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BREAD TOPICS:
HOW TO
MAKE BASIC BREAD:
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SOURDOUGH &
SPONGE STARTERS: NATURAL & YEASTED LEAVENS
INTRODUCTION
 If
you're a bread lover, nothing beats the tangy taste and chewy texture of a
homemade
Sourdough
Bread. Or, how about the nice and airy texture
and chewy crust of a
French baguette?
These varied breads are part of a group referred to under various names, such
as, Artisan, European-style, ethnic, hearth, sourdough, natural or rustic breads
all made from either a sourdough or sponge starter, cultivated and fermented in
your own kitchen.
Here, I will show you
How to Make a Starter
and these types of bread.
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The term "sourdough" has become generalized in common
cultural usage to refer to any sour bread, be it one leavened with a starter
or with packaged yeast. This makes the term "sourdough" a difficult term to
use. |
I use the term Artisan bread
when discussing bread made from a starter.
It is a term that is loosely used, and sometimes includes any breads that use
all-natural ingredients and come in every shape, size and flavor
possible. Some consider a true Artisan bread one that is made from a
sourdough, not a sponge.
| The dictionary
definition of "Artisan" is:
(Webster's New World Dictionary) -- "a skilled
workman or craftsman". A "Craftsman" is further
defined as "a worker in a skilled trade", "an artist:
sometimes said of one
skilled in the mechanics of his art". Both of these definitions connote a
certain sense of originality as well as limits. An artist makes only a few
of each of his or her piece of art. |
Baking
Artisan bread is a traditional one at that.
It is one of the oldest forms of bread making around. For over 5,000 years, from
man's first bread in Egypt to the 19th century, when commercially available
baking powders and yeasts were available, all bread was leavened with starters.
| Flavored
breads may also be considered Artisan breads, further adding to the
confusion. Included in this category are the popular breads with added
vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains and cheeses. Other bread-like
products such as certain
bagels,
focaccias,
pizza crusts
and the like are also sometimes considered Artisan breads. |
Artisan breads'
popularity is growing in culinary circles and are here to stay.
Cultured yeast, which we now know as packaged yeast,
was discovered in a French laboratory in the mid-1800s by Louis Pasteur then,
and became commercially available at the end of that century. This sped
up the process of bread-making, making it more appealing. However, there is now
a resurgence. Bon Appetit lists Artisan bread baking as one of the top
food trends, having already hit mainstream America.
Ciabatta,
a flavorful, crusty Italian peasant bread, or
Sourdough
Bread are often featured as an examples of breads that can be
made at home.
Happy Baking,
Sarah
WHAT IS A
STARTER?: There are two types
of starters (How
to Make a Starter)
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A sourdough
starter is made from a
batter (usually the consistency of mud) of wheat flour (grains) and
approximately 85 degree F water called the
"sourdough method".
It is left out at room temperature to catch the wild yeasts and
Lactobacillus,
ferment and develop into a leavener for recipes. A sourdough takes days and
months to develop; the
very slowness of this natural leavening gives bread more depth of character
and richness, such as a sour or
wheaty taste, with a crusty crust and irregular air holes.
When the starter is fully fermented, a piece of it is mixed with the bread's
additional ingredients. This results in bread and other recipes with
more flavor and an interesting texture. The remainder is replenished and
maintained over time, sometimes for years, to again have a portion of it
used in the next recipe, and so on.
A
sponge starter
is made when a regular pancake-like batter from
flour and water plus a leavener being packaged yeast, an active sponge
starter and/or a portion of a sourdough, called the
"sponge method".
In this case, the starter provides the flavor and the added yeast starts the
fermentation and guarantees that the bread will rise quickly and reliably.
Lactobacillus is not
present in a sponge. Because of
this, sponges do not produce the same results in terms of flavor, texture
and keeping qualities as sourdoughs, and are often used in recipes where a
lighter texture and milder flavor is desirable. A sponge's
fermentation is measured in hours.
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 Question:
How to tell a true hand crafted bread from one that is just called artisan?
Answer:
1.
Look
at the ingredients. Artisan bread bread
ingredients usually include basic ingredients such as flour, water salt and
natural yeast from a sourdough or sponge starter, as long as packaged yeast is
not used. Artisan breads also include whole grains, fruits, nuts, olive oil or
olives and other add-ins.
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White Bread vs.
Artisan Bread: |
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Whats the Difference? |
White Pan Bread |
Artisan Bread |
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External appearance |
Rectangular, uniform |
Various shapes |
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Crust |
Thin |
Thick |
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Texture |
Soft |
Chewy |
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Grain |
Closed |
Open |
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Shelf life |
Long |
Short |
2. Must undergoes a
lengthy pre-fermentation versus
direct method dough (pan breads)
whose fermentation takes place
with packaged yeast when the ingredients are mixed.
A pre-ferment contributes leavening
and flavor to bread by allowing the dough longer periods of fermentation which
enhances the texture and flavor of the bread.
3. Is baked directly on
a
masonry hearth many times with steam
such as with the
French Baguette Recipe.
This results in a Artisan bread recipe with a crackly, crisp crust. Steam also
assists the dough in retaining its symmetrical shape during baking. Although
baking the bread with a hearth or steam may be difficult for most of us, I will
show you how to replicate them in your home oven.
