The Bread Bible and I

I have moved from making biscuits to trying my hand as some yeast leavened breads.  I am starting off with the basic, the baguette.  I just got my Baguette Pan from Amazon and am now in the process of making the sponge.

The recipe for baguettes requires one to make a Pate Fermetee and a Poolish.  These take a while to mature, so I suggest you wait until I publish Part II to start making your baguettes!

Pate Fermentee

Ingredients:

1. 1/4 cup 80*F water
2. 1/8 teaspoon yeast
3. 1/4 cup + 2 1/2 tablespoon flour
4. 3/16 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. Combine water and yeast
2. Combine salt and flour
3. Add 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons of yeast water to flour combination (Save the rest of yeast water for poolish)
4. Let ferment for 3 hours at room temperature and refriderate

Poolish

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup + 1/2 teaspoon flour
2. 1/2 tablespoon yeast water
3. 1/4 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoon of 80*F water

Instructions:

1. Combine flour, yeast water and fresh water and mix well.
2. Let sit for 14 hours to ferment.

I love the fact that bread takes forever.  You can go to the store and buy your $2.50 baguette or you can slave over some yeast for 16 hours to get the same result.  Buy for some reason, bread you bake always tastes better!  Come back for Part II of making baguettes!

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