Vienna with Crunch-Cool!
A few days ago, dvuong posted a beautiful image of Vienna bread with a Dutch Crunch topping applied. It was so beautiful I just had to try it for myself. I went straight to my copy of Reinharts BBA and followed the instructions for Vienna Bread and the following add in for the history and suggestions for Dutch Crunch. I learned that there are several variations including corn meal and farina that will work, providing different flavors. I thought I would stick with the white rice flour this time and try to duplicate the results posted by dvuong.
As you can see, I didn't get quite the same degree of cracking but never the less, still quite nice. Since there is yeast in the crunch topping, there are some controls available that I have to tinker with in future bakes.
So for anyone thinking about this bread, go for it. The crunch topping is easy to make up and if you don't have rice flour, try fine cornmeal.
Eric
Comments
They look beautiful! Nice crackling! Thank you for posting, Eric.
I have to go straight to get the BBA book to check out the recipe.
Best wishes,
Akiko
Great Looking Bread, Eric! color is fantastic, and the crust is tempting! What are this bread's ingredients?
The ingredients are listed in the thread I linked to above. It's surprisingly more complicated than I would have guessed. Rice flour, AP, sugar, malt, instant yeast, melted butter and water. Check the first thread for the quantities. I think I may have thinned it out a little to much so I could brush it on easily. I'm hoping some one here will enlighten me on how best to apply the crunch mix.
Eric
Eric, those look gorgeous. I would love to see the crumb shot. That Dutch Crunch looks really appetizing. Will have to try it sometime.
Syd
Thank you all for your kind comments.
The remarkable thing about this bread is the aroma. I suppose it is the ingredients and the fermenting causing the greater than usual wonderful smell of bread. I didn't take a crumb shot but the structure is about what you would expect of a sandwich loaf. It's fully covered with small bubbles and a soft mouth feel as you would expect of an enriched bread. Great toast this morning.
The rice flour slurry didn't deliver the cracking to the degree I had hoped for. I would be open to suggestions from someone who has experience with the Dutch Crunch process on how to maximize the open cracking on the surface. I applied the slurry just after final shaping on parchment, covered by a plastic sheet pan cover that I misted with water for added moisture. Proof time was 1-1/4 hours.
Eric
Eric--
I mixed in enough water so the paste was just spreadable with a silicon basting brush, but still thick. I probably coated the rolls with a 1/8 inch thick coat of paste. I also applied the paste just after final shaping, then sprayed them with oil before covering with plastic wrap.
I agree about the wonderful aroma. When barbecue season starts, these will be great for grilled burgers or smoked brisket.
Glenn
I'm wondering if I should have used warm water to get the yeast going a little better. Or perhaps let the mix stand at RT for a while before spreading. Mine was thick enough to get a nice coat on the surface with a bristle brush I use for butter and such. Maybe thicker next time.
Eric
You know, ever since I baked the whole Reinhart's book, I regret that when I made that one I omitted the "crunchy topping"
I must make it again sometime... everybody who makes it with it raves about it...
He doesn't give it much prominence does he? I missed it also in all the years I have had the book.
Eric
True... I am putting this on my list of breads to make soon. The list is only 37 breads long, I should get to it before the year 2013 ;-)
Eric--
I think I used cold water and it worked well. Seems to me more yeast activity before baking would thin the paste.
Glenn
Hi Eric. I enjoyed your pictures, and I think I like the effect on you loaves quite a lot. I had thought about yeast added to a wash, thinking it might make for a thinner crust. I never pursued the idea, but was happy to see it as one of the ingredients in this topping. I have brown rice flour and see it can be used as well. I was concerned about it affecting its transparency. Thanks, Ray
Thank you for you kind words. Reinhart says you can use white or brown or corn meal. Anything without gluten.
Eric