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French Bread

From: hartmans@mediaone.net (Jack and Kay Hartman)
This French bread recipe comes from Mastering the Art of French
Cooking Volume 2 by Julia Child.

Flour

French bakers make plain French bread out of unbleached flour that
has a gluten strength of 8 to 9 per cent. Most American all-purpose
flour is bleached and has a slightly higher gluten content as well as
being slightly finer in the texture. It is easier to make bread with
French flour than with American all-purpose flour, and the taste and
texture are naturally more authentic. (The so-called bread flour
available in some mail-order houses usually has an even higher gluten
content than all-purpose flour, so do not use it for plain French
bread.) [I use bread flour and I really like the results I get.]
You will undoubtedly wish to experiment with flours if you become a
serious bread maker, but because we find that any of the familiar
brands of all-purpose flour works very well, we shal not complicate
the recipe by suggesting an obscure or special brand. If you do
experiment, however, simply substitute you other flour for the amount
called for in the recipe; you may need a little bit more water or a
little bit less, but the other ingredients and the method will not
change.

Bakers' ovens versus home ovens

Bakers' ovens are contructed that one slides the formed bread dough
from a wooden paddle [I used a stainless steel baking sheet] right
onto the hot, fire-brick oven floor, and a steam-injection system
humidifies the oven for the first few minutes of baking. Steam
allows the yeast to work a little longer in the dough and this,
combined with a hot baking surface, produces an extra push of volume.
In addition, steam coagulating the starch on the surface of the dough
gives the crust its characteristic brown color. Although you can
produce a good loaf of French bread without steam or a hot baking
surface, you will get a larger and handsomer loaf when you simulate
professional conditions. We give both systems - the Master Recipe,
which requires no special equipment, and the simulated bakers' oven
system...

Sour dough

Sour dough is an American invention, not French, and you will not
find anything like American sour dough in France. But you can adapt
your sour dough recipe to the method described here for plain French
bread. We think you will find that our recipe will give you an
excellent result.

Equipment needed for making French bread

Unless you plan to go into the more elaborate simulation of a bakers'
oven, you need no unusual equipment for the following recipe. Here
are the requirements, some of which may sound odd but will explain
themselves when you read the recipe.

A 4- to 5-quart mixing bowl with fairly vertical rather than outward
slanting sides

A kneading surface of some sort, 1 1/2 to 2 square feet

A rubber spatula and wither a metal scraper or a stiff wide metal
spatula

1 or 2 unwrinkled canvas pastry cloths or stiff linen towels upon
which the dough may rise [I use a large cotton kitchen towel if I am
making batards but for other shapes I don't use a cloth at all but
instead just form the dough directly on the baking sheet that is
liberally dusted with corn meal]

A stiff piece of cardboard or plywood 18 to 20 inches long and 6 to
8 inches wide, for unmolding dough from canvas to baking sheet [I use
a stainless steel baking sheet]

Finely ground cornmeal, or pasta pulverized in an electric blender,
to sprinkle on unmolding board so as to prevent dough from sticking

The largest baking sheet that will fit into your oven

A razor blade for slashing the top of the dough

A soft pastry brush or fine-spray atomizer for moistening dough
before and during baking

A room thermometer to verify rising temperature [I don't go to this
trouble but slower rises at cooler temperatures have produced better
results for me]

Pain Francais - Plain French Bread

Count on a minimum of 6 1/2 to 7 hours from the time you start the
dough to the time it is read for the oven, and half an hour for
baking. While you cannot take less time, you may take as much more
time as you wish by the delayed-action techniques at the end of the
recipe.

For 1 pound of flour, making 3 cups of dough, producing:

3 long loaves, baguettes, 24 by 2 inches, or batards, 16 by 3 inches
Or 6 short loaves, ficelles, 12 to 16 by 2 inches
Or 3 round loaves, boules, 7 to 8 inches in diameter
Or 12 round or oval rolls, petits pains
Or 1 large round or oval loaf, pain de menage or miche; pain boulot

1) The dough mixture - le fraisage (or frasage)

1 cake (0.6 ounce) fresh yeast or 1 package dry-active yeast
1/2 cup warm water (not over 100 degrees F) [I use water that is
between 105 and 115 degrees F] in a measure
3 1/2 cups (about 1 pound) all-purpose flour, measured by scooping
dry-measure cups into flour and sweeping off excess [I use bread
flour]
2 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups tepid water (70 to 74 degrees F)

Stir the yeast in the warm water and let liquefy completely while
measuring flour into mixing bowl. When yeast has liquefied, pour it
into the flour along with the salt and the rest of the water. [I
only use half the flour and then I add additional flour until the
consistency is correct.]

