Modernist Bread Brochure

MMOOBBDDRREEEERRAANNDDIISSTT

Nathan Myhrvold
and Francisco Migoya

MODERNIST BREAD

ISBN 978-0-9827610-5-2
SRP  $625 USD / $625 CAD / £425 GBP / €525 / $825 AUD



ABOUT NATHAN MYHRVOLD

THE COOKING LAB FOUNDER

Nathan Myhrvold, lead author of Modernist officer of Microsoft is the founder and CEO
Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking (2011), of Intellectual Ventures. He is an avid inventor
Modernist Cuisine at Home (2012), The Photog- and prolific author in the fields of tech-
raphy of Modernist Cuisine (2013), and Modern- nology, paleontology, climatology, energy,
ist Bread (fall 2017), is a chef, photographer, bioterrorism, and more. He holds several
and scientist. Myhrvold founded the Modern- degrees, including a doctorate in theoretical
ist Cuisine team and led the development and and mathematical physics; master’s degrees in
production of all four books as well as the economics, geophysics, and space physics; a
Modernist Cuisine Gallery in Las Vegas. bachelor’s degree in mathematics; and
a culinary diploma from École de Cuisine
In addition to his culinary and photo- La Varenne.
graphic pursuits, the former chief technology

ABOUT FRANCISCO MIGOYA

THE COOKING LAB HEAD CHEF

Francisco Migoya is the co-author of de Barcelona awarded him the Medal of
Modernist Bread and leads the Modernist Master Artisan Pastry Chef (2013). Migoya
Cuisine culinary team as head chef. An owned Hudson Chocolates in New York
innovative pastry chef, his most recent book, and worked at both The French Laundry and
The ­Elements of Dessert (John Wiley & Sons, Bouchon Bakery as executive pastry chef.
2012), won a 2014 International Association Prior to joining the Modernist Cuisine team,
of Culinary Professional Cookbook Award Migoya was a professor at The Culinary
in the Professional Kitchens category. He Institute of America, where his areas of
has been recognized as a top U.S. pastry instruction included bread, viennoiserie,
chef and chocolatier. Gremi de Pastisseria pastry, and culinary science.

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Modernist Cuisine team is an interdisciplinary group in
Bellevue, Washington, founded by Nathan Myhrvold. The
team comprises scientists, research and development chefs,
a full editorial and photography department, and sales and
marketing staff—all dedicated to advancing the science of
the culinary arts through creativity and experimentation.

They have published Modernist Cuisine: The Art and
Science of Cooking (2011), Modernist Cuisine at Home (2012),
and The Photography of Modernist Cuisine (2013), and pro-
duced The Photography of Modernist Cuisine: The Exhibition.
In addition, The Cooking Lab has developed a spherification
kit, gel kit, and the Modernist Cuisine™ Special Edition Baking
Steel. Modernist Cuisine Gallery, located in Las Vegas, fea-
tures the books and Nathan Myhrvold’s photography.

ABOUT THE COOKING LAB

The Cooking Lab is Modernist Cuisine’s in-house publish- kitchens in the world and includes access to a full set of
ing division. In addition to publishing, The Cooking Lab machining, analytical, and computational facilities. Equipped
provides consulting, R&D, and invention services to food with a state-of-the-art photography studio, the team uses
companies and culinary equipment makers, both large groundbreaking photography techniques, including in-house
and small. Their new research laboratory, operated by SEM, micro, and macro imagery.
Intellectual Ventures, provides one of the best-equipped

MODERNIST
BREAD

ISBN 978-0-9827610-5-2 
5 volumes + kitchen manual
More than:

• 2,600 pages
• 1,000,000 words
• 3,000 photographs
• 1,200 recipes
Description:
Five 10.25 × 13.4 inch hardcover books
with ribbon markers, two wedges, and wire-o
kitchen manual. 13.75 × 11.13 × 8.63 inches
(stainless steel slipcase)

6 MODERNIST CUISINE BREAD

LEAN DOUGH  7

FOREWORD BY CHAD ROBERTSON
FOREWORD BY FRANCISCO MIGOYA
MY CULINARY JOURNEY BY NATHAN MYHRVOLD
STORY OF THIS BOOK
ABOUT THE RECIPES

Volume 1

History and Fundamentals

CHAPTER 1: HISTORY
The Ancient World
The Premodern Era
The Industrial Age
The Information Age
The Future of Bread

CHAPTER 2: MICROBIOLOGY FOR BAKERS
Spoilage and Fermentation
Foodborne Illness
Sources of Contamination
Preventing Contamination

CHAPTER 3: BREAD AND HEALTH
Dietary Systems
Medical Dietary Systems
Nonmedical Dietary Systems
Gluten Intolerance

CHAPTER 4: HEAT AND ENERGY
The Nature of Heat and Temperature
Energy, Power, and Efficiency
Heat in Motion

CHAPTER 5: THE PHYSICS OF FOOD AND WATER
Water Is Strange Stuff
Freezing and Thawing
Vaporization and Condensation
Water as a Solvent
Water Quality and Purity

FURTHER READING

Volume 2

Ingredients

CHAPTER 6: MAKING BREAD
The Basics of Bread
Planning to Bake Bread
Bread Making by the Book

CHAPTER 7: GRAINS
Amazing Grass
Wheat
Other Grains
The Life Cycle of Grain
The Economics and Politics of Grain
The Commodity System and Cheap Bread

CHAPTER 8: FLOUR
Flour Milling
What is in Flour?
Wheat Flours
Rye Flours
Other Flours and Powders

CHAPTER 9: LEAVENING
Yeast
Sourdough
Chemical Leaveners

CHAPTER 10: FUNCTIONAL INGREDIENTS
Ingredient Classification
Salt
Sugars
Fats and Oils
Improving Dough

CHAPTER 11: INGREDIENT PREPARATION
Inclusions
Grain and Seed Inclusions
Flavored Liquids and Purees
Fruits and Vegetables
Meats and Cheeses
Nuts and Sweets

FURTHER READING

Volume 3

Techniques and Equipment

CHAPTER 12: FERMENTATION
Commercial Yeast
Preferments
Levain

CHAPTER 13: MIXING
The Details of Mixing
Machine Mixing
Hand Mixing
Bulk Fermentation

CHAPTER 14: DIVIDING AND SHAPING
Dividing
Shaping by Hand
Braiding
French Regional Breads

CHAPTER 15: FINAL PROOFING
Proofing Equipment
Final Proofing Methods
Calling Proof
Cold-Proofing Dough

CHAPTER 16: SCORING AND FINISHING
Scoring
Finishing

CHAPTER 17: HOW BREAD BAKES
The Physics of Baking
Ovens
Deck Ovens
Convection Ovens with Steam
Convection Ovens without Steam
Pizza Ovens
Tandoor Ovens

CHAPTER 18: BAKING
Transforming Dough Into Bread
Baking In Professional Ovens
Baking In Home Ovens
Baking Without An Oven
Parbaking Bread

CHAPTER 19: COOLING AND SERVING
Cooling
Staling and Spoilage
Storing
Slicing and Serving

FURTHER READING

Volume 4

Recipes I

CHAPTER 20: LEAN BREADS
French Lean Breads
Sourdough Breads
Country Style Breads
Ancient Breads
Whole Wheat Breads
High Hydration Breads

CHAPTER 21: ENRICHED BREADS
Brioche
Challah
White Sandwich Bread

CHAPTER 22: RYE BREADS
Farmer’s Bread
High Ryes

CHAPTER 23: WHOLE GRAIN BREADS
Breads Made From Whole Grains
Bavarian Pumpernickel
Vollkornbrot

FURTHER READING

Volume 5

Recipes II

CHAPTER 24: FLAT BREADS
Crackers
Injera
Dosa
Inflated Breads
Naan
Focaccia
Pizza

CHAPTER 25: BAGELS, PRETZELS, AND BAO
Pretzels
Bagels
Bao

CHAPTER 26: GLUTEN FREE BREADS
Gluten Free Ingredients

CHAPTER 27: BREAD MACHINE BREADS
Lean Breads
Enriched Breads
Rye Breads
Whole Grain Breads

FURTHER READING

GLOSSARIES OF CULINARY AND TECHNICAL TERMS
SOURCES OF EQUIPMENT AND INGREDIENTS, REFERENCE TABLES
THE MODERNIST CUISINE TEAM, CONTRIBUTORS, ACKNOWLEDGMENTS,
STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURES AND BEST BETS TABLES, INDEX

THE STORY OF THIS BOOK

When I tell people what we’ve been working into nine languages. It’s fair to say it has had a big
on since our last book, the reaction often goes impact on the culinary world.
something like this: “Did you say 2,500 pages?
On bread?” Now I am excited to introduce Modernist Bread:
The Art and Science. It’s just as disruptive, just as
I’ll concede that at first blush, 2,642 pages comprehensive, just as visually appealing, and just
might seem a little over the top. But we’ve been as thought-provoking as its older sibling. In the
here before. We got the same initial reaction space of five volumes plus a kitchen manual, we
when we were working on our first book, tell the story of one of the world’s most important
Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of foods in new and different ways. Through this
Cooking, which ran an encyclopedic 2,438 story, we hope to enlighten, delight, and inspire
pages. When it was released in 2011, people in creativity in others who love not only bread but
the publishing industry told us that a nontradi- also the science, history, cultures, and personali-
tional $625 cookbook would never sell. ties behind it.

