Best Artisan Boule Recipes

ARTISAN BOULE

Steps:

• Poolish: In a small bowl, stir together yeast, water, and bread flour until it has the consistency of thick pancake batter. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature 8 to 12 hours.
• Dough: In a liquid-measuring cup, stir together yeast and water until yeast is dissolved. Place poolish and both flours in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Add yeast mixture and mix on medium-low speed until a sticky dough forms, about 2 minutes. Add salt and increase speed to medium-high; mix until dough is smooth and elastic, and cleans sides and bottom of bowl, about 9 minutes. Scrape dough onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a ball with oiled hands, then transfer to a large oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• On a lightly floured surface, pat dough into a 12-by-10-inch rectangle with one short side parallel to edge of work surface. Fold dough into thirds, aligning edges carefully. Fold dough in half. This completes one turn. Flip dough so seams are facing downward and gently shape into a ball. Return to oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees with a pizza stone on center rack, and a cast-iron skillet on rack below. Be sure to remove any additional racks from oven.
• Place a sheet of parchment on a pizza peel or unrimmed baking sheet and lightly dust with flour; set aside. On a lightly floured surface, repeat folding process to complete a second turn. Gather corners of dough and pinch together, then flip dough over, shaping into a tight ball. Transfer dough, seam-side down, to prepared pizza peel, adjusting shape as needed. Loosely cover with oiled plastic. Let stand in a warm spot until puffy and full of air, about 45 minutes.
• Lightly dust surface of bread with flour. Using an oiled razor blade or a very sharp knife, score surface in a decorative pattern. Working as quickly as possible, carefully slide parchment from peel onto pizza stone. Pull just enough of heated skillet out of oven to add ice before closing oven door. Bake until bread is deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into center reads 205 degrees, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.

ARTISAN BOULE BREAD

Steps:

• Mixing and Storing the Dough:.
• Note: If measuring flour rather than weighing, don't press down into the flour as you scoop it in with dry-ingredient measuring cups, By gently scooping up flour, then sweeping the top level with a knife or spatula.you willl get a more accurate measurement.
• In large plastic storage container (with lid) mix together the flour, yeast and salt.
• Add all the liquid at once and mix with a wooden spoon.
• If mixing becomes too difficult to incorporate all the flour with the spoon, reach into the mixing bowl with very wet hands and press the mixture together. Note: kneading isn't necessary.
• When everything is uniformly moist without dry patches your mixing is complete. This should take only a few minutes.
• The dough will be wet and loose enough to conform to the shape of its container.
• Cover with a lid (not airtight) that fits well on the container. Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse, or at least flattens on the top, about 2 hours, depending on the room's temperature and the initial water temperature. Longer rising times, up to about 5 hours, will not harm the result.
• You can use a portion of the dough anytime after this period. Fully refrigerated wet dough is less sticky and easier to work with than dough at room temperature. So the first time you try this method, it's best to refrigerate the dough overnight, or at least 3 hours, before shaping a loaf.
• The breads flavor improves with the retardation, so suggest you wait at least 24 hours before baking the first loaf! Dough may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
• To bake Boule (Round Loaf):.
• First, prepare a pizza peel by sprinkling it liberally with cornmeal to prevent the loaf from sticking (or use parchment paper).
• With wet hands, pull up one end of the refrigerated dough. Using a serrated knife, cut off a 1-pound, or grapefruit-size, piece of dough. Hold the mass of dough in your hands; if it sticks, add a little flour until the dough no longer sticks to your hand. Gently stretch the surface of the dough on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Most of the dusting flour will fall off. The bottom of the loaf may appear to be a collection of bunched ends, but they will flatten out during resting and baking. The dough ball should be smooth and cohesive and take no more than 30 to 60 seconds to shape.
• Now it's decision time, which method to use for baking.
• COVERED POT METHOD:.
• Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 60 - 90 minutes.
• About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place 6- to 8-quart heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (with lid) on rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly flour top of dough and, using razor blade or sharp knife, make one 6-inch-long, 1/2-inch-deep slit along top of dough.
• Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid.
• Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot (let any excess parchment hang over pot edge).
• Cover pot and place in oven.
• Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake covered for 20 minutes.
• Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 200 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes longer.
• Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
• BAKING ON GRILL:.
• First make a 'pillow' of aluminum foil and place in the bottom of the pot. This prevent the bottom from burning. To assure that the bottom does not burn, I also place the pot on a heat diffuser. Preheat the grill and pan to 450 degrees . . . from here follow the oven directions above.
• BAKING ON STONE::.
• Place the shaped ball on the prepared pizza peel (or parchment paper), cover and allow to rest 60 - 90 minutes.
• Place a baking stone on the lowest rack of the oven.
• Place an empty broiler tray (I use my cast-iron skillet) on an oven shelf, making sure it will not interfere with the rising bread as it bakes.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees 20 minutes before baking.
• Spray top of dough with cold water (which allows a knife to slash through the dough without sticking). Use a serrated bread knife to slash a 1/4-inch-deep cross or tic-tac-toe pattern onto the top.
• Slide the loaf off the pizza peel onto the preheated baking stone using a quick, forward jerking motion. If using parchment just lift off peel and place on stone.
• Pour 1 cup hot water into the broiler tray and close oven door to trap steam.
• Bake about 30-35 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and sounds hollow when tapped.
• The loaf will crackle, or "sing," when initially exposed to room-temperature air.
• Allow to cool on a wire rack for best flavor, texture and easy slicing.
• Store remaining dough in the refrigerator in your lidded container and use during the next 10 days.
• Additional ideas on how to use this recipe:.
• Pita Bread: Recipe #310219.
• Lavash: Recipe #310451.
• Flatbread: Recipe #TBA.