Note: We do not find the food processor satisfactory here, since the
dough is so soft the machine clogs; however, you can use a heavy-duty
mixer with dough hook, and finish it up by hand.

Stir and cut the liquids into the flour with a rubber spatula [I use
a big spoon], pressing firmly to form a dough, and making sure that
all bits of flour and unmassed pieces are gathered in. Turn dough
out onto kneading surface, scraping bowl clean. Dough will be soft
and sticky. Let it rest for 2 to 3 minutes while you wash and dry
the bowl.

2) Kneading - petrissage

The flour will have absorbed the liquid during this short rest, and
the dough will have a little more cohesion for the kneading that is
about to begin. Use one hand only for kneading and keep the other
clean to hold a pastry scraper, to dip out extra flour, to answer the
telephone, and sor forth. Your object in kneading is to render the
dough perfectly smooth and to work it sufficiently so that all the
gluten molecules are moistened and joined together into an
interlocking web. You cannot see this happen, of course, but you can
feel it because the dough will become elastic and will retract into
shape when you push it out.

Start kneading by lifting the near edge of the dough, using a pastry
scraper or stiff wide spatula to help you if necessary [I just use my
hands], and flipping dough over onto itself.

Scrape the dough off the surface and slap it down; lift edge and flip
it over again, repeating the movement rapidly.

In 2 to 3 minutes, the dough should have enough body so that you can
give it a quick forward push with the heel of your hand as you flip
it over. Continue to knead rapidly and vigorously in this way. If
it remains too sticky, knead in a sprinkling of flour. (Whole
kneading process will take 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how vigorous
and expert you become.)

Shortly after this point, the dough should have developed enough
elasticity so that it draws back into shape when pushed, indicating
that the gluten molecules have united and are under tension like a
thin web of rubber; the dough should also begin to clean itself off
the kenading surface, although it will stick to your fingers if you
hold a pinch for more than a second or two. Let it rest for 3 to 4
minutes. Knead again for a minute; the surface should now look
smooth; the dough will be less sticky but it will still remain soft.
It is now ready for its first rise.

3) First rising - pointage premier temps (3 to 5 hours at around 70
degrees F)

You now have approximately 3 cups of dough that is to rise 3 1/2
times in original volume, or to about 10 1/2 cups. Fill the mixing
bowl with 10 1/2 cups of tepid water and make a mark to indicate that
level on the outside of the bowl (note that the bowl should have
fairly upright sides; it they are too outward slanting, the dough
will have difficulty rising.) Pour out the water, dry the bowl, and
place the dough in it; slip bowl intal a large plastic bag or cover
with plastic, and top with a folded bath towel. Set on a wooden
surface (marble or stone are too cold) or on a folded towel or
pillow, and let it rise free from drafts anyplace where the
temperature is around 70 degrees F; if the room is too hot, set bowl
in water and keep renewing water to maintain it at around 70 degrees
F. Dough should take at least 3 hours to rise to 10 1/2 cups; if the
temperature is lower; it will simply take longer.

(*) Delayed action: See chart at end of recipe.

When fully risen, the dough will be humped into a slight dome,
showing that the yeast is still active; it will be light and spongy
when pressed. There will usually be some big bubbly blisters on the
surface, and if you are using a glass bowl, you will see bubbles
through the glass.

4) Deflating and second rising - rupture; pointage deuxieme temps
(1 1/2 to 2 hours at around 70 degrees F)

The dough is now ready to be deflated, which will release the yeast-
engendered gases and redistribute the yeast cells so that the dough
will rise again and continue the fermentation process.

With a rubber spatual [I just use my hands] dislodge dough from
inside of bowl and turn out onto a lightly floured surface [I leave
it in the bowl], scraping the bowl clean. If dough seems damp and
sweaty, sprinkle with a tablespoon of flour. Lightly flour the palms
of your hands and flatten the dough firmly but not too roughly into
a circle, deflating any gas bubbles by pinching them.

