It had been a long while since I made a mainly-white bread, and after seeing so many handsome loaves posted in recent weeks by our talented members, I felt it was a good time. A particular post by myrtleskitchen highlighted her experience baking Pierre Nury's Light Rye. The recipe predated my affiliation here, so I searched and found the formula posted by zolablue, along with her notes and thoughts. It sounded like just the kind of bread I was looking to make, light, airy, flavorful, white, but not entirely white, ciabbata-like
I followed the formula, except used KAF bread flour, instead of Sir Lancelot, and whole rye flour, instead of light, plus a touch more water. Mixed it in my KA mixer - wow, it called for 12 minutes at speed 4 - no way could I have duplicated that by hand! Though I did read a comment this week that said long mechanical mixes will cause oxidation and impact flavor - and that a good result may be had by patient stretch and folds... will want to try that.
My schedule's kind of crazy lately, so I needed to modify the fermenting/resting/retarding to suit, so it ended up in the refrigerator longer overall, but to no ill effect.
Sure enough, once fermented, the dough was glossy, pillow-ey and gorgeous. Floured, divided, given the obligatory 2-inch stretch and before long, baked to a deep mahogany that thumped deeply to indicate it was done. The crust was crisp and the crumb full of lovely holes (though an extra stretch and fold would have been in order to even them out a bit). Both Myrtle's and Zola's loaves turned out prettier than mine, but I'm happy, enough so that I gifted one of the loaves to a coworker. And I'll definitely bake this one again.
Best baking to each of you!
Cathy
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posts on TFL. It is worth it to read her whole blog. I was always taken by the method of.picking up the dough at each end and stretching it 2",plopping it back down on the parchment and baking it immediately. It just seems so wrong to still get those big holes:-)
I think the key to getting it to crack open where ever it wants is to somehow get the seam off the bottom and get it in the heat a bit under proofed, it is one fun way to make some fine bread. Yours turned out very nice and your gift will be a good one to get. Well done and
happy Baking Cathy
Those are some really handsome loaves. Glad you enjoyed making them.
Stu
Beautiful bake! I can almost imagine how good it must have tasted.
Regards,
Ian
and encouragement. This one was tasty and I'm really glad I tried it. We had ours torn and dipped in a summer veggie soup for a light, fresh meal for a warm evening.
Best to you all,
Cathy