Well, Modernist Cuisine broke a lot of rules. Why focus on bread? Because it has so many of
And to my great relief, that worked. More than the things that we love in a topic. Bread may seem
230,000 curious and passionate food lovers— simple, but in fact it is highly technological and
from home cooks to renowned chefs to staff at scientific—it’s actually a biotech product whose
educational institutions—decided that the book creation requires harnessing the power
fit the right value equation. It won numerous of microorganisms that ferment. Making bread is
major food writing awards and has been translated so technique-intensive that small variations
in the method can make huge differences in the
outcome. There is a tremendous amount of skill
involved, to the point that bread making can
be daunting to home bakers and professionals
alike. During the baking process, bread’s sim-
ple ingredients go through such a mind-blowing
transformation that the product that comes out of
the oven bears almost no resemblance to the flour,
water, salt, and yeast that went in. That’s just cool.

Focusing on bread has given us the opportu-
nity to explore such wide-ranging scientific top-
ics as the structure of gluten and the physics of
ovens. It has given us a window into the minds
of the inventors and innovators who have made,
improved, and transformed this important staple
over the course of thousands of years. Our focus
on bread has also allowed us to look closely at the
evolution of cultures through the lens of a single
food that has spanned so much of human history:
bread was the primary source of calories for the
ancient Greeks and Romans and the Western civi-
lizations that followed. We also became intrigued
by the evolution of our agricultural system. There
is currently a lot of nationwide and global concern
about this system, after all, and wheat is at its cen-
ter. As the grandson of a Minnesota wheat farmer,

12

I was determined to tell the story of the role that but also deeply appreciative of the artistry and
the underappreciated and underpaid farmers play aesthetics of bread. We studied exhaustively (or
in our agricultural system. at least until we were exhausted!). We researched
ingredients and history, milling technologies and
Starting around the 1920s (but at an increas- dough rheology, grain botany, bubble mechan-
ing pace throughout the 1960s), bread became ics, and more. We talked to grain farmers, mill-
an industrial product. Giant machines and fac- ers, food historians, statisticians, and every great
tories were cranking out millions of loaves of bread baker we could find. Over time, we became
bland, precisely uniform sandwich bread, and even more convinced that our book could offer
people welcomed these snow-white loaves. By the something fresh and new.
1970s, though, both bread lovers and bread bak-
ers were beginning to rebel, eventually building We believe the idea of Modernist bread—bread
what is today called the artisanal bread move- that looks to the future, not the past—should be
ment (page 128). In the United States, the search celebrated. In these pages, you’ll find our con-
for quality led to the breads of Europe—and in tributions to what we hope will become a move-
Europe, bakers turned to the past. ment. This movement isn’t just about new recipes,
though—it’s about the way we think of bread from
The idea behind the artisanal bread movement the ground up.
was a great one: bread lovers wanted to increase
the variety, flavor, and quality of bread beyond For each of our key recipes, we developed a tra-
the cheap industrial products that swamped ditional version and a Modernist version. You can
supermarket shelves. Going back to preindustrial follow only the traditional recipes and find much
bread-baking practices and returning to small- of value in this book—or you can branch out into
scale methods historically used by village bakers our Modernist recipes to explore new ideas. Bet-
seemed like just the thing to do. ter yet, use this book as a jumping-off point to
make new kinds of breads that no one has tried
But it can’t possibly be true that all the best before. Whether you are a strict traditionalist or
ideas in bread baking have already been discov- an avid Modernist, a home baker or an artisan
ered—creative bakers around the world have baker or a restaurant chef, we hope that this book
made some amazing new loaves. Science and will open your eyes to the possibilities of invention
technology are not the enemies of great bread. and encourage different ways of thinking about
The laws of nature govern baking just like they bread. We believe this kind of disruption will even
govern everything else in the world. Knowing help change the economics of bread. (We’d like to
which laws affect your bread helps; understanding see bread go the way of chocolate and wine, which
technology helps, too. are sold in a wide range of quality levels and price
points.)
When it began, the artisanal bread movement
was so liberating: it freed consumers from insipid, In short, we believe the golden age of bread isn’t
machine-made white sandwich bread by giving some mythical past that we all should try to return
them choices. But any belief system can become to—the best days of bread are yet to come.
stagnant if it is closed to new ideas.

This stagnancy is all the more troubling today,
in a world in which bread is under attack from
the gluten-free trend and the low-carb movement.
Now more than ever, it’s vital to start unleash-
ing the creative possibilities of bread. With all the
excitement around today’s innovative, modern
cuisine, it’s time to make bread more than just an
afterthought. Why not have fun and explore what
the latest science can add to the bread we know
and love? At the risk of sounding dramatic, bread
must innovate to survive and thrive.

We took an approach that is fiercely analytic

 13

A LOOK INSIDE MODERNIST BREAD

We spent over 4 years looking at bread from every angle. We devised experiments
to test the limits of techniques, develop new recipes, investigate bakery lore, find
the best ingredients and tools, and understand the science of bread making.
We traveled around the world to speak to bakers, chefs, farmers, scientists,
and historians and go behind the scenes at mills, ingredient companies,
museums, and even the Svalbard seed bank in Norway—tasting bread
at every stop along the way. And, of course, we baked tons of
bread. Literally.

Here’s a small sample of some of the discoveries,
techniques, recipes, and discussions you’ll find in the five
volumes of Modernist Bread.

Historical Stuff Roman Bread Stamps
Canned bread
Marking (and Marketing) Bread with Stamps
Bread Through the Ages
A Long History of No-Knead Bread

New Techniques

Our Rye Flour Revelation
The Uses of Cold Proofing in a Wine Fridge
Best Damn Gluten-free Bagel
High Bubble Count Pizza Dough
Shaping Very Wet Doughs
Canned Breads
Dough CPR

100% Rye Bread

Debunking

Does Pure Water Make for Better Bread?
Weird Stuff in Starters
Which is Better: Fresh or Aged Flour?
Are Whole Grains Healthier for You?

Discoveries

The Largest Loaf
Bread is Lighter Than Whipped Cream
How Much Payload Can Dough Hold?
Supercharged Yeast

Inside Look

Crumbs for the Farmer
The Great Autolyse Debate
The Evolution of a Sourdough
Fats: How High Can You Go?

