Secrets of the Best Chefs

(Kiana) #1

Oil a large plastic container with a lid and place the dough in it.
Cover and place in a warm spot for 1 hour or until it doubles in
size.


Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Divide the
dough into four 400-gram pieces, using the scale to weigh them.
With your hands, roll each piece into a boule. To do this you want
to find the smoothest part of the piece of dough and stretch that
around the rest of the dough. Tug the dough and shape it into a
round ball. Place the ball on the work surface seam side down and
use the side of your hand, gliding it across the side of the boule as
you rotate the boule, to pinch it even tighter. Place the finished
boule on a cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Repeat with the
other pieces of dough and then cover the sheet with plastic wrap
and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 1 more hour,
or until it doubles in size. Reshape the boules (they’ll deflate
slightly) and score each with a straight razor or a serrated knife,
making a crosshatch sign, with the lines closer to the edges of the
bread. (This will help to control the way the bread expands in the
oven.)
Preheat the oven to 500°F for at least 30 minutes. You have a
choice here: If you have a baking stone, you can use that. If not,
you can bake the bread right on that same cookie sheet (though it’s
best to bake only 2 loaves at a time). Either way, place a metal
baking pan on the lowest rack in the oven to heat up and just
before you add the bread, pour a cup of water into the pan: it
should sizzle. (You’re trying to create steam here.) Place the bread

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