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Steve Sullivan's (Acme Bread) recipe

robadar's picture
robadar

Steve Sullivan's (Acme Bread) recipe

I saw an old PBS Julia Child's baking show featuring Steve Sullivan and some of his Acme Bakery  bread.    From the same dough with three yeast builds he makes coronne (sp.?) epis and  other stuff.  I tried to find a book by him at library; no luck.   Anyone know where I can find his recipe?

 

RB

thomaschacon's picture
thomaschacon (not verified)

You can find the original in Baking With Julia, p. 113-120, Mixed-Starter Dough. It has all of the details on how to shape the epi, couronne, etc. 

I went through the original TV episode and transcribed it for my own use, converting the quantities to metric.

Steve Sullivan's Mixed-Starter Dough

(from Baking with Julia on PBS)

STAGE 1 (Build starter)

+mix walnut-sized piece of old, raw dough (pâte fermentée)
+83 g AP flour
+60 g water @ 105 F
+knead all ingredients into rough ball of dough, does not have to be uniform or smooth
+place dough in bowl; cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap
+8-hr fermentation @ 75 - 85 F

STAGE 2 (Enlarge STAGE 1 starter)

+STAGE 1 starter
+94 g AP flour
+60 g water @ 105 - 115 F
+knead all ingredients into rough ball of dough, does not have to be uniform or smooth
+place dough in bowl; cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap
+4-hr fermentation @ 75 - 85 F

STAGE 3 (Build Dough + Bulk Fermentation)

+STAGE 2 starter
+416 g AP flour
+296 g water @ 105 - 115 F
+1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast (1/3 teaspoon rapid yeast)
+1 Tablespoon salt

Add to mixer with dough hook (and *strictly* observe rest periods (autolyse)) as:

+water, yeast, Stage 3 starter (chopped into walnut-sized pieces so easier to mix into dough)
+rest for 5 minutes without mixing, basically allowing starter to relax after chopping
+add AP flour
+mix on low until just combined
+rest for 10 minutes
+add salt
+mix 5-7 min, or to 78 F
+put dough in lightly-oiled bowl

+allow to rise for 90 minutes @ 75 - 85 F

+lightly fold dough from edge to center (don't degas too much)

+rise for 45 min

+preheat oven to 470 F
+insert steam pan (for steaming loaves are put in oven)

STAGE 4

+shape (baguettes, epi, etc), careful not to degas too much
+bake immediately (or allow shaped-dough to rise some, maybe 30 minutes, then bake)
+put loaves in oven
+steam oven (3/4 cup warm/hot water added to preheated steam pan)
+reduce oven to 420 F
+do not open oven door at all for first 20 minutes
+vent to oven after 20 minutes by briefly opening the oven door
+bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown

thomaschacon's picture
thomaschacon (not verified)

...after Stage 3 that have to stop yourself from eating the dough raw.

RonRay's picture
RonRay

Tom, is there an amount given for the ...

STAGE 1 (Build starter)

+mix walnut-sized piece of old, raw dough (pâte fermentée)

??? Thanks..

Ron

thomaschacon's picture
thomaschacon (not verified)

About 15 grams.

robadar's picture
robadar

Many thanks for posting this recipe (and conveniently converted at that!).

 

RB

thomaschacon's picture
thomaschacon (not verified)

I transcribed it several years ago for my own use, so it's written rather strangely (and quotes the baking time for the 1000g couronne, which will turn a 250 g baguette to carbon).

I'll go through it once the coffee is circulating in my veins and standardize it.

Thomas

thomaschacon's picture
thomaschacon (not verified)

STEVE SULLIVAN'S MIXED-STARTER DOUGH

Makes 4 (250 g) baguette, 4 (250 g) pain d'epi, or 1 (1000 g) couronne

You can find a print version of this recipe, which I transcribed from the original PBS broadcast, here: Greenspan, Dorie, and Julia Child. "Artisanal Bread." Baking with Julia: based on the PBS series hosted by Julia Child. New York, N.Y.: Morrow, 1996. p. 113-120.

PREREQUISITE

15 g of pâte fermentée
(You can make a batch of pâte fermentée the night before if you don't have any readily available).

STAGE 1. BUILD THE STARTER

15 g pâte fermentée (from above)
83 g AP flour
60 g water @ 105 F (41 C)

-Knead pâte fermentée, flour, and water into rough ball of dough; it doesn't have to be smooth or uniform.
-Place dough in lightly-oiled bowl and cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap.
-Ferment for 8 hours at 75 - 85 F (24 - 30 C).

STAGE 2. ENLARGE THE STAGE 1 STARTER

All of the starter from STAGE 1 (158 grams)
94 g AP flour
60 g water @ 105 - 115 F (41 - 46 C)

-Knead starter from STAGE 1, flour, and water into a rough ball; it doesn't have to be smooth or uniform.
-Place dough in lightly-oiled bowl and cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap.
-Ferment for 4 hours at 75 - 85 F (24 - 30 C).