HistoFrryom

BREAD THROUGH THE AGES looking at fancy breads, some of which appear to be enriched.
Still, the bread forms in all these works look very familiar.
When we read history books, we’re often learning about the
big events of the past. But the more mundane facts of ordi- Even the practice of serving bread swaddled in a napkin
nary life aren’t always recorded. Some ancient and premodern dates back centuries. At medieval banquets, the server carried
recipes have been preserved, but not many. So what was the the lord’s bread and knife to the table in a decoratively folded
bread like? We researched paintings through the ages and from napkin called a portpayne, or portpain. That way the bread
around the world in order to find out what they looked like in would not touch the server’s hands. There’s also a long Jewish
the past. tradition of wrapping a piece of matzo in a cloth and hiding it.
Some say the wrapped afikomen symbolizes the way the Jews
A few artists, like Pieter Brueghel the Elder and his son, also carried their unleavened bread as they left Egypt.
named Pieter, painted scenes of ordinary people. ­Others
­focused on royal scenes, so it’s reasonable to a­ ssume we’re

15th century 16th century

9 16th century • Belgium

1 1467 • Belgium 3 1525 • Italy 5 1564 • Netherlands 7 1590 • Italy

1460 1500 1550 1560 1570 1580 1590

2 1475 • Spain 4 1530 • Belgium 6 1585 • Belgium 8 1594 • Italy

10 16th century • Netherlands

16 VOLUME 1: HISTORY AND FUNDAMENTALS

1

17th century

11 1601 • Italy

17 1630 • France 20 1640 • Netherlands

14 1615 • Belgium 16 1620 • Spain 19 1635 • Netherlands

1600 1610 1620 1630 1640

12 1606 • Italy 13 1606 • Belgium 18 1625 • Italy

15 1618 • Spain

HISTORY  17

ForMiBcrakoebirFsorloogmy Molds

Some kinds of mold fluoresce when illumi- Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, when bread horse-drawn combines that sparks of static elec-
nated by ultraviolet light. goes “bad” (not merely stale), mold is to blame. tricity from the equipment set off explosions—
People are less tolerant of mold on food than they more than 160 in 1915 alone. The invention of
Although fungicides have been are of other kinds of microbial growth, for the effective fungicides in the 1970s brought the dis-
effective at controlling wheat rusts, ­simple reason that whereas viral and most bacte- ease under control in high-income nations, but the
they can have damaging side effects rial contamination is invisible, mold is easy to disease persists in regions where farmers cannot
in some ecosystems. Fungicides see. And, in most cases, mold stinks—literally. afford to treat their seeds.
have been implicated as a contrib- Although bakers typically see mold as an enemy,
uting factor in bee colony collapse many foods—from Stilton, Roquefort, and Brie Other grains commonly used in baking are also
disorder, for example. cheeses to soy sauce and citric acid—owe their vulnerable to fungal disease as they grow. Oats,
e­ xistence to the transformative power of molds rice, and corn are all susceptible to various kinds
(see page 174). of smut and to stunting diseases caused by molds
that destroy their roots or rot their stalks.
Molds are not a particular taxonomic branch
of the fungal family tree; rather, they are one of Spoiled Before Baking
the three main growth forms that fungi can take.
Any species of fungus that, at a particular stage Between harvest and milling, grain is typically
in its life cycle, weaves its hyphae filaments into a stored in silos or warehouses, where fungi get
­fabric-like network (called a mycelium) is behav- another shot at it. Once the plant matter is dead, a
ing as a mold. different set of molds—the saprophytes—can set
in and start to break it down. The economic losses
People often think of mold as an infestation caused by spoilage are significant and are one fac-
that brings the shelf life of a fully prepared food— tor in the fluctuating prices of grains. But some
or, even more commonly, the leftovers of a meal— grain molds can also pose a food-­safety problem
to an end. But molds play important roles at every for bakers because, under certain conditions, they
stage of the food supply, starting in the field. Fungi produce poisons called mycotoxins. More than
cause nearly three-quarters of all crop diseases. 200 kinds of mycotoxins have been identified so
They inflict annual losses on farmers tallied in the far, and they contaminate a q­ uarter of food crops
billions of dollars. In wheat farming, periodic out- globally, according to estimates by the Food and
breaks of several forms of fungal infections known Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
as rusts can wipe out part or nearly all a farm’s
yield. In recent years, rusts have damaged wheat The most dangerous of these compounds
crops throughout Asia, A­ ustralia, the Middle East, are aflatoxins, which are made by the common
North Africa, and the United States. Farmers have ­yellow-green molds Aspergillus flavus and A. para-
bred rust-resistant strains of wheat, but the fungi siticus. In high doses, aflatoxin B1 can cause liver
have evolved new ways of attacking them. For- damage and immune problems. Aflatoxins are
tunately, fungicides remain an effective, though also among the most potent carcinogens yet iden-
expensive, way to halt rusts. tified, at least in lab animals. In the United States,
the toxins most frequently ruin corn, nut, and pea-
Stinking smut, also known as bunt, has been nut crops after harvest. A robust testing system
the bane of wheat farmers for centuries. This dis- ensures that foods containing unsafe amounts of
ease, caused by fungi in the genus Tilletia, fills mycotoxins are thrown out, but losses are so fre-
the kernels of the grain with black spores. As a quent and severe in warmer climates that Aspergil-
thresher cuts the grain down during the harvest, lus effectively dictates where in the United States
the kernels burst, and black clouds of spores erupt these crops can and cannot be grown economi-
and spread the disease across the field. Accord- cally. Unfortunately, there is no practical method
ing to Don E. Mathre, emeritus professor in plant yet for reliably protecting crops against contami-
sciences and plant pathology at Montana State nation by Aspergillus molds, which are virtually
U­ niversity in Bozeman, stinking smut single- ubiquitous.
handedly compromised a fifth of the wheat crop
in Washington State in the early 20th century. For wheat, barley, and rye, the main threat is
The clouds of spores were so thick around the scab, a head blight produced by Fusarium gra-
minearum and other species in this genus. In addi-
tion to reducing crop yields due to the disease, this

18 VOLUME 1: HISTORY AND FUNDAMENTALS

2

mold can produce toxins known as trichothecenes. citrinin, a mycotoxin linked to kidney disease. A galaxy of spores erupts from moldy
One of these, called vomitoxin, is just as unpleas- Fortunately, ochratoxins and citrinin appear to be bread when it is given a gentle tap. Molds
ant as it sounds. Ingesting a large amount of the quite rare in grains produced in the United States. get around by producing tiny spores that
toxin, which is also known as deoxynivalenol, or waft through the air. The spores produced
DON, causes the rapid onset of gastrointestinal Unfortunately, mycotoxins are remarkably by Puccinia graminis, which causes black
distress and illness, headache, dizziness, and fever. heat resistant, and most can retain their poison- stem rust in wheat, can drift on the winds
As with aflatoxins, scrupulous screening of grain ous effects even when cooked to 121^ / 250|— for more than 3,000 km / 1,860 mi, carry-
supplies has largely prevented human illness from well above the peak internal temperature in a fully ing the disease from the Deep South of the
these mycotoxins in Europe and North America, baked loaf of bread. So the best protection against United States all the way through the Mid-
though the blight has claimed wheat crops from them is to buy flour and grains from reputable, west and up to C­ anada. Spore collectors
North Dakota to North Carolina. In addition, well-managed vendors who comply with all gov- mounted on airplanes have shown that
o­ utbreaks have occurred in Asia and Africa. ernment regulations on grain handling, storage, airborne fungi are able to cross oceans,
and testing. The rules are designed to ensure that drifting on the winds from one continent
Several species of Aspergillus molds produce contaminants remain below levels established as to another.
ochratoxins when they infect corn, barley, wheat, safe for human consumption.
oat, or rye. Ochratoxin A—secreted by species The waterborne fungus Phytoph­
including A. niger, the same mold used to make Bread Gone Bad thora infestans caused the Irish
­citric acid—is known to cause kidney damage and potato blight of 1845–1847 that—
poses a cancer risk. Penicillium molds, which are Mold does terrible things to the flavor of breads, exacerbated by unconscionable
usually thought of as helpful or innocuous (they and that’s no doubt one of the main reasons that mismanagement on the part of
are used, for example, to make penicillin and blue people generally don’t get sick from eating moldy the government—led to famine
cheeses), are another source of ochratoxins. And bread—bread gone bad is pretty easy to avoid. It and a diaspora that together
both Aspergillus and Penicillium molds also secrete helps, too, that few molds are able to infect healthy halved the population of Ireland
people. Some do, of course: most adults (see page 110).

Plasmopara viticola, a fungus that
causes grapevine downy mildew,
wiped out the vineyards of Europe
in the 1870s.

MICROBIOLOGY FOR BAKERS  19

EnHeregatyFarnodm

EVEN BETTER WHEN BROWNED

The best invention since sliced bread? Maybe not, but
the modern toaster can sure make sliced breads taste
better. Before Alan MacMasters invented the electric
toaster in Scotland in the late 1890s—as one of the first
uses of household electricity other than lighting, pre-
ceded only slightly by the electric kettle—unattended
toasting had relied mostly on convective heating. Toast-
ers for woodstoves tilted bread over a vented metal
can; hot air p­ ouring through the vents washed over the
bread, browning it. But MacMasters’s idea of using a
red-hot element, combined with the later addition by
­others of a pop-up spring and timer, transformed toast-
ing into an exercise in irradiation. Greater convenience
and reproducible ­results, however, came at a price: toast
made by infrared heating is susceptible to a positive
feedback effect, so it doesn’t brown as evenly as bread
toasted by convection or conduction. For a practical
guide to making perfect toast, see page 3·434.

