange ideas about the one thing that brings us all together... the passion for flour, water and salt!

This weeks bread, MC's Gerard Rubaud Miche ala Shiao-Ping is probably the tastiest bread that I have made in my limited baking experience. I used to be a by the book Loafer, but that has all changed since I became aware of the talented baker here at The FreshLoaf and out in the Blogosphere who have expanded my knowledge and comfort zone. The Gerard Rubaud Miche with a whopping 80% hydration had me second guessing myself  the whole time, talk about comfort zone! Will it come together or will it remain the blob that came from the deep lagoon? I have tried several of Shiao-Ping's recent posts, so a wet dough was nothing new and I should of realized it would come together in the end. I followed her basic methodology with a few variations. I used a KA for a quick mix to get the dough into shape for a autolyse and poured it into wood bin to develop the structure with 5 sets of stretch and folds. At this point I thought the dough would yield to a good gentle shaping...but it had other plans! At this point I just laughed...looking down into the bin and said "You want to be difficult do you?" and remained calm. I had to remember that is was 80% hydration after all and to be patient. In the back of my mind I remembered a comment that MC made to Shiao-Ping about the way Gerard treats wet doughs....so I turned out the dough onto a floured surface and did several more gentle full S+Fs at 10' intervals and that was the ticket!  The rest of the process was uneventful, after an overnight rest in the frig., they went into a hot oven with plenty of steam. When they came out of the oven they began to sing and crackle...and oh.... the smells. I watched the crumb shrink as  the loaves cooled and the crackel pattern become more prominent like a crackle glaze pattern on a fine celandine porcelain vase. The taste was nutty, creamy and moist with a slight tang to the mouth. This is definitely one that will become a favorite.

Thank you Gerard, MC and Shiao-Ping for this wonderful bread.

 

                                                            

                                                            "Heavenly....your bread put my head in the clouds..."

 

                                                                      

 

                                       

 

                                                             

 

This is being sent to Susan@YeastSpotting

 

 

Comments

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

David

hansjoakim's picture
hansjoakim

It's handsome, no doubt about it.

Great job!

CaptainBatard's picture
CaptainBatard

if I thanked you for sending that my way....It will really help in the future when I get settled in. I just realized...I might not have a mixer to use...I guess there will be a lot of S+F's in my future!

Cheers

ehanner's picture
ehanner

Very nice Capn-B

And a very nice crumb as well.

Eric

CaptainBatard's picture
CaptainBatard

you are a Seinfeld  fan...but what comes to mind is the line George would say..."you know shrinkage" it is all about shrinkage....  :)

hansjoakim's picture
hansjoakim

Various loaves do shrink when exposed to the cold! :)

Wow... Seinfeld seems like such a long time ago. Thanks for reminding me :)

CaptainBatard's picture
CaptainBatard

you know when the show first aired (i am dating myself...) I could not watch it...I guess being from New York I was to close to the humor...if that makes sense...but now I can't get enough of the reruns! I just crack up...

SylviaH's picture
SylviaH

That's a really beautiful bake!

Sylvia

foolishpoolish's picture
foolishpoolish

Great Job!

Tell me - how did you find the process for making the levain?

I'm on my second attempt now (it's been incubating, covered with coarse whole wheat in the oven with the light on) but frankly I'm not holding out much hope for it either. It seems that unless I get my act together on the freshly-milled flour front - this is a project I will have to abandon.

FP

CaptainBatard's picture
CaptainBatard

I started with a stiff 60 white and 40 ww levain and then built from there. It took one extra build to get it to get strong. It seems to really like the spelt flour! With all the levains you have going (eg. the WW starter looked very healthy)...you should be able to use a one of them and just convert it suit your needs with a few feeds. I do not have a mill...so I did the builds in a small container that kept it confined and in the proofer kept it to a 84*temp( that is the actual temp of levain ( I had the probe in the levain). I am going to look for a mill when I get to France...Let me know how it goes...

