My first quality Ciabatta, and questions about proper crust/dough formation without a mixer!
Hi Guys!
I've been MIA from TFL for quite a long time now. Been working on building up my blog www.nothymetowaste.org which is primarily baked goods, and I haven't been making much bread. Especially during the hot summer months! But, it's autumn again so naturally I'm back on the bread train.
As a pastry professional by trade, I don't get a chance in my work life to make many breads - mostly desserts. Bread is something I'm passionate about, but I feel like I'm still having troubles getting proper crusts due to improper dough formation. I do not have a stand mixer of any kind, just my wee little hands!
Doughs with higher ratios of moisture seem to be better, as I can do the stretch and fold technique over time throughout the day... (so the ciabatta was quite nice), but firmer doughs are an issue. Any tips and pointers for getting proper dough formation for those lovely ears I see all over TFL!? Help!
Ashley.
Comments
That ciabatta looks near perfect - airy and holey, but not so holey that it can't hold onto the fillings. Nicely photographed too, it looks delicious.
For nice ears, there are others better qualified to comment than me, but I will say that there are many factors that affect the outcome. Getting a nice tight gluten sheath during final shaping is important, as well as the amount of proofing you allow - a less risen loaf will tend to spring open more aggressively than a fully or slightly over-risen loaf. Steaming the oven and using a high initial oven temp will also allow the crust to expand better. The angle and depth of your scores are also important - dmsnyder has a very good tutorial here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10121/bread-scoring-tutorial-updated-122009
Other than that, a well-developed dough is obviously important, too. You can still do stretch and folds with a medium hydration dough, you just might not need as many.
-Simon
Hi Simon! Sorry for the delayed response! Thank you very much for the well thought out reply, I really appreciate the info. I've put together a starter this morning from Tartine Book 3, and in about a week's time I'll have an opportunity to try out these techniques.
I will check out the scoring tutorial as well, thank again!!
Ashley
No problem!
Btw, I just noticed that I linked to the older version of the scoring tutorial. This is the more up to date one with some video demonstrations: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/31887/scoring-bread-updated-tutorial
Good luck with your baking!