Tuesday 26 February 2008

They've done it again!


Each and every time, the Daring Bakers group, of which I am fortunate to be a part, has has pushed me to try something new and unfamiliar. This month's challenge - French bread - was no different. I suppose there are several reasons why I don't bake bread very often. First, although I like bread very much, I try not to eat so much of it. These last 3 months or so have been an exception as I've found myself craving carbs after my insane running schedule. Second, it always feels like such a hassle to have to plan your day around the extended rest periods that yeasted dough often requires. So when I first read about this month's recipe, I was looking forward to the trying this out as there's nothing I love better than a crusty baguette with a dollop of salted French butter.

I must admit that the first time I read the recipe, I was a little taken aback. Together with all the notes that were included, the recipe spanned 11 pages long! I was also a little dismayed to find that the dough required between 7-9 hours of resting time! I guess there's a reason they call this the Daring Bakers' group.

Undeterred, I embarked on this recipe bright and early last Saturday. Following the instructions, I put the ingredients in my trusty KitchenAid and in no time, the dough was all prepped for its first rise. Since I was planning a long run that day (30km!), I left the dough to proof and headed out to the park for my run.

Upon returning, the dough was nice and springy, so I proceeded to the next step and prepared the dough for its second rise. Since we were both feeling slightly drained after our respective long runs, I had no problem sitting at home and chilling for a couple of hours. Now those of you who know me will know that this is not my preferred modus operandi on a weekend. After having to sit at work all week, I like to make the most of my weekends and usually have an action-packed schedule of activities planned. Things, however, are certainly a little different after a 3 hour jog.

At the end of the second rise, I decided to shape the dough into two medium round loaves, or pain de miches. This time, M and I decided to head out for a movie. Third resting time also easily taken care of!


I finally put the bread into the oven at 8pm that evening and was very pleased with the way it looked coming out of the oven. The crust had turned a nice dark brown and save for the missing slashes on the top of the bread (they sealed up after baking in the oven), I thought the breads looked great. Given the suggestion to let the dough rest for 3 hours before eating, it wasn’t until Sunday morning that I finally got to taste the fruits of my labour.

Unfortunately, despite all my efforts and best intentions, the bread, which was nice and crispy on the outside, tasted way too ‘yeasty’ for me. I’m not sure if I may have over-proofed the bread or maybe used too much yeast?? In any case, this month’s challenge wasn’t a slam dunk success so I’ll have to find the time (and the courage!) to try this again.

For recipe, click here

26 comments:

Marye said...

Nice job...
because of the long rising time the bread did have a more yeasty sightly sour taste...which I really liked. :)
blessings,
Marye
http://bakingdelights.com

Marie Rayner said...

Oh, your bread looks really, really nice! Well done!

L Vanel said...

Really nice looking bread, Caroline!

~Amber~ said...

Your bread looks wonderful! Congratulations on a successful challenge.

Helene said...

You did a fabulous job Caroline! I love how rustic it looks!

Unknown said...

your loaves look rustic and delicious! congrats :)

Mary said...

I think your bread looks great! I'm sorry you didn't like it so much. I think it's supposed to taste "yeasty". Mine did anyway.

CB said...

I think your bread looks so good. Great job!
-Clara
http://iheartfood4thought.wordpress.com

Dawn0fTime said...

Looks great! Very rustic!

Merav said...

You had the perfect use of time around the resting! Lovely loaves as well! I was surprised to find that mine didn't taste yeasty at all - which is the result I normally always get with homemade breads and which I don't particularly care for. I wonder what we did differently!

Nikki57 said...

Looks great

Karen Baking Soda said...

That's what I like about DB, stepping out of your comfort zone. You did it!

Deborah said...

Too bad it didn't taste as well as you hoped, but it still looks great!

Jaime said...

beautiful! the yeasty taste, i've found, varies greatly depending on the kind of yeast you use...

jasmine said...

You did very well, but sorry you didn't find it palatable. Try it again in a bit with some adjustments...

j

breadchick said...

Your way to let the dough do its work was perfect (run, hang out, movie)

Thanks for baking with Sara and I this month.

Unknown said...

Your round loaves look so good it's almost tempting me to try again!

Shaheen said...

What a pretty bread. I love how you've cut a wedge to show how it looks like from the inside. :)

Sheltie Girl said...

You did a really lovely job on your bread. They look delicious, all brown and crusty. I think they tasted so yeasty due to the long fermentation that the bread got, my family really enjoyed the flavor of this bread.

Brilynn said...

Glad you got to try something new even if it didn't turn out quite as planned...

Unknown said...

It looks good! yes, finding things to fill the rising periods helped.

Sara said...

It looks lovely, even if you didn't love the taste.

Unknown said...

Nice air pockets there. Mine seemed salty but not too yeasty, so I'm not sure what the difference is!

a n i s h i said...

fantastic bread
congratulations for your blog
Ana

Lesley said...

Looks really great to me! I like the boules you made, nicely done!

Gabi said...

They look beautiful! I hope you try them again and of course you'll be daring enough to take on another challenge DB style!
x x x