I can learn a lot of things from books and pictures. I can learn some things by comparing internet sites. Every once in awhile though I wish for a human being style teacher.
As luck would have it, I turned on the little kitchen TV just as Julia Child was introducing Lauren Groveman to make pumpernickel bread (segment one of that show). OK, there were all the normal players — molasses, instant coffee, chocolate and an unusual addition – prune filling! I enjoyed watching Ms. Groveman mix the dough by hand and knead it vigorously. I was amazed to see her really bang the heck out of it at the end of the first rise. After a little more working the dough, she rolled the dough into a flat rectangular-ish shape and started to shape the dough. She was quite forceful in tamping the roll onto itself as it became a loaf shape. Rather baguette-shaping-like as Julia pointed out. But then, the surprise!
Ms. Groveman pushed her hand deep into the end of the loaf. Think that you have formed a tube by rolling up the dough, there’s actually room to put your fingers inside the center of that roll. She then elongated the ends of the tube. Folding the “ears” she formed, she crimped and tamped them into the under surface of the loaf.
Holy cow! Now THAT was a useful thing to see. She explained that the dough really needs to be told what to do, and you want to prevent those big air pockets from forming where the dough ends come together. AH HA!
I’ve often wished I could take a bread baking class, say at King Arthur… ok, I’d probably flip out if I could take a class with St. H, but what I really want to learn is how to shape loaves and deal with that part of it. And that probably is best learned by watching an experienced set of hands do their thing.
