The Fresh Loaf

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Mr. Hamelman's Un-Kneaded, Six-Fold French Bread (For Stuffing!)

breadsong's picture
breadsong

Mr. Hamelman's Un-Kneaded, Six-Fold French Bread (For Stuffing!)

Hello, I wanted to have some good bread to make the turkey stuffing with. Mr. Hamelman's formula for Un-Kneaded, 6-Fold French Bread looked good so I wanted to give it a try. Instead of the 5 baguettes as instructed, I roughly shaped two big loaves. This dough was 73% hydration.
We couldn't resist and cut some to make sandwiches for lunch today.
Another really, really good bread from Mr. Hamelman!!!



Merry Christmas everyone! from breadsong

Comments

LeeYong's picture
LeeYong

Amazing crackly crust! Wish I could get my crust looking like that! Great job!

Happy holidays!

LeeYong

breadsong's picture
breadsong

Hello LeeYong, All that water and an oven preheated to 500F, then a 460F bake, seemed to do the trick. I love a crackly crust and haven't always been able to get one - was pleased with how this turned out! Happy holidays to you, too!
from breadsong

 

varda's picture
varda

I just made two batches of sour dough, one with King Arthur AP and the other with KA French Style.   I used exactly the same approach for both.   The French Style crust cracked like crazy and the AP didn't.   What flour were you using?    Thanks.

breadsong's picture
breadsong

Hi varda, I used a 50/50 blend of 13% spring wheat bread flour and 10.5% winter wheat all-purpose flour (neither were King Arthur flours).  This is probably not helpful to you! I don't know if the King Arthur people can comment - they have a bakers' direct line that I've called once or twice with questions (the people I spoke to were very helpful).
Regards, breadsong

varda's picture
varda

That gives me something to work with.   You attribute the cracking to your oven preheating and cooking temp.   I have seen other baking strategies for achieving the same effect.   But I wonder if it's really mainly due to the flour mix.   In my case, the loaves made with KAAP had nicer crumb and really even a better textured crust than the lovely cracked loaves made with the french style flour.   Ah well, can't have everything.  

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

Hi, Varda.

Your experience is consistent with mine. You get a crackling crust more easily with lower gluten flours. From my memory, KAF French Style flour has about 1% less protein than their AP flour.

David

breadsong's picture
breadsong

David, thanks for providing an answer & for this helpful information about lower-gluten flour.  Regards, breadsong

SallyBR's picture
SallyBR

Great loaves! 

 

Is this recipe part of his book Bread?    I have it at home, but I'm not there right now to check it out. 

 

 

breadsong's picture
breadsong

I just happen to have the book open to the recipe right now! :^)   - breadsong

SallyBR's picture
SallyBR

THanks so much!   Good to know I have the recipe, then... ;-)

dmsnyder's picture
dmsnyder

My copy of "Bread" has a different recipe on pg 249.

Lindy posted the text of this formula for the rest of us, in case your copy doesn't have it. Here's a link:

Hamelman no-knead French bread

David 

SallyBR's picture
SallyBR

I checked out my book, also doesn't have the six-fold bread

 

Glad you guys posted, I'll be definitely giving this recipe a try