Lift a corner of the near side and flip it down onto the far side.
Do the same with the left side, then the right side. Finally lift
the near side and tuck it just under the edge of the far side. The
mass of dough will look like a rounded cushion. [I just give a few
gentle kneads in the bowl.]

Slip the sides of your hands under the dough and return it to the
bowl. Cover and let rise again, this time to not quite triple, but
again until it is dome-shaped and light and spongy when touched.

(*) Delayed action: See chart at end of recipe.

5) Cutting and resting dough before forming loaves

Loosen dough all around inside of bowl and turn out onto a lightly
floured surface. Because of its two long rises, the dough will have
much more body. If is seems damp and sweaty, sprinkle lightly with
flour.

Making clean, sure cuts with large knife or a scraper, divide dough
into 3 equal pieces, for long loaves, or whatever is specified for
other shapes and sizes.

After you have cut each piece, lift one end and flip over onto the
opposite end to fold the dough in two; place dough at far side of
kneading surface. Cover loosely with a sheet of plastic and let rest
for 5 minutes before forming. This relaxes the gluten enough for
shaping, but not long enough for the dough to begin rising again.

While the dough is resting, prepare the rising surface smooth the
canvas or linen toweling on a large tray or baking sheet, and rub
flour throughly into the entire surface of the cloth to prevent the
dough from sticking.

6) Forming loaves - la tourne; la mise en forme des patons

Because French bread stands free in the oven and is not baked in a
pan, it has to be formed in such a way that the tension of the
coagulated gluten cloak on the surface will hold the dough in shape.
Following are illustrated [well, in the book, anyway] directions for
the familiar long loaf - the batards (baked size is 16 by 3 inches);
other shapes are described and illustrated at the end of the recipe.
Baguetts are much too long for home ovens.

After the 3 pieces of dough have rested 5 minutes, form one piece at
a time, keeping the remaining ones covered.

Working rapidly, turn the dough upside down on a lightly floured
kneading surface and pat it firmly but not too roughly into an 8- to
10-inch oval with the lightly floured palms of your hands. Deflate
any gas bubbles in the dough by pinching them.

Fold the dough in half lengthwise by bringing the far edge down over
the near edge.

Being sure that the working surface is always very lightly floured so
the dough will not stick and tear, which would break the lightly
coagulated gluten cloak that is being formed, seal the edges of the
dough together, your hands extended, thumbs out at right angles and
touching.

Roll the dough a quarter turn forward so the seal is on top.

Flatten the dough again into an oval with the palms of your hands.

Press a trench along the central length of the oval with the side of
one hand.

Fold in half again lengthwise.

This time seal the edges together with the heel of one hand, and roll
the dough a quarter turn toward you so the seal is on the bottom.

Now, by rolling the dough back and forth with the palms of your
hands, you will lengthen it into a sausage shape. Start in the
middle, placing your right palm on the dough, and your left palm on
top of your right hand.

Roll dough forward and backward rapidly, gradually sliding your
hands toward the two ends as the dough lengthens.

Deflate any gas blisters on the surface by pinching them. Repeat
the rolling movement rapidly several times until the dough is 16
inches long, or whatever length will fit on your baking sheet.
During the extension rolls, keep circumference of dough as even as
possible and try to start each roll with sealed side of dough down,
twisting the rope of dough to straighten the line of seal as
necessary. If seal disappears, as it sometimes does with all-purpose
flour, do not worry.

Place the shaped piece of dough, sealed side up, at one side of the
flour-rubbed canvas, leaving a free end of canvas 3 to 4 inches wide.
(The top will crust slightly as the dough rises; it is turned over
for baking so the soft, smooth underside will be uppermost.)

Pinch a ridge 2 1/2 to 3 inches high in the canvas to make a trough,
and a place for the next piece, Cover dough with plastic while you
are forming the rest of the loaves.

After all the pieces of dough are in place, brace the two sides of
the canvas with long rolling pins, baking pans, or books, if the
dough seems very soft and wants to spread out. Cover the dough
loosely with a flour-rubbed dish towel or canvas, and a sheet of
plastic. Proceed immediately to the final rising, next step.

