MVDs - Most Versatile Doughs and random market baking thoughts
ITA WLA MT TFLers? (Is Their Anyone Who Likes Acronyms More Than The Fresh Loafers?)
What is (are) your favorite(s) MVD(s)??? I'm trying to streamline my market lineup to 6 or at most 8 wheat-based doughs. I'm trying to primarily pick doughs that are well suited to making multiple products.
So far I'm looking at:
Croissant dough: plain, filled sweet or savory, danish, etc..(If you sell at farmers markets and don't make croissants and pastries, learn how)
Pain ordinare - baguettes, rolls, fougasse
Focaccia / Ciabatta - suggestions on what else to make with wet, italian style dough?
What other doughs should I think about making?
The other three doughs I like are Struan and two sourdoughs, one is 95% White 5% rye, the other is 50%WW, 35% white, 15%rye). I don't really have much in mind for these three other than pan loaves for the Struan and batards and boules for the sourdoughs. (As an aside for market bakers, if you don't do a version of Straun, give it a shot. At least here, lots of people go completely bonkers for it. Like buy 8 loaves for the freezer bonkers.)
Please don't let my sad attempt(s) at humor keep you from responding. Thanks!
the bakery I work at does quite a lot with its ciabatta (90% hydration) dough.
1) Ciabatta's big and small
2) Focaccia, with about five different toppings
3) Olive bread - after mixing a percentage of the dough is taken and has olives fold through by hand, it is then treated and turned in the same way and at the same times as the ciabatta
4) Ciabatta Rolls
5) Italian Sticks
These are pretty new and now outselling baguettes, I think the baguettes's may even be stopped soon as these are easier and cheap to make. Also they can be baked in the rack oven which free's up space in the wood oven for other breads, and as the wood oven has a high crown it isn't best suited to baguettes anyway. The italian stick is super easy to make. Take the ciabatta dough (I don't remember what it is scaled at) pre-shape it as a tube, like the first two moves of taking a boule pre-shape to a baguette, give it a gental roll again as you would for a baguette but dont try to elongate it too much, this is more about shape than size, let it rest for a few minutes, pick it up one had at either end with your fingers supporting underneath give a good stretch and place seam down on a floured tray for proofing. Easy and quick, no couche, no slashing, no peeling, look good and taste good.
So thats what 5 diferent breads from one dough, ten if you count different kinds of focaccia, pretty damned versatile if you ask me
Enjoy