Inventors have patented ideas for appliances that could
monitor how toasted the bread is by using ionizing
s­ ensors—much like those in smoke detectors—to detect
some of the invisible particles that waft from the bread as
it bakes. Those smart toasters might be able to adapt
automatically to bread slices of different colors, thick-
nesses, moisture levels, and starting temperatures. But cost
may be an obstacle: years after the patents were filed, even
high-end toasters still lack a sense of smell.

Red-hot heating elements throw off a little red light—and
far greater amounts of infrared radiation—when a strong
electrical current passes through them. The wires, typically
made of a nickel–chromium alloy known as nichrome, can
reach temperatures above 1,000^ / 1,830|, well into
the range where radiation dominates heat transfer. Because
nearly all the toasting work is done by radiation, not hot air,
toasters that have reflective interiors will be more efficient
and toast the bread more evenly.

Gravity takes its share of the bread as crumbs inevitably
fall to the bottom and, because of their high surface-to-
volume ratio, soon char. Much of the appealing aroma of
toasting bread typically comes as much from the crumbs
stuck in the machine as from the slice. Burnt crumbs don’t
smell so nice, however, so it’s a good idea to empty the
tray frequently.

20 VOLUME 1: HISTORY AND FUNDAMENTALS

The steam that comes off bread as it toasts is invisible, but the hot water vapor often quickly 42
condenses in the cooler kitchen air into visible wisps of fog. The surface of the slice must dry—
which means the water in it must boil off into steam—before the bread can brown. As long as
substantial moisture remains in the bread, the arriving heat goes into boiling that water rather
than raising the temperature of the solid part. When the water is mostly gone, the temperature
can climb into the range, around 150^ / 300|, where browning gets going in earnest.

White bread turns toasty brown as its temperature
rises above 130^ / 265| or so, into the range where
Maillard reactions—and also caramelization, for
sweet breads—­transform sugars and proteins into
an array of aromatic and increasingly dark com-
pounds. The darker the shade, the less incoming
radiation is reflected and the more the heat gets
absorbed. This positive feedback mechanism,
known in physics as the albedo effect, is one of the
reasons that toasting is tricky: the transformation
proceeds slowly until darkening begins, and then
it accelerates, leaving a narrow window of time
between too little toasted and too much.

Radiative toasting tends to darken bread
unevenly compared with toast made conduc-
tively (on a griddle) or convectively by using hot
air. Some parts of the bread inevitably contain
more moisture than others, so they are slow
to dry out and darken. And the toaster’s wire
cage and support elements block some of the
infrared rays, casting shadows that leave some
spots on the slice slightly cooler than others.
These small differences get amplified as the
hottest spots darken and the toasting
accelerates.

Controlling the degree of toasting
is nearly impossible to do precisely
with most toasters. There are
simply too many variations among
different breads—even different
slices taken from the same loaf on
different days will vary—to predict
how the bread will respond to
radiative heating. The color, cut,
thickness, fat content, moisture
content, starting temperature,
and ambient humidity all affect
the outcome.

M I C R HOEBAI OT LAONGDY EFNOERR GB AY K E R S  21

BreMaadkiFrnogm

SURPRISING SCIENCE

Bread Is Lighter Than Whipped Cream

The heading above is surprising but true, and you can test mass is not evenly distributed: a crunchy baguette crust,
it yourself: put 1 L of whipped cream on the left pan of a which resists cutting and chewing, is 50%–100% more dense
b­ alance scale and a 1 L brioche on the right. The scale will than the crumb. The crust is about as dense as pinewood
tip to the left. (and whipped cream), whereas the density of the crumb is
more like that of cork.
The demonstration is hard to believe because it violates
our expectation that a foam should be lighter than a solid. But if the crust is as dense as whipped cream, why does
But bread is also a foam—it is just a set foam. The brioche’s crust feel heavier? The short answer is that the chemistry of
crust is solid enough, but the crumb inside is mostly air. these two foams differs. To bite through bread (a set foam),
you have to tear apart strong chemical bonds among adjacent
This simple comparison illustrates that the density of bread— molecules. But to eat whipped cream (a colloidal foam), you
that is, its mass divided by its volume—is less than that of almost merely have to push adjacent particles apart.
any other kind of food. Ciabatta, baguette, b­ rioche, sandwich
bread, and other common yeast breads typically have a den- Intuitively, you might expect that airier breads, such as
sity of just 0.22–0.25 g/cm3. Whipped cream, by comparison, a baguette, are less dense than loaves that have a tighter
has a density of 0.49 g/cm3. A liter of whipped cream thus crumb, such as pumpernickel and other rye breads. And,
weighs twice as much as a brioche of equal volume! in fact, that’s true, as the chart (at right) shows.

Bread seems denser than it is in large part because its

Whipped cream has a reputation for being light
and airy, but it’s about twice as dense as a brioche.
To demonstrate this using a scale, we baked a loaf
of brioche in a 1 L container and carefully shaved
off the extra bits that rose above the lip. Mean-
while, we filled a 1 L acetate-lined container with
whipped cream, froze it, and then gently peeled off
the acetate.

22 VOLUME 2: INGREDIENTS

6

Density Comparison

g/cm3
0

sea sponge, 0.02 0.1

sandwich bread, 0.23 French lean bread, 0.25

egg-white foam, 0.13 0.2

balsa wood, 0.15

0.3

cork, 0.21

0.4

pine charcoal, 0.35

steamed bun, 0.40 brioche, 0.27

0.5

apple, 0.46 0.6

whipped cream, 0.49 0.7 proofed lean dough, 0.47
100 Ă rye, 0.58
red pine, 0.51 0.8 vollkornbrot, 0.71
0.9
pumpernickel, 1.09
olive oil, 0.92 1.0
wheat kernel, 1.25 1.1  23
1.2

MAKING BREAD

BreMaadkiFrnogm

1
2

3 4
3

1 5

BASICS 6
9
8
7

10

NICE TO HAVE 27

24 25 26 28
29

24 VOLUME 2: INGREDIENTS

11 12 13 6

14

17

15 18
16

20
19

21

22

RECOMMENDED

30 32 23
31 33

MAKING BREAD  25

GraiFnrsom

THE HARVESTING PROCESS wheat. A combine can harvest 900 bushels of corn in an hour.
The rolling hills of the Palouse region of Washington state
Farmers get just a few cents per pound of wheat that’s har- (pictured below) are prime wheat country, even though when
vested, so they want to harvest economically. Combine har- you think of wheat, you’re more likely to think of the Midwest.
vesters require large capital investments, but they’re essen-
tially efficient rolling factories that harvest and thresh the

A combine harvester cuts the wheat and sucks it through a threshing mechanism that and more computer literacy. The job involves monitoring an onboard screen that does
separates out the kernels and spits them into a holding tank while blowing the chaff everything from tracking engine performance to verifying that the threshing mecha-
out the back of the machine. Today, a combine operator needs less farm know-how nism is operating properly.

156 VOLUME 2: INGREDIENTS

27

From the combine, the wheat is dumped into the grain cart. Some grain carts can hold Some farmers have local storage facilities where they can hold the grain until they can
as many as 2,000 bushels. The work of harvesting requires team effort. During har- get the price they want. Others ship it directly to a local elevator, where it’s stored
vest, enormous seed trucks are at the ready, waiting to be filled from the grain carts. temporarily before being transported to a larger facility or a mill.
They look like big, lumbering machines, but they get the job done—once they’re filled,
they speed the grain to its destination.

Companies are developing robotic technology for many aspects of farming. Farmers in Japan have used small
radio-controlled crop-dusting helicopters for years.

GRAINS  157

FloFurrom

WHEAT ANATOMY

Wheat is a type of grass that grows in long stalks, with b­ ristly apart, and its seeds would disperse with the wind. Spikes can also
heads. The bristly part is called the spike. It’s what helped the stick to the coats of animals, which would ­deliver them to new
wild wheat plant propagate because the spike would break locations. And thus, wheat, like many grasses, spread.

Head Awn Spikelet

Spike The awn i s the slender strand that
e­ xtends from the seed. It’s what
gives wheat its hairy appearance.