7) Final rise - l'appret - 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours at around 70 degrees

The covered dough is now to rise to almost triple in volume; look
carefully at its pre-risen size so that you will be able to judge
correctly. It will be light and swollen when risen, but will feel
still a little springy when pressed.

It is important that the final rise take place where it is dry; if
your kitchen is damp, hot, and steamy, let the bread rise in another
room or dough will stick to canvas and you will have difficulty
getting it off and onto the baking sheet. It will turn into bread in
the oven whatever happens, but you will have an easier time and a
better loaf if you aim for ideal conditions.

(*) Delayed action: See chart at end of recipe.

8) Preheat oven to 450 degrees dough onto baking sheet - le demoulage

The 3 pieces of risen dough are now to be unmolded from the canvas
and arranged upside down on the baking sheet. The reason for this
reversal is that the present top of the dough has crustted over
during its rise; the smooth, soft underside should be uppermost in
the oven so that the dough can expand and allow the loaf its final
puff of volume. For the unmolding you will need a non-sticking
intermediate surface such as a stiff piece of cardboard or plywood
[I use a stainless steel baking sheet] sprinkled with cornmeal or
pulverized pasta.

Remove rolling pins or braces. Place the long side of the board at
one side of the dough; Pull the edge of the canvas to flatten it;
then raise and flip the dough softly upside down onto the board.

Dough is now lying along one edge of the unmolding board; rest this
edge on the right side of a lightly buttered baking sheet. Gently
dislodge dough onto baking sheet, keeping same side of dough
uppermost; this is the soft smooth side, which was underneath while
dough rose on canvas. If necessary, run sides of hands lightly down
the length of the dough to straighten it. Unmold the next piece of
dough the same way, placing it to the left of the first, leaving a
3-inch space. Unmold the final piece near the left side of the
sheet.

9) Slashing top of the dough - la coupe

The top of each piece of dough is now to be slashed in several
places. This opens the covering cloak of gluten and allows a bulge
of dough underneath to swell up through the cuts during the first
10 minutes of baking, making decorative patterns in the crust.
These are done with a blade that cuts almost horizontally into the
dough to a depth of less than half an inch. Start the cut at the
middle of the blade, drawing it toward you in a swift, clean sweep.
This is not quite as easy as it sounds, and you will probably make
ragged cuts at first; never mind, you will improve with practice.
Use an ordinary razor blade and slide one side of it into a cork for
safety; or by a barber's straight razor at a cutlery store.

For a 16- to 18-inch loaf make 3 slashes. Note that those at the 2
ends go straight down the loaf but are slightly off center, while the
middle slash is at a slight angle between the two. Make the first
cut at the far end, then the middle cut, and finally the third.
Remember that the blade should lie almost parallel to the surface of
the dough.

10) Baking - about 24 minutes; oven preheated to 450 degrees F

As soon as the dough has been slashed, moisten the surface either by
painting with soft brush dipped in cold water, or with a fine-spray
atomizer, and slide baking sheet onto rack in upper third of
preheated oven. Rapidly paint or spray dough with cold water after
3 minutes, again in 3 minutes, and a final time 3 minutes later.
Moistening the dough at this point helps the crust to brown and
allows the yeast action to continue in the dough a little longer.
The bread should be done in about 25 minutes; the crust will be
crisp, and the bread will make a hollow sound when thumped.

If you want the crust to shine, paint lightly with a brush dipped in
cold water as soon as you slide baking sheet out of oven.

11) Cooling - 2 to 3 hours

Cool the bread on a rack or set it upright in a basket or large bowl
so that air can circulate around each piece. Although bread is
always exciting to eat fresh from the oven, it will have a much
better taste when the inside is thoroughly cool and has composed
itself. [Jack and I can never wait. We let it cool for 2 to 3
seconds.]

12) Storing French bread

Because it contains no fats or preservatives of any kind, French
bread is at its best when eaten the day it is baked. It will keep
for a day or two longer, wrapped airtight and refrigerated, but it
will keep best if you freeze it - let the loaves cool first, then
wrap airtight. To thaw, unwrap and place on a baking sheet in a cold
oven; heat the oven to 400 degrees F. In about 20 minutes the crust
will be hot and crisp, and the bread thawed. The French, of course,
never heat French bread except possibly on Monday, the baker's
holiday, when the bread is a day old.