Judd

foolishpoolish's picture
foolishpoolish

Thanks Judd

To clarify - did you start a new levain with 60 white/40 ww or convert an existing one?

Cheers

FP

CaptainBatard's picture
CaptainBatard

For the holiday season I was using a sweet stiff...which I then started to converted to one the had more whole wheat for Miches (formula from MC and SP.....)For the last bake I added spelt and white whole wheat according to SP...oh...and sifted whole rye .

Have a great day FP...

JUdd

foolishpoolish's picture
foolishpoolish

Thanks. Sorry for my pedantic questioning. I'm still trying to get the process down  in my head.

My own Rubaud levain came alive sometime this morning (I didn't check it until this afternoon). Bit worried about protease (even with the salt addition). I've taken it to a slightly cooler place to nurture it.

Thanks again,

FP

Jeremy's picture
Jeremy

Fan freakin-tastic Brother Batard, puts my inglorious batards to shame!

 

 

 

Lazy Baker

CaptainBatard's picture
CaptainBatard

Your Miches are what started me getting away from the typical text book batard...and with the help of MC, SP and all the great bakers out there who know what is next!

CaptainBatard's picture
CaptainBatard

It really has good crumb...and it has stayed fresh for days now!

Shiao-Ping's picture
Shiao-Ping

Great miche!  So you've found the flavour to your taste too.   There is something about Gerard's formula that makes it all comes together - the hydration, the 30/70 flour composition, and the very stiff levain from 3 builds.  So that's what you meant by ...bread putting your head in the clouds - that it's heavenly.  You know what I've found about heavenly bread like this the last few days? - that it's best to be enjoyed while it is fresh, not toasted out of freezer.  Like the fish fresh out of the sea, you don't want to freeze it to have it later.

Shiao-Ping

CaptainBatard's picture
CaptainBatard

But I do want to bake (my names sake) a batard with it...and see what happens! I have a feeling it is going to have great oven spring. I started baking from Glazer's book using a stiff levain...and then became a fan of Hammelman's and went to a 125%. When all is said and done...I find the beasties really like a 3 build levain(and the smörgåsbord it is being fed doesn't hurt). I have to admit...It will take a while to get use to a wet dough like this one. I always forget to hold back some water but in away...that is a good thing because I know what the real hydration is! Yes.. you are so right...fresh is the best! One of my tasters will always toast whatever I give her...it makes me crazy when she tells me this! This time I made her taste it ....and her eyes got real wide...and said Oh...OK..I think I might have converted her.

Judd

Doc Tracy's picture
Doc Tracy

If you liked this one you might also like the mixed flour miche from Hamelman's bread. I was looking at both formula's before deciding on the mixed flour miche. 84% hydration, higher percent whole wheat flour and about 20% rye. I baked it twice in two days and will be doing it again many times in the next few weeks to try to work on getting it perfected. I will be trying the GR bread ala SP's formula for comparision as well.

 

CaptainBatard's picture
CaptainBatard

I think I must of tried all of his breads at least once...I have to admit....I am not a big fan of a high % of WW. For Gr's bread I used white WW...which helps mellows the flavor.I did retard this batch...but I would like to see now it does reacts to a warm ferment and being shaped as a batard. I will be interest to know how you make out...

Judd

Farine's picture
Farine

Judd, and I love the picture with the clouds... Looks like a Magritte painting. I'll let Gérard know that the bread came out perfect, he's going to be superpleased. He never retards his dough though, so maybe next time you could try to bake right after the proofing and see what happens...

CaptainBatard's picture
CaptainBatard

was inspired by a friend (taster) who said this bread is Heavenly....I had to retard it...I was lucky to sneak it in with all the craziness that is going on here...

Please tell Gerard...when I land in France....I am going to start a levian using fresh grains (i will have to find a mill)...build a dough bin and start baking. I actually can not wait to see what it looks like in a batard form...I think it will have some nice spring to it...

Will this cleaning ever stop? I keep on saying to my self that i am close and then more...showing the house tomorrow...wish me luck.

Judd