2nd glume 1st glume

The glumes act as husks
that protect the seed.

The caryopsis is the one-seeded fruit of the
plant. Colloquially, it is often referred to as
kernel, grain, or berry.

Caryopsis

Brush

Leaf

Bran Endosperm

Stalk

Germ

Palea (upper hull)

Lemma (lowerhull)

28 VOLUME 2: INGREDIENTS

WHAT IS FLOUR? 8

Before we get into the process of milling, we’ll start with some two parts. You get the bran and germ when you buy whole-
basics. Grain is made of three main parts: germ, bran, and grain flour. The anatomy of the wheat k­ ernel is discussed
­endosperm. The vast majority of flour on the market is made below.
from the endosperm, which is softer and whiter than the other

Whole kernel: botanists call this the caryopsis; in grocery stores, it might be called a wheat
berry, but here we call it a wheat kernel. When we talk about whole wheat flour, this is
what we’re talking about—whole wheat kernels that are milled, often in separate streams;
recombined; and then bagged up for sale, including the germ, bran, and endosperm. You’re
getting the whole grain, with each of the three components in the same proportions as they
were found in the farmer’s field.

Bran: during milling, the bran is removed from the whole grain. It can be sold separately,
but it can also be mixed back in with the endosperm and germ to make whole wheat
flour. The sharp edges of the bran, and its capacity for water absorption, are detrimental
to loaf volume (see Why Does Bran Make Bread Dense?

Endosperm: pick up a bag of refined flour anywhere in the world, and you’re
picking up a bag mostly filled with endosperm. That’s partly because grain itself
is mostly endosperm. It’s also because the starchy endosperm creates the flour
that appeals to consumers and bakers, so it’s the desired product of most mills. If
you’re buying bread flour, enriched flour, high-gluten flour, or any kind of flour
other than that labeled “whole wheat” or “high-extraction,” the endosperm is
what you’re getting.

Germ: the germ is the embryo of the living grain. This part is often sepa-
rated out in milling because the fat content in the germ makes the flour
go rancid. Sometimes, it’s sold separately as wheat germ. Other times,
it’s mixed back in with the rest of the flour to make whole wheat flour.

Germ

Wheat’s germ is often processed separately from the rest of the grain (left and in close-up Endosperm Wheat flour imaged by scanning
at center). The germ’s oil can also be extracted (right). electron microscope (SEM).

FLOUR  29

MixiFnrgom

STAND MIXER A horizontal hub on some stand
mixers adds an extra degree of
The stand mixer is a small version of a planetary mixer versatility. Power from the motor
that can comfortably sit on any work surface, occupy- shaft can be delivered directly
ing minimal space. We recommend these mixers for through this port to juicers, pasta
home use and small restaurant production. makers, graters, slicers, and other
laborsaving gadgets. Although a
The pluses are clear: they’re comparatively eco- mixer doesn’t spin as fast as a food
nomical; many small repair shops can fix broken parts processor, it can stand in for that
if needed; and they can perform various functions appliance on many low-speed jobs.
­besides mixing. Their manufacturers offer many at-
tachments (sold separately) that can use the spinning A series of gears c onverts the horizontal
motor to sheet pasta dough, grind meat, mill grains rotation of the motor shaft into a combination
into flour, and chop vegetables; these a­ ttachments of rotation and revolution around a vertical
make the stand mixer a versatile tool. axis. This lower arrangement is called a
planetary gear because the motion of the
In addition to having the same mixing attachments beater shaft resembles the rotation and orbit
as planetary mixers (hook, paddle, and whip), stand of a planet around its star.
mixers have a broad range of speed options, from
very slow to very fast. The downside is that the m­ otors The beater shaft i s the
of these machines are often not powerful enough business end of the
for some drier doughs, such as our bagel dough on mixer. Vertically spin-
page 322, and the dough capacity is relatively limited. ning attachments such
The latter limitation is acceptable if you’re making just as a hook, paddle, or
enough dough to use at home, but it is a short­coming whisk fit onto this pin
for bakers interested in large batches. These mixers and lock in place against
tend to move around the table as they mix, so keep the raised button.
an eye on them or they may fall. (Some crafty bakers
place a jar-lid gripper or damp towel underneath them
to keep them from moving too much. We use clamps
or a ­bungee cord to solidly anchor them.)

A hook c an take much of the manual labor out of mixing to full
gluten development. The hook works just fine on sticky doughs
(although you may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl
periodically). So the mixer can often complete mixing without
adding flour, as you would have to do with hand mixing.

Flat beater (paddle) Flex-edge beater Wire whisk The mixing bowl h as a large dimple on the
bottom to prevent food from getting stuck,
unmixed, in the center as the stirring attachment
makes its orbit. Clearances between the bowl
and stirring utensil are typically quite close,
so a dented bowl can cause problems. Steel
bowls are not as robust as they might seem;
a fall to the floor can easily ruin one.

The paddle is useful when there is too little dough for a hook attachment to
“catch” it, while the flex-edge beater scrapes the sides of the bowl. We some-
times start mixing with the paddle and then switch to the hook after obtain-
ing a homogeneous mass. We also use the paddle for doughs that are made up
of mostly rye flour. The wire whisk is used to whip air into mixtures, such as the
meringue used to garnish the Tarte Tropezzienne on page 288.

30 VOLUME 3: TECHNIQUES AND EQUIPMENT

123

The more powerful the motor, t he better. Motors are rated
in watts (W) or horsepower (HP), with 1 HP = 746 W . But only
about a third of the rated motor power actually makes it to the
bowl. A 1.3 HP mixer, for example, typically delivers around
0.44 HP to the food. The rest of the power is lost to heat and
the gearing system. As a result, the metal case surrounding the
motor can get uncomfortably hot after the motor has run for
a while.

A speed sensor m onitors the motor
shaft and transmits information
about the rate of rotation to the
control board.

A spring-loaded lever l ifts
the bowl and locks it into the
proper position for mixing.

The Ankarsrum mixer is not very common, but we like it for our gluten-
free breads in particular and for mixing other paste doughs such as 100 Ă
rye breads. It has one arm that performs the mixing and another that
scrapes the bowl, making for a very efficient mix. Also, because the bowl
itself is spinning, which translates to an open top unobstructed by the
motor housing that most stand mixers have, the extra open space makes
it easy to pour ingredients into the bowl.

M I X I N G   3 1

SDhiavipidinngFgroanmd

HOW TO  Divide and Weigh Your Dough

This is the most common method used by home bakers as well as pro- of any storage container. When a settled dough is then turned out onto
fessionals because it’s also the most economical in terms of equipment; a lightly floured surface, it maintains the shape of its container. The
it requires only a bench knife and a scale. As your output increases, the square or rectangular shape also makes it easier to divide the dough into
process of dividing and weighing dough takes more time, which means equal pieces. It is important for the dough to be relatively flat and uni-
that precision and efficiency become all the more important. We f­ocus formly thick—large variations in either aspect will make the dough hard
on dividing dough by hand in this particular section, but we discuss to divide evenly. If the rectangle is uneven in thickness, fold it over onto
­various machines used for dividing dough on page 139. itself. This is the best way of evening out the thickness of a dough. The
part of the dough that is in contact with the work surface is the smooth-
We prefer to use a square or rectangular tub for storing dough est (the most uniform). Keep this smooth side facing the worktable at
b­ ecause once the dough settles into the container, it will generally all times until you are ready to preshape, at which time you will turn the
take the tub’s shape, unless it’s a stiff dough with low hydration. (Typi- dough over. You’ll want to work with a clean, sharp bench knife because
cally, a dough of 70% hydration or higher will settle into the shape of it will cut your dough rather than tear it. Have your scale handy.
the tub.) For easier handling, we also suggest lightly oiling the inside

1 Decide beforehand about the type of loaves
you’ll ultimately shape and bake—and about
the number of loaves you can make in sync
with the recipe.

2 T ransfer the dough from the tub onto a
lightly floured surface, handling it gently
so that it retains the shape of its container.

3 Mentally assess how you’ll divide the dough
as shown by the guidelines at right.

4 U se your bench knife to cut cleanly through the dough, all the way to the work surface. (Don’t
worry if the dough degasses when you cut through it; that’s not uncommon.)