13) Canvas housekeeping

After each bread session, if you have used canvas, brush it
thoroughly to remove all traces of flour and hang it out to dry
before putting away. Otherwise the canvas could become moldy and
ruin your next batch of dough.

Delayed action

Starting and stopping the dough process

As noted in the Master Recipe, there are numerous points at which
you can slow down the action or stop it altogether, by setting the
dough in a colder place, or refrigerating or freezing it. Exact
timings for any of these delaying procedures are impossible to give
because so much depends on what has taken place during the slow-
down, how cold the dough is when it starts to rise again, and so
forth. All you need to remember is that you are in complete control;
you can always push down a partially risen dough; you can slow the
actiuon with cold; you can speed it with warmth. You will work out
your own systems and the following chart will help you:

To delay the first rising, set dough in a colder place

Approximate Hours for Rise at Degrees F.

5-6 65
7-8 55
9-10 Refrigerator

To stop action altogether after first or second rise

Deflate, wrap airtight, and freeze. Limit: A week to 10 days,
probably mroe for plain French bread dough, and risky after 10 days
for doughs with butter and eggs. (We shall not venture farther upon
this uncertain limb.)

To delay second rising

a) Set dough in a colder place.
b) Set a plate on top of dough and a 5 pound weight; refrigerate.

To delay or freeze after dough is formed

a) Set dough in a colder place.
b) Form dough on lightly oiled sheet; cover airtight and refrigerate
or freeze, but not preceeding time limit.

To start action after thawing

a) Thaw overnight in refrigerator; complete the rise at room
temperature.

b) Set at 80 degrees F until thawed; complete the rise at room
temperature.

Variations

Other Forms for French Bread

Long thin loaves (ficelles, bakes size; 12 to 16 by 1 1/2 inches)

Cut the original dough, Step 5, into 5 or 6 pieces and form as
illustrated in the recipe, but making thinner sausage shapes about
1/2 inch in diameter. When they have risen, slash as illustrated,
Step 9.

Oval rolls (petits pains, tire-bouchons)

Cut the dough into 10 or 12 pieces and form like batards, but you
will probably not have to lenghten them at all after the two
foldings and sealings. When they have risen, make either 2 parallel
slashes, or a single slash going from one end to the other.

Round loaves (pain de manage, miches, boules)

When you want bread for big sandwiches or for toast, a big round loaf
is attractive. The object here is to force the cloak of coagulated
gluten to hold the ball of dough in shape: the first movement will
make a cushion; the second will seal and round the ball, establishing
surface tension. To being the process, after the risen dough has
been cut and has rested 5 minutes, Step 5, place it on a lightly
floured surface.

Lift the left side of the dough with the side of your left hand and
bring it down almost to the other side.

Scoop up that side and push it back almost to the left side. Revolve
dough a quarter turn clockwise and repeat the movement eight to ten
times. This movement gradually smooths the bottom of the dough and
establishes the necessary surface tenstion; think of the surface of
the dough as if it were a fine sheet of rubber you were stretching in
every direction.

Then turn the dough smooth side up and begin rotating it between the
palms of your hands, tucking a bit of the dough under the ball as you
rotate it. In a dozen turns you should have a neatly shaped ball
with al little pucker of dough, la cle, underneath where the edges
have all joined together.

Place the dough pucker side up on flour-rubbed canvas; seal the
pucker by pinching your fingers. Flour lightly, cover loosely, and
let rise to almost triple its size. After unmolding upside down on
the baking sheet, slahs it as follows:

Large loaves are usually slashed in a cross: make one vertical
slash and complete the horizontal cuts as illustrated. Medium
loaves may have a cross, a single central slahs, or a semicircular
slash around half the circumference.

Round rolls (petits pains, champignons)

Cut the original dough, Step 5, into 10 to 12 pieces. After they
have rested 5 minutes, form them one at a time, leaving the rest of
the dough covered. The principles are the same here as for the
preceding round loaves, but make the preliminary cushion shape with
your fingers rather than the palms of your hands.

For the second stage, during which the ball of dough is rotated
smooth side up, roll it under the palm of one hand, using your thumb
and little finger to push the edges of the dough underneath and to
form the pucker, where the edges join together.

