New Orleans Poboy Bread Revisited

Just finished my Summer semester in culinary school and wanted to revisit my quest for creating real New Orleans Poboby bread. I have viewed and tried most of the recipes on here and so far have come up short. Some have the correct crumb but not crust or flavor, some have the correct crust but not crumb, etc. Not saying they are bad, in fact most are really good, but they’re just not the real deal.

The one recipe I hadn’t tried was this one: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/2136/blasphemy .

Now I did do a little research and also having lived in and around New Orleans for the better part of 30 years, currently in Pensacola FL, I took a close look at the ingredients and methods. The simpler the better in my opinion and this one fit the bill. The one thing I did change was the vegetable shortening. In New Orleans it is the pig that is king. Take that one step further and what I will use is good old fashioned Hog Lard.

Now that I had a basic recipe I needed to figure out what factors in the bread making process contribute to an open crumb, thin crust and a full flavor and was there any truth to the rumor that New Orleans Poboy bread can only be made in New Orleans because of the water or Voodoo or something else.

New Orleans Poboy bread, a version of the traditional French Baguette, and the Vietnamese Bahn mi, the French baguette introduced by the French during its colonial period, are pretty similar to one and other, by no coincidence.  

Now that we know that the breads are fairly similar, what do these two areas have in common? Well, New Orleans is a humid subtropical climate and Saigon is a humid tropical climate. I’ve heard it said that it is the water in New Orleans that makes the Poboy bread but I have to disagree having lived in and around New Orleans for the better part of 30 years and can tell you that the water in and around New Orleans comes from different sources. What these two areas have in common are the climate. Relatively high temperatures and the ever present high humidity.

What does this have to do with making Poboy bread?  I ran across this little gem at http://www.theartisan.net/temperature_control_baking_1.htm

Temperature During Fermentation and Proofing

Primary Fermentation (Bulk Fermentation)

Primary fermentation is also referred to as bulk fermentation. Activity of the ferment, be it baker’s yeast or levain (sourdough), is one of the primary factors in the process of dough development during primary fermentation. Consequently temperature plays a vital role in determining the time within which dough development or maturation is achieved for a formula with a specific ferment level. It is customary to adjust the ferment quantity, or fermentation time, or both, with changes in dough temperature, whether those changes are introduced intentionally or unintentionally. Practicing bakers, in both commercial and home settings, are familiar with these relationships and make appropriate adjustments with rises and falls in ambient temperature by either adjusting the amount of ferment, fermentation time or both.

There is some debate as to what is the optimal temperature for dough fermentation. "Il Pane," by Guido Boriani and Fabrizio Ostani, indicates that optimum dough temperature during fermentation is within a range of 20°C to 25°C (68° to 77°F). Below 20°C (68°F), the action of the yeast is slowed down. Above 30°C (86°F), it is speeded up. In general, if the seasonal temperature is low, a longer fermentation period is recommended. If the seasonal temperature is high, a briefer period is recommended. Prof. Giovanni Quaglia, author of "Scienza e Technologia della Panificazione" indicates that under ideal conditions the final temperature of the dough should be 25°C (77°F), and that oscillating temperatures between 20° and 24°C (68° and 75.2°F) represent optimal environmental parameters during fermentation. For the most part, the formulas in "The Taste of Bread," by Prof. Raymond Calvel, specify fermentation temperatures of 24°C and 25°C (75.2° F and 77° F).

The argument may not be so cut-and-dried. Different fermentation temperatures can yield correspondingly different results and a versatile baker can make this decision part of his or her toolbox. A change in fermentation temperature will change the proportions of lactic and acetic acid in a dough resulting in markedly different flavor and physical characteristics. A higher fermentation temperature – 27ºC+ (80ºF) - will cause a noticeable jump in lactic acid production. Lactic acid has a round, mellow flavor that fills the back of the mouth, the flavor you get in buttermilk or yogurt. Breads with a higher lactic acid content taste fuller in the mouth, often have a more open crumb and a thinner, crispier crust. A lower temperature - 22ºC or less (72ºF) - will not affect the acetic acid development but will drop the amount of lactic acid resulting in a more astringent flavor that is tighter and sharper in the mouth, the flavor you get in vinegar. Breads with a higher acetic acid content often have a tighter crumb and a thicker, less crispy, chewier crust.

Bold and Italics are mine.

That might be the “Secret” – lactic acid.  So that is the direction I am taking and will try a batch in the morning. It’s hot enough here in Pensacola that I can do my fermentation outside while the temp here tomorrow will be between 85F and 93F.