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Baker with Selection of Bread, France
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Miller, John
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We were delighted to discover the following article in
our bread
recipe archives
and pleased to be able to share it with you. This
is the last in a series of six
excellent recipes inspired by the
boulangers of provincial France:
French Country Breads
by Jeffrey Alford,
Bon Appetit April 1992
Bon Appetit - One Year Subscription
"For a lover of
bread, looking for whole-grain loaves in the French countryside
is like
going on a pilgrimage. I recently made such as journey, exploring village
markets, driving down country lanes and climbing steep cobbled streets in
search
of traditional boulangeries. I found that the search was
almost as great a pleasure
as the breads themselves.
Traditional boulangers have a great deal of pride in the bread they
produce.
They know it's good. When I asked about a recipe, they were
always generous
with information - about the oven, the quality of the flour,
the baker's atten-
tion
and care. These, they all agreed, are the essential
ingredients.
Of course, it also helps if you have good recipes. And here are six
terrific ones
that I created from the knowledge I gained from my fellow
bakers across the Atlantic..."
Raisin and Millet Rolls
"Milk
and millet flour give these rolls subtle flavor. I found them at a
small boulangerie in Aix-en-Provence. The baker set out fresh raisin
rolls in a
basket round five o'clock every afternoon. No matter how
many I took away,
I always regretted not buying more."
1 1/2 cups raisins
2 tablespoons brandy
2 1/2 cups warm (105 to 115 degrees F.) water
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups (about) whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups millet flour
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 egg, beaten to blend
Combine raisins and
brandy in a small bowl. Set aside. Place 2 1/2 cups warm water in large
bowl. Sprinkle yeast and then brown sugar over and stir to dissolve. Add
unbleached flour and stir 100 times. Cover yeast mixture with plastic. Let
stand in warm draft-free area until foamy, about 30 minutes.
Mix 1 cup whole wheat
flour, millet flour, dry milk powder and salt in medium bowl. Drain raisins
(discard brandy) and add to yeast mixture. Gradually stir in whole wheat
flour mixture. Transfer dough to floured surface. Knead until smooth and
elastic, gradually adding enough remaining whole wheat flour to form nonsticky dough, 9 minutes. Grease clean large bowl. Place dough in bowl,
turning to coat completely. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm
draft-free area until double in volume and dough
does not spring back when 2
fingers are gently pressed into side, about
1 1/4 hours. Punch dough down
and let stand 10 minutes.
Grease large cookie
sheet. Divide dough into 16 equal pieces (about 4 1/2 ounces each). Form
into 3-by-1 1/2-inch ovals. Transfer rolls to prepared cookie sheet. Cover
rolls with plastic. Let rolls rise in warm draft-free area until almost
doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Brush rolls
gently with egg. Using scissors, make 3 cuts atop each roll. Bake until
golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool slightly.
Makes 16 rolls.
Featured Archive Recipes:
French Country Bread Series
Bran Bread
Hazelnut Bread
Olive Bread
Rye and Walnut Rolls
Sunflower Seed Bread
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