The Larousse Book of Bread
By Eric Kayser ∙ Sat 2016/01/02
THE BASICS OF BREAD MAKING • 10 common scoring patterns (38-41)
• Rational and controlled agriculture (CRC) • If oven not appropriately preheated, scoring will
advantages over organic (14) not develop (“throw” or “spit”) (42)
• Ash content, measured by “T” grades. E.g., T65 •Steam slows drying of dough, encourages
all-purpose. Higher T→higher ash/protein (15) development of color in crust and moist/well-
• Yeasts: Fresh bakers, active dry, instant dry (16) flavored crumb (42)
•Sweating: while cooling, bread loses up to 2%
• Couche: baker's cloth (18)
of weight from evaporation (42)
• Bannetons: wicker proofing baskets (18)
•Storage tips (42)
• Lames: blades w/ holders for scoring (18)
•Develop an instinct (44)
• High-hydration doughs: ~80% water. Result in
•Common diagnoses for common issues (45)
honeycomb crumb. Difficult to knead. (20)
• Base temperature: temp(flour) + temp(water) + TRADITIONAL BREADS
temp(ambient). Important for quality. 129-133F
• Sourdough boule (48)
for white, 136-149F for dark. (20)
• Sourdough batard (52)
• Kneading wet dough by hand (21)
• Baker's Peel (3x boule) (64)
• Kneading dry dough by hand (22)
• Rustic loaf (68)
• Kneading in stand mixer (23)
• Daisy loaf (76)
• Rising: first stage of fermentation. Wild yeasts
• Zigzag bread (84)
and micro-organisms in flour multiply,
consuming sugars like glucose. Anaerobic, SPECIALTY BREADS
create CO2 & alcohol. (24)
• Sourdough starter challenge: bacteria act ~86F, • Mixed seed bread (98)
whereas yeast acts ~71.5-79F. Low temp causes • Kamut bread (100)
bread to taste sour. (24) • About Kamut (102)
• Creating & caring for liquid levain (24-5) • Whole wheat bread (104)
• Pre-fermentation methods: poolish, yeast pre- • Replace half whole-wheat flour w/ all-purpose
ferment, fermented dough (26) to lighten (104)
• Using yeast to augment sourdough (28) • Country loaf (108)
• Fermentation process: first rise (bulk • Rye Bread (112)
fermentation) and proofing (30) • Maslin loaf, rustic rye (116)
• Prepping fresh bread for breakfast (30) • Corn bread (120)
• Regulation sourdough 4-4.3 pH; rich aroma • Rosemary focaccia (124)
compounds b/w 4-5 pH (30) • Ekmek, Turkish bread (130)
• Pre-shaping should be brisk, working dough as • Pumpernickel (132)
little as possible (32) • Broa, Portugese cornbread (136)
• Pre-shaping large boule, small boule, rectangle • Bagels (138)
(32-3)
ORGANIC NATURALLY-LEAVENED BREADS
• Freezing dough after final shaping (34)
• Shaping large boule, small boule, batard, • Organic baguette (148)
baguette (35-6) • Classic Organic bread (154)
• Scoring to control direction dough expands (38) • Organic buckwheat bread (158)
• The more dough has risen, the shallower the • Organic spelt bread (160)
cuts when scoring (38)
1
BREAD WITH EXTRAS
• Gorgonzola & walnut bread (174)
• Walnut & butter bread (186)
• Sesame seed bread (196)
OIL-ENRICHED BREADS
• Ciabatta (202)
• Basil bread (216)
• Fougasse w/ ash goat cheese (220)
• Fougasse w/ Lardons (227)
• Pizza (228)
SWEET PASTRIES & BREADS
• Viennese bread (235)
• Classic brioche (242)
• Mini brioche (244)
• Brioche loaf (246)
• Croissants (250)
BREAD ROLLS
• Kamut & seaweed rolls (278)
• Breadsticks (286)
APPENDIX
• Amylase: natural enzume in flour. Converts
starch into sugar, which is consumed during
first fermentation. (306)
• Autolyse: pre-fermentation resting period.
Relaxes gluten. (307)
• Bassinage: process of reserving some water for
end of kneading to loosen very stiff dough (306)
• Deflate: release air from dough during first rise.
Helps strengthen gluten structure. (306)
• Refresh: keep natural starter alive by feeding w/
flour and wtaer. (307)
• Steep: immerse & soak seeds, fruit in liquid to
soften/rehydrate (307)
• Tourage: where butter rolled out & folded into
dough to enrich it. (307)