5 I mmediately weigh the cut piece of dough as you go to make sure it is the correct weight before 6 Reserve one piece of dough that you can
cutting a new piece. Doing so can help reduce the number of hand movements and also make the “harvest” from, or use it to make extra
process of dividing dough more efficient. pieces of dough you can add to the main
piece if needed. Don’t stack the extra pieces
on top of each other on the main dough;
spread them out.

7 K eep track of the order in which you cut and 8 Cover your dough with a clean plastic bag 9 L et your dough rest, covered, for 10–15 min-
weigh all the pieces of dough. You’ll eventu- or tarp so that it doesn’t form a skin. utes before you preshape it.
ally want to shape each piece in the order
that you cut it.

32 VOLUME 3: TECHNIQUES AND EQUIPMENT

HOW TO  Divide Dough for a Particular Shape 142

B eyond cutting your block of dough evenly, you should also decide example, if you want to shape round loaves (boules), divide your dough
what shape you’ll be forming it into. It helps to cut a preliminary form as illustrated in (a) rather than dividing it into long rectangles as illus-
that will make it easier to shape the dough for a particular loaf. For trated in (b).

ab

Ideally, the closer you can get to cutting square pieces of dough, the better Cutting long, narrow shapes would not work well for making boules but is
off you’ll be for shaping round loaves. best for making long, narrow loaves such as ciabatta.

cd

For oval loaves (bâtards), you’ll want to cut the dough into short rectangles, For rolls, divide the dough into long, even strips, as illustrated in (b). Then
as shown in (c). cut the long strips into small squares, as shown in (d). Rolls are typically
small in terms of size and, therefore, weight. For baguettes, you will also
need squares, albeit larger ones than those used for rolls.

DIVIDING AND SHAPING  33

Final PrForoofimng

HOW BUBBLES GROW IN DOUGH

Mixing infuses thousands of tiny air bubbles into dough (see to grow during the initial stages of baking; they are what power
page 82). As the dough ferments and proofs, the b­ ubbles the oven spring that enlarges the loaf. The pressurized bread
e­ xpand. Each bubble behaves like a little gluten balloon that then sets from the outside in. While the crust forms, reinforc-
inflates as gases of several kinds seep into the interior and then ing the final shape of the loaf, the pressure in each bubble rises
expand in response to the gas pressure. The bubbles continue to the bursting point.

Wheat dough rises so effectively because it contains gluten. Gluten is molecules yet identified. More compact gliadin proteins allow the
an elastic, viscous aggregate composed of several different kinds of dough to flow like a fluid. The ratio of gliadins to glutenins in the flour
proteins, most notably glutenins and gliadins. The longer glutenin has significant impact on the handling and rising characteristics of the
pieces link up to each other via disulfide bonds to form strong, stretchy dough, but it varies from among varieties of wheat and is difficult to
polymers. These interlinked strands are among the largest protein measure or control.

Gas bubble Disulfide bond Glutenin

Gluten Gliadin

Gases

Starch granule

CO2 A blend of gases i nflates Wheat bread is more like bubble
O2 each bubble during wrap than like beer foam. Bubble
proofing. Just after wrap can support a lot of weight
Ethanol (C2H6O) mixing, the bubbles without popping because the plastic
N2 H2O mainly contain humid air, in the bubble walls is both strong and
which includes nitrogen stretchy. The same is true of gluten, as
Ethanol (N2), oxygen (O2), carbon illustrated by the experiment shown
dioxide (CO2), and water above. After proofing 250 g / 9 oz
CO2 vapor (H2O). Fermenting loaves of dough, we put metal plates
yeast add ethanol (C2H6O) weighing up to 2 kg / 4.41 lb on the
and lots more CO2 to the loaves, baked them, and then mea-
mix. The heat of baking sured the volumes of the resulting
boils water into steam, breads. Amazingly, the weights hardly made a dent! Even the loaf carrying
drives dissolved gases out 2 kg / 4.41 lb on top reached 60% of normal volume.
of solution, and causes all
these gases to expand.

H2O

34 VOLUME 3: TECHNIQUES AND EQUIPMENT

The scanning electron microscope (SEM) gives a microscopic
look at a stretched piece of French lean dough. Oval granules
of starch (colored purple) are trapped within the gluten net-
work. For more on the inner workings of the SEM, see Electrons
Reveal More Details.

Bubbles can grow large in wheat bread (left), thanks to its high gluten content. Rye bread (center) contains practically no
gluten, so it traps less gas and has a correspondingly tighter crumb. And in gluten-free bread (right), other ingredients,
such as hydrocolloids, are typically added to retain gas—but so far none can match the stretchiness of gluten.

FINAL PROOFING  35

FiSnicsohriinngFgraonmd

HOW TO  Score a Baguette into that many sections. For example, if you plan to make five cuts,
mentally divide the dough into six equal parts (see top photo below).
A baguette is one of the most challenging shapes to score. You have Be sure to make your cuts in the middle third of the dough, width-
less surface area to work with because most of the required cuts have wise. Practice, as they say, makes perfect, but when it comes to
to be made along a narrow strip, but the same rules apply: scoring scoring b­ aguettes, even the most seasoned bakers will falter now
needs to be deliberate (quick and assertive) and to the same depth. and then, whether the challenge is the angle, the depth, or the over-
It’s also ­important that the score lines don’t overlap too much (about lap and spacing.
1.25 cm / ½ in is enough). Decide on the number of scores you wish
to make, add one to that number, and then mentally divide the dough

1 M entally divide the dough lengthwise, and then visualize performing the desired number of cuts within the middle third.

2 Score the bread, overlapping the cuts slightly; cuts should be the same length, the same angle, 3 Evenly space the cuts along the center of
and 6 mm / ¼ in deep. the dough’s surface.

THE NUMBER OF

Baguette Scores

Baguettes typically have five scores, but who decided on From left to right: five-score baguette, classic épi, one-sided epi, and three-score baguette.
that number? Why not one, three, or even seven? As these Cutting the dough into an epi shape will result in more crust surface area. The crust-to-
things often happen, there’s a “bound by tradition” reason
for the count but no practical purpose cited. In fact, pick a crumb ratio for an epi is even more than for a typically scored baguette, whether the
number from one to four—however many cuts you make,
fewer than five is more efficient because scoring takes less baguette has one, three, or five scores.
time. A­ lthough making a single score is the most practical
­approach, we’ve also bought into the five-score tradition for
aesthetic reasons. But there’s no rule—at least not one that’s
enforced—that says a baguette must have five scores to be
called a baguette.

For more on the trends in baguette shaping
in Paris, see page 154.

36 VOLUME 3: TECHNIQUES AND EQUIPMENT

THE BAGUETTE SCORE UP CLOSE 162

There’s wisdom in the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words. Describ-
ing how to cut something doesn’t necessarily create a clear and immediate
impression, and the notion of scoring bread can be complicated for those who
have limited experience with this step. In the hope of clarifying the p­ rocess,
we turned to one of the visual techniques we’re known for: we took proofed
baguette dough, froze it, and, using a band saw, cut it in half to clearly detail the
desired scoring angle.

Problem: This cut is practically straight
down, and it’s too shallow (3 mm / Ć in),
which will result in minimal ear formation.

Note the 45° angle of the Some bakers employ the nifty trick
blade and the depth of of letting proofed dough sit uncov-
the cut (6 mm / ¼ in). ered in the refrigerator for about
30–45 minutes. This allows the
surface to form a skin, which a blade
can easily and cleanly cut through.

As the water within the dough becomes
steam, the temperature rises in and
around the loaf. The steam finds the
path of least resistance outward, which
will be toward the closest score.

Thanks to oven spring, t he pockets
of carbon dioxide and water vapor
within proofed dough will enlarge
as the dough bakes. This bubble
expansion creates the final
crumb, which is typically
more open than
the bubbles in
unbaked dough.

SCORING AND FINISHING  37



OUR RECIPE CHAPTERS

We’ve categorized hundreds of breads and placed them into the recipe chapters shown below.
We also organized the breads into family trees.

