More Fun with Bear-Guette Dough, including Pizza!
It has been several months since I made baguettes. I had promised myself I would do a multi-week baguette experiment and compare different formulas and build my technique. But life intervened. I’ve been very busy at work, and there never seems to be time for baking all the breads I want to bake.
Today I spent most of the day working at home, and I decided to work in a baguette bake. My usual baguette drill is to make a full recipe of proth5’s “Starting to Get the Bear” Baguettes, aka “Bear-guettes”, first posted by Pat here (http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/20831/starting-get-bear) and then again by Brother David here (http://www.thefreshloaf.com/keyword/getting-bear). This is a superb formula. With some sourdough and a Poolish. The dough is a delight to work with, and the baguettes are delicious and crispy-crusted.
Because I can’t do a whole dough batch in one bake, I always have to retard some of the dough. There wasn’t really room in the fridge for baguettes, so I made a Giant French Bagel and retarded and proofed it in a banneton. It’s kinda purdy.
As the morning wore on, I started to think about what to make for dinner. I remembered that I had some homemade Chicken Italian Sausage and some homemade pesto in the freezer. Pizza!!! So, I wondered how Bear-guette dough would be as pizza dough…. And then decided to find out.
Answer: Really good!! After the primary ferment, I carved off about 1/3 of the dough, balled it up, put it in an oiled, covered bowl in the fridge for about 4 hours, then pulled it out to warm up about 90 minutes before baking it. It took several stretches and several rests to get it to extend into a 12" pizza. But it was worth the effort.
It’s breadier than my usual pizza dough, but it’s delicious and tender. I will use this dough for pizza again.
While I was baking, Tasha spent most of the day looking out the window and talking with her friends on the paw phone.
Glenn
Comments
up some tasty looking loaves and pizza : )
ps..one smart kitty!
Sylvia
Thanks, Sylvia. I didn't mention that I used your magic steamy towels (as always) and got really good spring!
Tasha's smart paw phone gets really good reception by the window.
Glenn
and your baguettes, breads, pizza and especially the giant bagel bag! All first rate Glenn. You did to upset me none the less though. I made pizza yesterday and forgot about the 5 pounds of home made pesto in the freezer :-(
Nice baking
That would be enough for at least two pizzas!
Glenn
The loaves all look great, and the pizza is superb! Tasha is a cutie, how nice to have her around for working at home.
I appreciate your admiration for the bread loaves and the kitty loaf, too.
Glenn
you are enjoying the formula. Seriously, though, try the variation where you take about 9 oz per 8 in round cake pan - heavily oil the cake pan with good olive oil - sprinkle with herbs (I've been blending oregano, herbes de Provence, and thyme) make a round with the dough place in herbs and oil - let rest a bit, turn over. Proof - dimple with fingers - bake.
People sniff around the door to get their share of that. Can also be flattened in the middle and loaded with stuff to make a kind of deep dish pizza.
Very tolerant to over proofing.
Try it once, and you'll thank me :>)
The bakery is closed for the summer because of the heat - and for me to work on some longer range projects...
Happy Baking!
Pat
What you describe sounds like your Bear-guette dough made into fougasse. A bonne idée (if it were a ways north of Provence, I guess it would be a Beaune idée). I will give it a go!
Thanks.
Glenn