4. Has a certain look and smell.
Artisan breads all
vary, but in general, you can easily recognize them
by their flavorful wheaty, sour and/or yeasty smell and roughly shaped form
rather than being baked in a bread pan. Breads usually have a chestnut-colored
or light brown crusty crust, sometimes with a ridge of crust that sticks out on
the top. Beneath the crisp outer layer, this bread is often marked with
irregular air holes, in contrast to the uniform textures found in prepackaged
breads from the supermarket.
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ARTISAN
BREADS:
BAKING WITH A STARTER gives you a wide range
of
Artisan bread recipes with a sour
flavor and unique texture.
Besides breads, such as
French bread,
or
sourdough,
and a wide variety of
other recipes.
The
Sourdough Silver-Dollar Pancake
Recipe
is one of my favorites. Even the
Sourdough Challah
is a rare treat !
Other recipes progress from a
piece of a sourdough starter added to sponge, which gives you a less sour
bread with a more "conventional" texture.
CLASSIC BREADS
&
RECIPES: (More
information)
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Sourdough breads
can be made in the
automatic bread
machine, but the texture and
look won't be the same as when made by hand. Of course you can use the
bread machine for the mixing and kneading stage and finish the loaf in
your oven if you desire. |
BAGUETTE
(baa-GHETT): A long, thin loaf of French bread with a hard, crisp crust and
an airy, chewy interior.
It
contains just flour,
water, salt, and yeast from a starter. It should be 18 to 30 inches long and
weigh between 9 and 12 ounces. The crumb (inside) is open with lots of
irregularly shaped air holes, the crust a rich golden brown color, with five
to seven similarly sized overlapping cuts on the top of the loaf. The thin
edge of the cut should stand a touch above the rest of the loaf.
CIABATTA
(chee-BAH-tah): A rustic, oblong, flat bread whose name means "slipper" in
Italian. Unlike focaccia, its top is usually unadorned with herbs and oil.
It usually made with
flour, salt, water, and yeast and sometimes with olive oil, too. It has a
heavy, dull, tannish-brown crust with a striated appearance because of the
flour used to keep the wet dough from sticking to the bench (work surface)
and proofing (rising) cloth. Loaves should be more flat than high. Inside,
the bread should have big alveolus (air holes) and lots of them.
COUNTRY FRENCH
(PAIN DE CAMPAGNE): This traditional country loaf is by far one of the most
popular breads to be found in every region of France and comes in a wide
variety of shapes and sizes. It is made most often with a blend of
whole-wheat, white, and rye and leavened with a natural starter. The crumb
should have lots of big, irregularly shaped holes that come from a wet
dough, lengthy fermentation, and gentle handling.
FLAT BREAD:
A huge category of breads shaped as their name implies; they may or may not
be leavened with yeast. Ethnic cuisines offer many styles, from Mexican
tortillas to Middle Eastern pitas to Italian focaccia. The thinnest, such as
lavash and tortillas, are used as casings for roll-up sandwiches at
fast-casual restaurant chains such as Roly Poly.
FOCACCIA
(foh-KAH-chee-ah): A yeast-leavened Italian flat bread (right) flavored with
olive oil and sometimes with herbs, thinly sliced onions, tomatoes or other
ingredients before baking.
Can
be squarish, round or oblong; slice in half horizontally for sandwiches. Use
at room temperature or grill it lightly, cut side down.
ITALIAN
BREAD: Like French bread, Italian
bread has a dark, hard crust and a slightly chewy interior. French bread is
generally longer and narrower than Italian bread, but otherwise very
similar.
PAIN AU LEVAIN:
covers a range of
breads with one trait in common: all are leavened with a natural starter of
wild yeasts and bacteria. This starter is
"fed" through regularly scheduled additions of flour and water. Pain au
levain usually comes in large, round loaves.
PULIESE :
is
a slightly irregular round bread that is roughly a foot in diameter. The
loaf has a thick, dark crust with traces of flour left from the proofing
(rising) cloth and an open, cream-colored crumb.
SOURDOUGH:
is also a pretty wide classification. Sourdough usually refers to the
classic San Francisco style sourdough bread made with a starter with
bacteria and yeasts found only in the San Francisco Bay area. There are also
delicious German-style sourdough wheat and rye breads, too. Sourdough bread
often has a blistered crust with reddish-yellow tones. It has a distinct,
sour flavor that's a byproduct of fermentation and is almost
vinegary-tasting.
--Some information and photos from Detroit
Free Press
OTHER BREAD RECIPES
INCLUDE:
Perfect Wheat Sponge Starter & Bread Recipe:
My
Grandmother's original bread recipe was too heavy and dense for my liking,
so I adapted it by creating a sponge to start it with. By "sponging" the
yeast in the beginning, the bread dough became lighter in texture and
developed more flavor.
Amish Friendship Bread,
a genuine starter
bread. You make the bread and you give friends both the homemade bread and
the starter. Your friends then can give the bread and the starter to their
friends continuing the Amish Friendship tradition. |
SOURDOUGH & SPONGE STARTERS - Page 2
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