LEAN BREADS

French Lean Bread Sourdough Ancient Grain 10o% Whole Country-Style High Hydration
Bread Wheat Bread Bread

ENRICHED BREADS RYE BREADS

Brioche Sandwich Bread Challah High-Ryes Farmer’s Bread

FLAT BREADS BRICK-LIKE BREADS

Crackers Injera Dosa Pumpernickel Vollkornbrot Whole Grain Loaf

Inflated Breads Naan Focaccia Pizza
GLUTEN-FREE BREADS BREAD-MACHINE
BAGELS, PRETZELS, BAO
BREADS

Gluten-Free Bread Machine Bagels Pretzels Steamed Buns

MAKING BREAD  39

Lean BrFreoadms

ingredient variation
WALNUT BREAD

It’s not too common for French bakers to put inclusions in their peel them or fold them in during the bulk fermentation process
breads, though this one—often offered with cheese courses—is a as described in the hand mix method (note that it can be tricky to
frequent exception. If you machine-mix the walnuts into the dough, evenly incorporate the nut pieces).
however, the skin may impart a purple tinge. Alternatively, you can

TOTAL TIME DDT DIFFICULT Y OVENS YIELD / SHAPES

Active 27 min 24–26^ /  Easy:
all aspects
Inactive 20 h 31 min 75–78| Deck Home Convection Combi 1 lg boule or bâtard 2 sm boules or bâtards 13 rolls

INGREDIENTS WEIGHT VOLUME Ă NET CONTENTS
Ingredients
A Water 385 g 1¾ cups 75.49 Bread flour Weight Ă
Medium rye flour 455 g 75.83
Liquid levain, mature 180 g ¾ cup + 1 Tbsp 35.29 145 g 24.17
Water 475 g 79.17
see page TK Walnuts 50 g 8.33
Wheat bran 45  g 7.50
Bread flour 365 g 2¾ cups 71.57 Salt 12 g 2

Medium rye flour 145 g 1 cup 28.43

Wheat bran, toasted 45 g ¾ cup 8.82

B Fine salt 12 g 2¼ tsp 2.12

C Walnuts, coarsely 50 g ½ cup 9.80
chopped and toasted

Yield 1.14 kg Multiply this recipe by two for a miche.

For salt, flours, and other notes, see page TK. For notes on substitutions, see page TK.

Why does the dough turn purple? Walnut
skin contains an antioxidant called DPPH
(2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) that has
a purple hue. When you agitate the
skin, the antioxidant turns the
dough purple.

41 104 VVOOLLUUMMEE 44: : RREECCI IPPEESS I

20

GENERAL DIRECTIONS TIME
active / inactive
PROCEDURE NOTES 5 min / 30 min

MIX by hand* mix A to a shaggy mass; autolyse 30 min; add B, and mix until see Hand Mixing Options, 38–41 min
homogenous page TK
BULK FERMENT 5 min / 4 h
by machine* mix A to a shaggy mass; on low speed; autolyse 30 min; add B, see Country-style Breads
DIVIDE/SHAPE 5 min / 2½ h
and mix to medium gluten development; add C, and mix on low Machine Mixing Options,
FINAL PROOF 0–7 min
speed until fully incorporated page TK 1–7 min
SCORE 20 min
BAKE by hand* 4 h total; 6 folds (one every 30 min after the first hour, 30 min rest see Hand Mixing, page TK 1–7 min
TOTAL TIME after final fold); after the first fold, add C; mix with your hands see Gluten Development, 12–16 h
4·114 using a squeeze, pull, and fold-over motion; check for full gluten page TK
development using windowpane test 30 s–1 min
15 min–1 hr
by machine* 2½ h total; 2 folds (1 fold every hour after the first hour), 30 min see How to Perform a Four- 32 min / 21 h 50 min
rest after final fold; check for full gluten development using the Edge Fold, page TK and Glu- 27 min / 20 h 31 min
windowpane test ten Development, page TK

divide lg boule/bâtard sm boule/bâtard roll miche see How to Divide Your
do not divide
500 g 75 g do not divide Dough, page TK

preshape boule/bâtard boule/bâtard boule boule page TK

rest 20 min 20 min 20 min 20 min

shape boule/bâtard boule/bâtard roll boule

13^ / 55| 14 h 14 h n/a 14 h see page TK for proofing times

for rolls

4^ / 39| 12–16 h 12–16 h n/a 12–16 h see Final Proofing Methods,
page TK, and Calling Proof,
page TK; see page TK for
proofing times for rolls

for scoring options, see page TK

see the Country-style Breads Baking Times and Temperatures table, page TK

*choose by hand or machine by hand
by machine

You can substitute other nuts for the walnuts, such as pecans, hazelnuts, or almonds. Some bakers add cranberries,
too, which is a classic pairing with walnuts. If you would like to add cranberries, use 50 g / 1.76 oz / 9.80 Ă.

You can also shape this dough into a baguette: divide the dough into three 330 g pieces, then see instructions for
shaping baguettes, page TK. For baking instructions, see page TK.

When mixing by hand, you may need to perform more folds and lengthen bulk fermentation time to fully develop
the gluten, especially when using inclusions.

Though walnuts aren’t everyone’s
cup of tea, they add a textural com-
ponent and a savory meatiness to
bread. Their aroma is attributed to a
combination of molecules derived
from their oil. However, they are
also high in polyunsaturated lin-
oleic acid, a factor that makes them
prone to rancidity. Because of this,
walnuts should always be stored in
the freezer.

D I V I DLLIENEAGANNABNBRRDEEASADHDSA P I N G   1 41 51

Lean BrFreoadms

ingredient variation
FILONE

The filone is another Italian bread that is sometimes compared with the baguette,
though as with the pane francese (see page TK), the dough is in the high-hydration
spectrum so has more rustic character than the baguette. Filone loaves are often a bit
shorter and broader than the slender French loaf. This dough uses protein-rich durum
flour, which contributes its distinctive flavor and yellowish hue to the bread.

TOTAL TIME DDT DIFFICULT Y OVENS YIELD / SHAPES

Active 35 min 24–26^ /  Easy: Advanced: Deck Combi Convection Home 3 baguettes 4 ficelles
Inactive 4 h 54 min 75–78| dough shaping (baguette) or short baguettes

INGREDIENTS WEIGHT VOLUME Ă NET CONTENTS
For the Poolish Ingredients
Bread flour 170 g 1¼ cups 100 Bread flour Weight Ă
Water 170 g ¾ cup 100 Durum flour 485 g 84.26
Instant dry yeast 0.17 g Ċ tsp 0.10 Water 85 g 15.74
For the Dough Salt 430 g 75.44
A Water 260 g 1¼ cups 65 Yeast 11.00 g 1.93
Instant dry yeast 3 g 1Ć tsp 0.75 3.17 g 0.55
B Bread flour 315 g 2Ą cups 78.75
Poolish 340 g all from above 85
Durum flour 85 g ½ cup 21.25
C Fine salt 11 g 2 tsp 2.75
Yield 1.00 kg

GENERAL DIRECTIONS TIME
active / inactive
PROCEDURE NOTES
12 h
PREP preferment mix the poolish 12 h before using page TK 5 min / 20–30 min
MIX
by hand* dissolve A; add B and mix to a shaggy mass; autolyse 20– see How to Mix in a Tub, 38–44 min
(choose by hand or 30 minutes; add C, and mix until homogenous page TK
machine) 5 min / 3½ h
by machine* dissolve A; add B and mix to a shaggy mass; autolyse 20– see French Lean Bread
BULK FERMENT 30 minutes; add C, and mix to medium gluten development Machine Mixing Options, 5 min / 2 h
page TK
DIVIDE/SHAPE 3–5 min
by hand* 3½ h total; 3 folds (1 fold every hour after the first hour), 30 min see How to Perform a
FINAL PROOF by machine* rest after final fold; check for full gluten development Four-Edge Fold, page TK 3–5 min
and Gluten Develop- 20 min
SCORE 2 h total; 2 folds (1 fold every hour after the first hour), 30 min ment, page TK 3–5 min
BAKE rest after final fold 30 min–1½ h
TOTAL TIME
divide baguette/short baguette ficelle see How to Divide Your 30 s–1 m
350 g 250 g Dough, page TK 10–20 m

preshape baguette baguette see page TK 26 min / 6 h 10 min
35 min / 4 h 54 min
rest 20 min 20 min

shape baguette ficelle

27^ / 80| 45 min–1 h 30–45 min see Final Proofing
65% RH 1–1½ h 45 min–1 h Methods, page TK, and
Calling Proof, page TK
21^ / 70|

single score down the center; see Scoring, page TK

for baking details, see French Lean Bread Baking Times and Temperatures, page TK; crisp
crust requires steam

*choose by hand or machine by hand
by machine

45 2 V O L U M E 4 : R E C I P E SI

BANH MI ROLLS 206

Banh mi is one echo of the French colonization of Vietnam. The term translates liter-
ally as “wheat bread” and refers to a baguette-like loaf or smaller roll that has a slightly
softer crust and tighter crumb than French baguettes. Banh mi has also become syn-
onymous with a sandwich, made on these loaves, of pickled vegetables, cilantro sprigs,
fresh chilies, and meat or tofu.