Place the formed ball of dough pucker side up on the flour-rubbed
canvas and cover loosely while forming the rest. Space the balls 2
inches apart. When risen to almost triple its size, lift gently
with lightly floured fingers and place pucker side down on baking
sheet. Rolls are usually too small for a cross; make either one
central slash or the semicircular cut.

The simulated baker's oven

Baking in the ordinary way, as described in the preceding recipe,
produces an acceptable loaf of bread, but does not nearly approach
the glory you can achieve when you turn your home oven into a bakers'
oven. Merely providing yourself with the proper amount of steam, if
you do nothing else, will vastly improve the crust, the color, the
slash patterns, and the volume of you bread; steam is only a matter
of plopping a heated brick of stone into a pan of water in the bottom
of the oven. [This was a disaster for Jack and me. The water in the
pan boiled over and onto our floor. It extinguished the oven's pilot
light. We no longer do it this way. We just spray the oven.] The
second provision is a hot surface upon which the nake dough can bake;
this gives that added push of volume that improves both the
appearance and slash patterns. When you have the hot baking surface,
you will then also need a paddle or board upon which you can transfer
dough from canvas to hot baking surface. For the complete setup,
here is what you should have, and any building-supply store stocks
these items.

For the hot baking surface

Metal will not do as a hot baking surface because it burns the bottom
of the dough. The most practical and easliy obtainable substance is
ordinary red floor tiles 1/4 inch thick. They come in various sizes
such as 6 by 6 inches, 6 by 3 inches, and you need only enough to
line the surface of an oven rack. Look them up under Tiles in your
directory, and ask for "quarry tiles," their official name. [I use
a kiln shelf bought from a pottery supply store.]

For unmolding the risen dough from its canvas

A piece of 3 16-inch plywood about 20 inches long and 8 inches wide.
[I use a stainless steel baking sheet.]

For sliding the dough onto the hot asbestos

When you are doing 3 long loaves, you must slide them together onto
the hot asbestos; to do so you unmold them one at a time from the
canvas with one board and arrange them side by side on the second
board, which takes the place of the baker's wooden paddle, la pelle.
Buy a piece of 3/16-inch plywood slightly longer but 2 inches
narrower than your oven rack.

To prevent dough from sticking to unmolding and sliding boards

White cornmeal [I use yellow cornmeal] or small pasta pulverized in
the electric blender until it is the consistency of table salt. This
is called fleurage.

The steam contraption

Something that you can heat to sizzling hot on top of the stove and
then slide into a pan of water in the oven ot make a great burst of
steam; a brick, a solid 10-pound rock, piece of cast iron or other
metal. A 9 x 12-inch roasting pan 2 inches deep to hold an inch of
water and the hot brick. [I will never do this again.]

Nonessential professional equipment

Instead of letting the formed dough rise on canvas, sur couche, many
French bakers place each piece in a canvas-lined wicker or plastic
form called a banneton; from this you turn the risen dough upside
down directly onto a board and then slide it into the oven. Various
sizes and shapes are available in French bakery supply houses.

These are baker's blades, lames, for slashing dough; they are about
4 inches long and 1/4 inch wide with very sharp, curved ends.

Using the simulated baker's oven

At least 30 to 40 minutes before the end of the final rise, Step 7,
line the rack of your oven with quarry tiles, slide onto the upper-
third level, and preheat oven to 450 degrees F. At the same time
set the brick or metal over very high heat on top of the stove so
that it will get sizzling hot, the hotter the better.

Provide yourself with 2 stiff spoons or spatulas, or with fire tongs
for lifting brick from stove top into pan of water in bottom of oven
when the time comes, and test lifting the brick to be sure you have
the insturments to do the job.

Note: You may use a spray bottle rather than a brick; it works
reasonably well though less dramatically. [Choose this option.]

When the final rise is complete, sprinkle pulverized cornmeal or
pasta on the long side of the unmolding board and on the surface of
the sliding board. Your object now is to unmold the loaves one at a
time from the canvas to the sliding board, then to slide the 3 of
them together onto the hot tiles in the oven. Place the long side of
board at one side of the dough, then raise and flip the dough softly
upside down onto board.

Slip the dough, still upside down, fromthe unmolding board onto the
right side of the sliding board. Line up the rest of the dough
side by side in the same manner.