QUICK AND EASY ARTISAN BOULE (FRENCH FREE-FORM LOAF)

Steps:

• In a 5 or 6 quart bowl or lidded food storage container, dump in the water and add the yeast and salt (herbs as well, if using). Because we are mixing in the flour so quickly it doesn't matter that the salt and yeast are thrown in together. If you are using the fresh cake yeast break it up.
• Dump in the flour all at once and stir with a long handled wooden spoon or a Danish dough whisk, which is one of the tools that makes the job so much easier!
• Stir it until all of the flour is incorporated into the dough. It will be a wet rough dough.
• Put the lid on the container, but do not snap it shut. You want the gases from the yeast to escape. (You could put a little hole in the top of the lids so that you could close the lids and still allow the gases to get out.).
• Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for about 2 hours to rise. When you first mix the dough it will not occupy much of the container. But, after the initial 2 hour rise it will pretty much fill it. (If you have decreased the yeast you will have to let it go longer than 2 hours.) DO NOT PUNCH DOWN THE DOUGH! Just let it settle by itself.
• The dough will be flat on the top and some of the bubbles may even appear to be popping. (If you intend to refrigerate the dough after this stage it can be placed in the refrigerator even if the dough is not perfectly flat. The yeast will continue to work even in the refrigerator.) The dough can be used right after the initial 2 hour rise, but it is much easier to handle when it is chilled. It is intended for refrigeration and use over the next two weeks, ready for you anytime. The flavor will deepen over that time, developing sourdough characteristics.
• The next day when you pull the dough out of the refrigerator you will notice that it has collapsed and this is totally normal for this type of dough. It will never rise up again in the container.
• Dust the surface of the dough with a little flour, just enough to prevent it from sticking to your hands when you reach in to pull a piece out.
• You should notice that the dough has a lot of stretch once it has rested. (If your dough breaks off instead of stretching your dough is probably too dry and you can just add a few tablespoons of water and let it sit again until the dough absorbs the additional water.).
• At this point, you can divide the dough into 4 one pound balls and freeze them in airtight containers for up to three weeks. Allow 24 hours in refrigerator to thaw before use. You can also leave the dough in its container in the refrigerator for up to 14 days, cutting off pieces as needed.
• When ready to bake, cut off a 1-pound piece of dough using kitchen shears and hold in your hands. Add a little more flour so it will not stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter turn as you go. Most of the dusting flour will fall off; it's not intended to be incorporated into the dough. The correctly shaped final product will be smooth and cohesive.
• Rest the loaf on a generous layer of corn meal or a sheet of parchment paper on top of a pizza peel. Let the dough rest for at least 40 minutes, (although letting it go 60 or even 90 minutes will give you a more open hole structure in the interior of the loaf. This may also improve the look of your loaf and prevent it from splitting on the bottom. ) You will notice that the loaf does not rise much during this rest, in fact it may just spread sideways, this is normal for this type of dough.
• Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F with a baking stone on the center rack, with a metal broiler tray on the bottom (never use a glass vessel for this or it will shatter), which will be used to produce steam. (The tray needs to be at least 4 or 5 inches away from your stone to prevent it from cracking.).
• Dust the top of the loaf with more flour so the knife will not stick. Cut the loaf with 1/4-inch slashes using a serrated knife. If your slashes are too shallow you will end up with an oddly shaped loaf and also prevent it from splitting on the bottom.
• Slide the loaf into the oven onto the preheated stone and add a cup of hot water to the broiler tray. Quickly close the oven door. Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes or until a deep brown color. To insure that you get the best results it is crucial to have an Oven Thermometer to make sure your oven is accurate.
• If you used parchment paper, you will want to remove it after about 20-25 minutes to crisp up the bottom crust. Continue baking the loaf directly on the stone for the last 5-10 minutes.
• Allow the loaf to cool on a rack until it is room temperature. If you cut into a loaf before it is cooled you will have a tough crust and a gummy interior. It is hard to wait, but you will be happy you did! Make sure you have a nice sharp Bread Knife that will not crush the bread as you cut. Or you can tear it apart as they do in most of Europe.
• If you have any leftover bread just let it sit, uncovered on the cutting board or counter with the cut side down. If you cover a bread that has a crust it will get soggy.

