Crusty "Country" Style Loaf

[Mike D]

Hi Folks,

I was out shopping on the local market with my OH this morning, and we decided to get a load of mussels to do a Moules Provencal for lunch. She suggested getting some bread to go with it - you can imagine my response. She replied with a "I do like your bread, but it is not crusty enough for having with mussels". Hmmmm, I'll show her!!

Can anybody recommend a crusty "country" style loaf recipe??

Thanks in advance.

[wheels]

Mike

I find that the difference between crusty and soft can often just be a matter of oven temperature and adding steam to the oven.

You can do the latter by putting a tray of water in the oven, or spritzing the oven with a plant spray a few times in the early stages of cooking. I find that the tray works best - but you need to remove it for the last 10 -15 minutes for the best results.

HTH

Phil

[Ianinfrance]

Agree about the steam.

In a book on French cooking I once read, the authors suggested having a tray of water in the bottom of the oven and preheating a brick on the hob. Then, when you were ready to put the bread in to bake, you put the (by now nearly red hot) brick into the water in the tray.

I did try it once.

[saucisson]

I can never figure out how on earth introducing steam can make the loaf crusty. I know it does but my brain tells me it should do the opposite

Dave

[Mike D]

Thanks for that chaps, I'll be trying this in the next half hour

[Ianinfrance]

Hi Mike,

Not the brick trick, I trust!!!

Do let us know how it worked out.

[wheels]

Just another thought that I forgot earlier. Many people heat a dutch oven or similar and then bake the bread covered in it.

There's details of it here:

http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopic.php?t=2238

Phil

[jenny_haddow]

I'd forgotten about that one Wheels, I'll have to do one this weeked. I brought a mega cast iron lidded casserole back from France last year which will be ideal for it.

Cheers

Jen

[captain wassname]

Ian
"I did try it once"

and? Im intrigued

Jim

[mitchamus]

the camp over bread is amazing. it's probably my favorite bread...

[Ianinfrance]

Hi Jim,

Well, I burnt my oven gloves trying to pick up the brick, so I just slid it onto a baking sheet. I then had to put it down while opening the oven door. I put the loaves in and fumbled to pick the sheet up again as it had got hot from the brick. I sort of slid the brick into the tray of water and of course it splashed everywhere. So I slammed the door shut in some dudgeon and caught the oven glkove in it - so had to open it yet again.

Anyway when the bread came out, it was a bit crustier, but nothing like the crustiness of proper french bread despite my best efforts. So I am afraid I decided that this was not a technique I wanted to pursue!!

[captain wassname]

Ian

Exremely dangerous. I trust you will agree (Rik Myall)

Jim

[Mike D]

How did I go on??

Well, the bread was crustier than my usual but not like a French Baguette. I don't think I'll use the hot brick method - seems to troublesome (see IiF comments above). I did also have the oven hotter than usual, and left the loaf in longer than usual.

I will try again, as I do need other styles of bread for my repertoire!

[Ruralidle]

Try making the bread, letting it cool and then freezing it. Take it from the freezer and put it straight in the oven (at 240C) for about 6 mins for a French stick. It will take about 45mins to 1hr to cool on a wire rack and should be crusty stay crusty for a while.

Richard

[Snags]

http://www.sourdoughbaker.com.au/recipe ... bread.html

Wind the oven down to 160 degrees and bake for a full hour. It won't darken very much, but the crust will grow thicker, the longer you bake it.

If you like a really thick crust, wind the oven down to 150 and bake for another half hour.