Slash the dough as described in Step 9.

Place pan of cold water on the lowest rack of an electric oven or on
the floor of a gas oven, add sizzling hot brick, and close oven door.

The 3 pieces of dough are now to be slid together off the sliding
board onto the hot tiles in the oven: the movement is one quick,
smooth jerk like that old magician's trick of pulling the cloth from
under a tableful of dishes. Open the oven so the far end of the
board rests on the far end of the asbestos at the back of the oven.
Then with one quick jerk, pull the board toward you and the three
loaves will slide off onto the tiles. This must be a fast and
confident action because if you pause midway, the dough will rumple
off the board and once it touches the hot tiles you cannot move or
reshape it, although it will come loose after 5 to 6 minutes of
baking. You may muff this every once in a while, and produce some
queerly deformed shapes, but they will all bake into bread.

Remove the brick and pan of water after 5 to 8 minutes of baking;
the crust will have started to brown lightly. The oven should be
dry for the rest of the baking. Total baking time will be about 25
minutes for batards; the bread is done when it makes a hollow thump
if tapped, and when the crust is crisp and, hopefully, nicely
browned.

Self-criticism - or how to improve the product

Certainly one of the fascinating aspects for cooking si that you can
almost endlessly improve upon what you have done, and when you
realize that professional bakers have spent years learning their
trade it would be surprising indeed if your first loaves were perfect
in every respect. If they seem below standard in any of the
following points, here are some possible explanation.

Crust did not brown

If you have not used the hot brick and pan of water steam-
contraption, you will not get a very brown crust. Or if you have
used the brick, perhaps it was not really sizzling hot; heat it 15
minutes longer the next time, or use 2 bricks. On the other hand,
your oven thermostat might be inaccurate, and the oven was not really
at the required 450 degrees F. A third possibility is that your
dough might have been under-salted; check your measurements
carefully in Step 1 the next time.

Crust was too brown or too red

If you were using the brick system, you might have had too much steam
in the oven; next time use a smaller brick, or heat it a little less,
or take it out several minutes sooner. Another possibility is that
the dough mixutre in Step 1 got an overdose of salt, and salt affects
color; next time be sure your teaspoons are level.

Crust was tough

A tough crust is usually due to humidity: the day was damp and
sticky, or your kitchen was steamy, and the starch has coagulated
and hardened on the surface of the dough.

Slashes did not bulge open in the crust

Go over the instructions in Step 9 to check on whether you cut them
as directed. On the other hand, it might be that the bread had over-
risen in Step 7, just before baking, and the yeast had no strength
left for its final ppush in the oven. Conversely, you might not have
let it rise enough in this step and the dough was too heavy to bulge
out the way it should.

Bread sees heavy; no holes inside

This is always due to insufficient rising, particularly during the
pre-bake rise in Step 7. Next time be sure it feels light and
springy, and looks swollen, and that it has risen to almost triple
its original size before it goes into the oven.

Flavor is uninteresting

Again, the only reason for this is insufficient time taken for
rising: the yeast has not had an opportunity to produce the slow
aging and maturing that develops flavor. For your next batch, follow
the timing and temperature requirements particularly in Step 3, for
the first rise.

Flavor is unpleasantly yeasty or sour

A yeasty over-fermented small and taste are due more often to the
dough having risen at too high a temperature than to its having
over-risen. Next time, watch the room temperature at which it is
rising, and if you are making bread in hot weather, you will have to
take a longer time and let it rise in the refrigerator.

Machine mixing and kneading of French bread dough

French bread dough is too soft ot work in the electric food
processor, but the heavy-duty mixer with dough hook works perfectly.
The dough-hook attachment that comes with some hand-held electric
mixers and the hand-cranking bread pails are slower and less
efficient, to our mind, than hand kneading. In any case, when you
are using electricity, follow the steps in the recipe as outlined,
including the rests; do not over-knead, and for the heavy-duty mixer,
do not go over a moderate speed of number 3 or 4, or you risk
breaking down the gluten in the dough. When the kneading is
finished, take the dough out of the bowl and give it a minute or so
of hand kneading, just to be sure it is smooth and elastic
throughout. Then proceed with the recipe as usual, from Step 3 on.