STAGE 3. BULK FERMENTATION

All of the starter from STAGE 2 (312 grams)
416 g AP flour
296 g water @ 105 - 115 F (41 - 46 C)
1.4 g (1/2 teaspoon) active dry yeast OR 1.1 g (1/3 teaspoon) instant or rapid rise yeast
18 g (1 tablespoon) salt

-Add water, yeast, and STAGE 2 starter to the mixer bowl. The STAGE 2 starter should be added to the mixer bowl in walnut-sized pieces so it will more easily mix into the final dough.
-Rest without mixing for 5 minutes. (This rest period allows the pieces of STAGE 2 starter to relax.)
-Add AP flour.
-Mix with dough hook on low speed until just barely combined.
-Rest for 10 minutes. (This rest period, or autolyse, should be strictly observed.)
-Add salt.
-Mix with dough hook on medium-low for 5 - 7 minutes (or until dough reaches 78 F (26 C)).
-Place dough in lightly-oiled bowl and cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap.
-Allow dough to bulk ferment for 90 minutes at 75 - 85 F (24 - 30 C).
-Lightly fold dough from the edge of the bowl to the center; degas the dough as little as possible.
-Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap.
-Allow dough to bulk ferment for another 45 minutes at 75 - 85 F (24 - 30 C).

-Preheat oven to 470 F (243 C).
-Insert steam pan (for steaming the loaves when they are placed in the oven).
-Boil 175 g (~3/4 cup) of water.

STAGE 4. SHAPE & BAKE

-Shape dough into 4 (250 g) baguette, 4 (250 g) pain d'epi, or 1 (1000 g) couronne, being very careful not to degas the dough too much.
-Bake immediately. (If dough is degassed too much during shaping, allow it to rise an additional 30 minutes.)
-Put loaves into oven and steam oven by pouring 175 g boiling water into the preheated steam pan.
-Reduce oven to 420 F (215 C).
-Important: Do not open the oven door for first 20 minutes of baking.
-Vent the oven after 20 minutes by briefly opening the oven door.
-For baguette and epi, bake for another 5-10 minutes (for a total of 25-30 minutes) or until lightly golden brown. Long fermentation times mean loaves will not darken very much, so avoid overbaking.
-For couronne, bake for another 15-25 minutes (for a total of 35-45 minutes).

robadar's picture
robadar

Thomas,

In terms of convenience of scheduling, how do you deal with the fact that Sullivan says chilling at stage II should be between 1 and 8 hours, but no more than 8?  That doesn't allow much sleeping time.  And he says not to retard the shaped loaf, or you will get sourdough, not the intent of his recipe.

 

RB

thomaschacon's picture
thomaschacon (not verified)

I start it very early in the morning, as end-to-end takes ~15-16 hours.

I did try to retard at the shaped stage once and it came out terribly. Not sourdough, per se, but it was a chewy mass of dense dough, not light or airy at all. It had that "gumlike" crust you often get from overproofing during retardation.

The schedule that's recommend in the book is as follows:

DAY 1

11 A.M. Make the first starter and let rise 8 hours.

7 P.M. Make the second starter and let rise 4 hours. (which still has you finishing at 11 PM!) Chill 8 hours.

DAY 2

7 A.M. Mix the final dough. First rise 90 minutes.

9:30 A.M. Shape the dough. Final rise 90 minutes. (obviously, the book version is different from the PBS video; as final rise in the video is 45 minutes, which I suspect was added because of the additional chill stage, as it'll be slower to rise off of a chill).

12:00 noon Bake the loaves.

amolitor's picture
amolitor

I do this bread and some variants overnight thus:

Mix up first starter just before going to bed. Mix second stage whenever I get up. Refrigerate around 4 hours later for 1-4 hours, which pulls things out of the fridge early to mid afternoon. Make up dough, proof and bake usually in the early evening.

I figure that the first stage is pretty open-ended, and don't worry about exact timing there. If it gets ripe overnight and then sits for a couple hours past "perfect", whatever, it doesn't really have much effect on the final product.

 

paneman's picture
paneman

Steve Sullivans breads at Acme are simply the best. I lived in San Francisco for 18 years and tasted everything in the bay area many times over. Acme is down right the best! I teach bread and am a Pastry Chef of 28 years. I now own my own artisan bread company and know what I'm talking about!

paneman's picture
paneman

It helps when you have a 24 hour shop to meet the time lines noted

katyajini's picture
katyajini

This is such an old thread, I hope someone is there.  The method of making this bread is so different from most recipes I have made or know of and looks like a lot of fun to do.   I am eager to try it.  Can someone tell me what the flavor and texture of this bread is like so that I know what I am doing?  Thank you!