The last time I baked one of these was New Year's Day, 2020. Oh, what a blur it's been. How naive we all were back then, no clue what was coming down the pike. Anyway - very pleased that almost four years later I was able to again produce a near perfect couronne. Haven't tasted it yet, waiting for company to arrive and Christmas dinner.
Deets:
- Bread flour: 425 g
- Water: 280 g
- Salt: 9 g
- 100% hydration whole wheat sourdough starter: 50 grams
- 1/8 tsp SAF instant yeast
- [I decided to use 2/3 my usual starter amount and add a small amount of yeast in its stead, as my starter has been a bit sluggish recently].
Christmas Eve:
- 5:00 pm: Mixed water, yeast, starter, flour
- 5:30 pm: add salt, knead a little to distribute it
- 6:00, 6:30, and 7:00 pm stretch and fold, then proof overnight on countertop
Christmas Day
- 7:00 am: turnout, letter fold, bench rest
- 7:30 am: shape into 6 x 101g balls, 1 x 150g ball (a tiny amount of dough left over); roll out the 150 g ball into an 8-inch pizza-like disk, place in rigged-up couronne proofing basket using an 8 & 1/2 inch flattish basket with 2 inch sides and an upturned small ramekin covered with a well-floured kitchen towel. Proof for 1 and 1/2 hours.
- 8:20 am: preheat oven with pizza stone at 450°
- 9:00-9:30: bake until it looks ready, check temp (my thermometer read 208°)
- Take photos and post a forum entry while waiting to eat the couronne.
Instructions on how to assemble a couronne bourdelaise are at the Breadtopia blog: https://breadtopia.com/couronne-bread-ring/
Hi, Susan.
This morning, while I was preparing to pack my bride's bag lunch, I spied with my little eye a very ripe rye sour. This was to become an old school NY rye bread on Monday. With the hustle and bussel of the season it was forgotten. I decided to build the NY rye this morning. The comedy of errors continues. Just as I was ready to start the room temperature bulk fermentation, I remembered the sticky syrupy mess in my oven. This due to a quite sizable spill of ham glaze. Switching gears, I had no choice but to set the flegling rye to cold ferment. The oven was cleaned racks, pizza steel, the whole nine. It turned out sparkling! Just a while ago, since falling asleep was not on the menu. I set out to shape the rye batards. That's when I had the epifiny! What if I make a rye bread couronne! The new plan is to cold proof the couronne, and small rye batard for about 3 hrs. Then try to squeeze the bake in just before the electric rates go into higher pricing at 5:00AM.
I just love to post my bakes at about this point. Risking an anticlimactic finish. Wish me luck!
The Crown Rye Bread.
brilliant bakes, both of you!
Rob
These are both fabulous-looking breads!
Being easily amused, I think this is a great post, as well as a as perfect, as perfect can be couronne, (corona,) (crown.) I am definitely going to practice this shaping technique. Maybe tomorrow? Maybe using Hamelmen's Vermont sourdough? Sounds like a plan to me! This shaping will be great for sweet yeasted Italian Easter breads! Italian lard bread! The possibilities are endless!!! I am excited to start this next exercise. I told you at the start, I am easily amused. Smile.... Nice to meet you Mr. Rye, once again great job!!
Kind regards,
Will F.
Nice to meet you, too, Will!
Thanks to your response I only just now realized the inadvertent pun of my post. Couronne-crown-corona. Thank you for making me realize my own accidental brilliance! :D
I have read and enjoyed and learned from your posts over the years, though I admit I took a multi-year hiatus from this excellent bread blog, not sure why. Maybe it was the long period that our oven was acting up/dying and I didn't bake any bread.
I'm intrigued now to try this with freshly ground whole grain breads, which I prefer. This loaf used a whole wheat starter but was otherwise all KA bread flour.
I probably should have let the bread proof another 15-20 minutes or so, it was slightly underproofed and dense. Tasted good, though, nice sourdough flavor.
One small thing, it's Ms. Rye. Not that it matters, since on the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog.
Happy New Year!
-Susan
Lovely looking couronne. Merry Christmas!
Well done to both!
Wonderful bakes both of you.
Happy New Year all the best in happiness and health
Benny