Episode 112: Breads

Bagels
8 Grain Bread
Croissants
Foccaccia

BAGELS
Preparation is difficult

750 millilitres of flour + 15 millilitres for kneading (6 cups)
100 millilitres of lukewarm water (3 ½ fluid ounces)
5 millilitres of salt (a pinch)
1 package of fast rising yeast
50 millilitres olive oil (3 good tablespoons)
1 egg
5 millilitres of sugar (a pinch)
4 litres boiling water + 10 millilitres of sugar (4 quarts plus 1 flat tablespoon sugar)
Sesame or poppy seeds for dipping

Preparation time is 20 minutes
Resting time is 15 to 20 minutes
Boiling time is 15 minutes
Baking time is 15 to 25 minutes
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

Sift the dry ingredients together into a large mixing bowl. Dissolve the yeast in half of the lukewarm water. Add the olive oil to the other half of lukewarm water then add that to the dissolved yeast. Make a well in the centre of the flour. Pour in half of the yeast-water liquid and stir.

In a small bowl mix the egg and then pour it into the flour, along with the remainder of the water-yeast liquid. Stir well to form a ball of dough.

Knead the dough on a floured board for a couple of minutes. Put the dough back in the bowl. Punch the dough down. Cover it with a damp cloth and let it sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes. Knead the dough once again on a board and then divide it into 12 equal portions.

Roll the dough into a cigar shape and then twist it into a loop. Press the ends together.

Place the bagels on a cookie sheet and cook for 2 minutes in the oven. Then drop them into the boiling water to which the sugar has been added, lower the heat and cook at a simmer for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the bagels from the water, dip them in sesame or poppy seeds and place them on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes then raise the temperature to 475 degrees and cook until browned, crusty golden and crisp.

Use as a sandwich bread, breakfast or serve with smoked salmon and cream cheese.

Yield: Makes 12 to 16.
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8 GRAIN BREAD
Preparation is difficult

1.25 kilograms of whole wheat flour + 150 grams for kneading (2 ½ pounds plus 5 ounces)
375 millilitres of lukewarm water (3 ½ cups)
75 millilitres of unsalted butter (5 tablespoons)
2 packets of fast rising yeast
10 millilitres of fine salt (1 teaspoon)
250 grams of mixture of grains such as rye, sesame seeds, oats, millet…
2 eggs
125 millilitres of honey (4 ounces)
Water and egg white for brushing on bread

Preparation time is 20 minutes
Resting time is 2 hours
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit

Sift the dry ingredients together into a large mixing bowl. Dissolve the yeast in half of the lukewarm water with the honey, and butter. In a separate small bowl, mix the egg with a fork. Then create a well in the centre of the flour and pour in half the yeast liquid. Then add the egg. Mix well and then add the remainder of the yeast liquid. Stir to form a ball of dough.

Knead the dough on a floured board for a couple of minutes. Then, put dough back in a greased bowl. Let it rise in a warm place, FREE from any draughts. Let it double in size for about a hour. Punch down the dough. Cover and let it sit at room temperature for another hour. Knead the dough on a board once again. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Form it into small bread rolls.

Place the rolls on a cookie sheet; brush them with the water-egg mix and sprinkle with sesame and other grains. Cook for 40 minutes until browned, crusty golden and crisp.

Use as a sandwich bread, breakfast or serve as a dinner roll with fresh butter..

Yield: 18 to 24 depending on the size of the rolls.
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CROISSANTS
Preparation is difficult

1 pound flour ((450 grams)
2 tablespoons extra flour to mix with the butter (30 millilitres)
12 ounces unsalted butter, softened (375 grams)
1 generous cup warm milk (250 millilitres plus a splash)
1 1/4 -ounce package of dry yeast or a 1/6-ounce package of fresh yeast
1 tablespoon sugar (15 millilitres)
1 ½ teaspoons salt (7 ½ millilitres)

Preparation time is 6 hours
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit

Put the yeast, sugar and milk into a bowl and mix it well. Set it aside at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes for it to start working.

Meanwhile, put 10 ounces of the butter into your food processor and add the two tablespoons of flour. Mix well until creamy and smooth. Turn it out into a bowl and set aside.

Then put the remaining butter into the food processor. Add the flour, salt and yeast-milk-sugar mixture. Mix until the dough comes together and forms a ball, about 10 seconds.

Put the dough on a floured board and roll it out to form a 20-inch by 12-inch rectangle. Then, using your hand or a spatula, spread the softened butter over two thirds of the dough, leaving a 1-inch strip along the edges unbuttered.

Lift the unbuttered piece of dough and fold it over onto the buttered part. Fold the other third over and press it down at the edges. Put the dough into a plastic bag and refrigerate for two hours.

Then, on a floured board roll out the dough again to the same size as previously. Fold one third of the dough over onto itself and the other third on top. Roll it out and do it again. Then refrigerate it once again. After 1 to 2 hours, roll the dough out again and repeat the folding process twice. Refrigerate again for a further 2 hours. You can either refrigerate over night, or make your croissants.

Then, roll the dough out into the rectangle again (it should be quite thin) and cut the rectangle in half to make two strips, about 6 inches wide. Cut the strip into triangles that are about 5 inches wide at the base.

If the dough begins to get rubbery, just put it back into the fridge to rest.

Roll each triangle out further to enlarge its width and length. Crush the point of the triangle so that it sticks to the table. Starting at the base of the triangle, roll it up, spreading as you go. Wet the tip of the triangle with water and keep rolling. It will stick when you get there.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and arrange the croissants, bending them into a crescent shape. Proof the croissants in a warm, very humid place at a temperature of about 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. If you're going to proof them in the oven, put a pot of water in there too. They should proof for at least an hour.

Brush the croissants with an egg wash 15 minutes before baking and then once again just before you put them in. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden and puffed. Remove them from the oven and let them cool on the tray.

Yield: 16 small croissants
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FOCCACCIA
Preparation is easy

3 cups flour (375 grams)
1-teaspoon salt (5 millilitres)
4 packets active dry yeast
1-tablespoon olive oil (15 millilitres)
6-8 tablespoons water (60 to 90 millilitres)
Rosemary and coarse sea salt

Preparation time is 2 hours
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the oil, then the water, and mix. Bring it together with your hands.

On a floured surface, knead the dough until it is no longer sticky. It should feel silky to the touch. Set the dough aside in a bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel. Let it rise until doubled in size, then punch it down and knead for a couple of minutes before forming it into a loaf shape. Brush the top with olive oil and then sprinkle it with chopped rosemary and sea salt.

Allow the loaf to rise for a second time for about 30 minutes. Bake the foccaccia for approximately 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping or drizzled over the top.

Yield: 1 loaf
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Recipe courtesy of Chef Georges Laurier, Executive Chef & owner of Laurier Sur Montcalm in Hull, Quebec