HEALTHY GLUTEN-FREE ARTISAN BREAD -- FREE-FORM CRUSTY BOULE

Steps:

• MIXING AND STORING THE DOUGH:.
• Whisk together the flours, yeast, salt and xanthan gum in a 5-quart lidded Round Food Storage Container or the mixing bowl of your stand mixer (a metal mixing bowl should be fine as long as it is stainless steel).
• Combine the oil, honey and water; set aside.
• Dump the eggs into the dry ingredients and then stir while you pour in about 1/3 of the oil and water. (Unlike wheat doughs, we do not add all of the liquid at once and stir. If you do that it will result in a lumpy dough).
• Continue to stir while you pour in another 1/3 of the liquid; the dough will start to come together in a thick dough. NOTE: You can use your mixer for these steps with your bread hook rather than stirring the dough ingredients together.
• Add the final 1/3 of liquid and stir until the dough is nice and smooth. Cover container with the lid, but do not snap it shut. Allow it to rest on the counter for about 2 hours.
• Place the dough in the refrigerator and store for up to 7 days.
• NOTE: If you want to bake a loaf immediately after the initial proving you can bake it the first day, but you need to reduce the resting time before hand. In fact, you can mix the dough, shape it and let it rest on the parchment. After it has risen then slide it directly into the oven.
• BAKING DAY:
• On baking day take the bucket from the refrigerator. The dough will be quite fluffy still and you do not want to handle the dough too much. Just like our other doughs the trick is to keep as much of the air bubbles intact as possible.
• Use WET HANDS to remove a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) piece of dough from the bucket. In order to not handle the dough too much you can even scoop it out of the bucket with a slightly wet metal spoon.
• The dough will be quite scraggly when you take it out, just place it on a piece of parchment paper.
• Use wet hands to smooth out the surface of the dough and shape it as desired. DO NOT KNEAD. This may take dipping your hands in the water a few times...to get a nice shape. Gently smooth it out with wet hands into the shape you want.
• Cover dough loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rest on the counter for about 90 minutes. If your kitchen is very warm you may only need about 75 minutes.
• The dough will not have grown much while resting, but it will seem a little bit puffier. Use a serrated knife to cut slashes in the dough.
• BAKING OPTIONS:.
• STONE OR COOKIE SHEET OPTION: If you want to bake using a baking stone, you can OR you can use a cookie sheet.
• Preheat oven to 450°F
• Place parchment paper with your prepared dough on prepared stone or baking sheet.
• Place a pan (not glass) under the baking stone or sheet (at least 4 inches away) and add a cup of hot water to it when you put the loaf in the oven to create steam.
• Bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes.
• DUTCH OVEN OPTION: Preheat the oven with a 5 1/2 quart Dutch Oven in it to 500 degrees 30 minutes before baking time. (Be sure it is fitted with a metal Replacement Knob, the original plastic knobs can only be heated to about 400 degrees.)
• Remove the pot from the oven and take off the lid.
• Lift the bread on the parchment and VERY CAREFULLY lower the parchment and bread into the pot, replace the lid onto the pot.
• Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes remove the lid, turn the heat down to 450F and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
• COOL THE BREAD:
• Once the bread is done baking remove it from the pot using a spatula or from the stone/sheet and transfer to a baking rack to cool.
• ALLOW THE BREAD TO COOL COMPLETELY before eating or the center may seem gummy.
• The loaf is also wonderful toasted and served with butter and marmalade. Enjoy!

BREADMAN TALKING ARTISAN WHOLE WHEAT BOULE

Steps:

• Mix the dry ingredients (the flours. sugar, salt and yeast) together in a large bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer until evenly distributed.
• Add the egg, oil and most of the water and mix to form a rough dough. Add water or flour to form a smooth, slightly sticky dough. Knead the dough in a mixer vigorously for about 10 minutes (or 15 minutes by hand), until the dough is very smooth and only slightly tacky.
• Place the kneaded dough into a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, then cover with plastic wrap to rise until doubled. This will take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Take the dough from the bowl, and, trying desperately not to degas the dough too much, form the dough into a boule. This is best done by stretching the dough from the top away from you towards the bottom. After each stretch, turn the dough by about 45 degrees. When the dough is 'stretched, place it, folds on the bottom, onto a baking tray. Cover the boule with a damp kitchen towel to rest for about 45 minutes.
• Start heating the oven (400 F, 205 C) about 30 minutes before baking. Just before baking, slash the bread twice or three times with a serrated knife, spray with a little water and place in the oven.
• After about 15 minutes reduce the temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for a total of about 35 to 40 minutes. If you have a baking stone, you can move the boule from the baking sheet to the stone for the last 10 minutes of baking to give more crispiness to the crust.
• Cool on a rack.