Sunday, May 30, 2004


never can break the chain

i'm not flashing back to the glorious clinton-era (ah! 1993!) for nothing here. . .but merely to point out that once established, few things in life are more reliable than a natural leaven bread starter.

the caveat is that "once established."

the ones i've been working on all week are new. of the 2 i currently am nurturing, it seems like one's alive, and one's not making it.

unfortunately, the one that's dragging is the one that been made into a full dough and is sitting in a floured linen-lined colander for final proof.

this is the so-called "thin" one. it was rising like gangbusters, which might have been its problem.

when i set it in the fridge overnite for that long cool final proof before turning it out on the peel, slashing it, and slapping the bread cloche over it, it was great.

but this morning, it just didn't warm up. it looked a little lifeless. uh-oh: it may have out-grown its environment and consumed itself overnite.

sometimes a sudden halt in rise indicates poor kneading. but this dough got a good 8 minutes with the dough hook.

or it could just be really slow. some naturally leavened breads take an 8-hour proof at room temperature. . . so i'm letting this one enjoy the counter for a few more hours.

if it doesn't revive, then we go to overdrive mode! you see, in bread-making, there are few absolute failure points.

most obstacles can be overcome, which is perhaps why more bakers should adopt ganesh instead of st. pasquale as a patron being. . .in this case, we can rescue this loaf with a little trick the french call bassinage.

of course, it is a departure from purism; it is a pragmatic step.

but that's what's great about baking; it forces you to deal with reality, the situation on the ground.

i've spent a lot of time with this loaf, invested energy and expensive organic flour! i could walk away from it, chalk it up to bad conditions, etc. . .or i could accept the situation and act accordingly.

thus, the bassinage. this term refers to a technique where you gently deflate the dough, flatten it with care, sprinkle water on it, roll it up, knead it and let it rise again as if you had just mixed it.

it's often done for dough that's too stiff, or dries out, or to help develop a dough that will be slack.

in this case, i'd simply mix some commercial yeast into the water, and proceed.

sure, it's not perfection. but a new leaven is new. things like this sometimes happen.

if you're making bread for an occasion, you may really need the loaf, and not have time to start all over again. bassinage can be a lifesaver then.

i'm not in this situation. but i'll probably do it anyway and bake both loaves tomorrow morning or early afternoon.

the so-called "thick" levain has grown much more slowly than the "thin" did; but so far it appears more reliable.

more results tomorrow. what's clear is that i will be pinching off about 1/2 cup of dough to reserve in the fridge as a new base for next week's chef.

with care, this saved "old dough" will provide a reliable starter as long as i keep up with it. bits of chef like this only get nicer the longer you run with them.

they're good in the fridge for 4 or 5 days in a good tupperware. they certainly make baking once a week much easier!

note to self: henceforth, maintain chef!

of course today i still need to make pizza, pizza sauce, and arrive at yoga for my usual 5p.m. class.

so it's a yogic moment -- i just have to say, i've done what i can, here's what i will do at the right time in the future, and now, i have to be calm and one-pointedly focus on the things currently before me. ganesh can take care of the rest!

this is a great technique, and probably why so many people with serious meditation practices have taken up baking. . .

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