TOTAL TIME DDT DIFFICULT Y OVENS YIELD / SHAPES
4 baguette rolls
Active 35 min 24–26^ /  Easy: Advanced: Deck Combi Convection Home
Inactive 3 h 48 min 75–78| mixing shaping

INGREDIENTS WEIGHT VOLUME Ă NET CONTENTS
57.50 Ingredients
A Water 345 g 1½ cup 1.17 Flour Weight Ă
100 Water 600 g 100
Instant dry yeast, osmotolerant 7 g 2½ tsp 3.33 Sugar 345 g 57.50
1 Fat 20 g 3.33
B Bread flour 600 g 4½ cups 16.67 Yeast 100 g 16.67
Salt 7 g 1.17
Sugar 20 g 2 tsp 6 g 1

C Fine salt 6 g 1Ć tsp

D Shortening or lard, melted and 100 g ½ cup
cooled

Yield 1.00 kg

For salt, flours, and other notes, see page TK. For notes on substitutions, see page TK.

MIX by hand* GENERAL DIRECTIONS NOTES TIME
active / inactive
(choose by hand or PROCEDURE see How to Mix in a Tub, 10–12 min / 30 min
machine) page TK
mix A to dissolve the yeast; add B and mix to a shaggy mass; 36–38 min
BULK FERMENT autolyse 30 min; add C and mix to low gluten development;
DIVIDE/SHAPE pour D in and mix to full gluten development 5 min / 1 h

FINAL PROOF by machine* mix A to dissolve the yeast; add B and mix to a shaggy mass; see French Lean Bread 5–7 min
autolyse 30 min; add C and mix to low gluten development; Machine Mixing Options,
SCORE pour D in and mix on medium speed to full gluten development page TK 5–7 min
BAKE 15–20 min
TOTAL TIME 1 h; book fold after the first 30 min see How to Perform a 5–7 min
Four-Edge Fold, page TK 30 min–1½ h

divide baguette see How to Divide Your 30 s–1 min
250 g Dough, page TK 10–20 min
39 min / 3 h 40 min
preshape baguette see page TK 35 min / 3 h 48 min

rest 15–20 min

shape 20 cm / 8 in baguette

29^ / 85| 30–45 min see Final Proofing
21^ / 70| 1–1½ h Methods, page TK, and
Calling Proof, page TK

chill the dough uncovered for 10 min; single score down the center

bake to an internal temperature of 90–93^ / 195–200|; crisp crust requires steam

*choose by hand or machine by hand
by machine

Our version of banh mi is soft crumbed and crispy crusted, just like all the We highly recommend mixing this dough with a machine rather than by
bahn mi we have tasted. It is hard to tell this bread apart from the Mexican hand as it is a rather firm dough and you must achieve full gluten develop-
bolillo (pronounced “bo-lee-yo”) that is used for making the classic Mexican ment. Doing so by hand is time-consuming. If you use an 8 qt stand mixer,
sandwich called a torta. In fact, we would suggest using them for the same we recommend doubling this recipe so there is enough dough for the mixer
purpose. to catch all the ingredients.

LEAN BREADS   45 3

Lean BrFreoadms

SOURDOUGH WITH FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PUREES

These variations each use a different puree, with an adjusted INGREDIENTS WEIGHT VOLUME Ă
amount of water (relative to the amount of water the puree Bread flour 480 g 3¼ cups 100
provides), and an inclusion such as corn kernels or chocolate Fruit or vegetable puree X X X
chips for added flavor and texture. The purees are added to the
water portion of the dough and mixed according to the Sour- Water YY Y
dough master recipe (see page TK). The inclusions are added
as per the mixing instructions in the Black Currant and Mar- Liquid levain, mature 195 g ¾ cup 40.63
cona Almond Sourdough on page TK.
see page TK

Diastatic malt powder* 1 g ½ tsp 0.21

Fine salt 12 g 2¼ tsp 2.41

Inclusion ZZ Z

For salt, flours, and other notes, see page TK. For notes on substitutions, see page TK.
*Optional: Diastatic malt powder (DMP) is recommended if you are cold-proofing your
dough for more than 12 hours. For more on DMP, see page TK.

Hominy and Mole Sourdough

INGREDIENTS WEIGHT VOLUME Ă

X Hominy, canned, solids 190 g 2½ cups** 39.53
drained*
Huitlacoche and Yellow Corn Sourdough
Y Water 165 g ¾ cup 34.37

Z Mole paste*** 30 g 2 Tbsp 6.25 INGREDIENTS WEIGHT VOLUME Ă

* Puree the hominy in a blender to a smooth paste. If the hominy isn’t pureeing easily, X Huitlacoche* 100 g ½ cup** 20.83
add some water from the recipe to the blender.
**Before pureeing Y Water 235 g 1 cup 48.95
***Mole paste can be found in most specialty Mexican grocery stores or online.
See Resources, page TK. Dissolve into the water portion of the dough. Z Yellow corn (whole kernels, fro- 70 g Ą cup 14.58
zen or fresh)***

*Huitlacoche is not readily available at many grocery stores, but it is likely you will find
prepared cans or jars of it in specialty Mexican grocery stores; if this is how you find it,
do not drain the liquid. Puree the contents of the jar in a blender until smooth (canned
Huitlacoche is already seasoned and is sometimes spicy). Huitlacoche is also avail-
able frozen. Blend 70 g of the puree with 30 g of water in a blender until smooth. See
Resources, page TK.
**Before pureeing
***Add the corn after the dough has reached medium gluten development.

Bosc Pear and Toasted Coconut Sourdough

INGREDIENTS WEIGHT VOLUME Ă

X Pears* 100 g ½ cup** 20.83

Y Water 235 g 1 cup + 3 Tbsp 41.66

Z Toasted dried coconut 100 g 1¼ cup 20.83
flakes***

*You can use fresh pears for this (make sure they are ripe). We prefer Bosc pears for this Huitlacoche and Yellow Corn Sourdough
recipe, but you can use any variety that you like. You will need to peel and core the pears,
and then puree them with the water amount in the recipe. You can also use canned pears
(strain the pears; do not use the syrup) or store-bought pear purees.
**Before pureeing
***Use unsweetened coconut; add after the dough has reached medium gluten
development.

47 24 V O L U M E 4 : R E C I P E SI

206

Cherry Pie and Chocolate Chip Sourdough

INGREDIENTS WEIGHT VOLUME Ă

X Cherry pie filling (canned)* 145 g ą cup** 30.20

Y Water 215 g 1 cup 44.79

Z Chocolate chips, bake proof*** 100 g ą cup 20.83

*Puree the pie filling whole in a blender. You can substitute blueberry pie filling or apple
pie filling.
**Before pureeing
***See Resources, page TK; add after the dough has reached medium gluten development.

Pistachio Sourdough

INGREDIENTS WEIGHT VOLUME Ă

X Pistachio paste* 100 g ½ cup 20.83

Y Water 315 g 1Ą cup 65.62

Z Toasted pistachios** 100 g ¾ cup 20.83

*See Resources, page TK. Pistachio paste contains no water. Note that this much fat puts
this sourdough in enriched dough territory.
**See page TK on how to toast nuts; add after the dough has reached medium gluten
development.

Aji Amarillo and Roasted Purple Potato Sourdough

INGREDIENTS WEIGHT VOLUME Ă

X Aji amarilo, canned, solids 145 g ½ cup + 30.20
drained* 2 Tbsp**

Y Water 200 g ¾ cup + 3 Tbsp 41.66

Z Roasted purple potatoes*** 100 g ¾ cup 20.83

* Puree the aji amarillo in a blender to a smooth paste. If the aji amarillo isn’t pureeing
easily, add some water from the recipe to the blender. Aji can be found in most specialty
Latin American grocery stores or online. See Resources, page TK.
**Before pureeing
***See procedure for roasting potatoes, page TK; add after the dough has reached
medium gluten development.

Pistachio Butter and Toasted Pistachio   47 53

LEAN BREADS

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