Lorraine Pascale's Pain D'Epi Bread Recipe
Okay I have to admit that when I find a recipe that makes a seemingly difficult and time consuming recipe look easy, then I'm hooked, this is one of these very recipes.
I am not an expert when it come to yeast bakery, in fact, I regard myself as somewhat as a learner. I think that anyone who helps me on that journey is to be praised! I know that Lorraine has her critics and that bread making should be a long drawn out process, but I'm not there yet, I'm still grappling with how to knead the dough or how warm the water should be, so for now this is our Pain D'Epi recipe and a regular guest at our table. Perhaps when I'm much more experience, I will share my findings, the recipes that are closer to the original (long drawn out) method and those important hints and tips! For now enjoy experimenting and learning how to bake with that (complex) ingredient, yeast.
Recipe complements of Lorraine Pascale's Home Cooking Made Easy
Yield 1 loaf
Ingredients
275g Strong white flour
2tsp Fast Action dried yeast
1tsp Sea salt, plus extra for the top
175ml Warm water
1tbsp Olive oil
Method
Put the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and yeast into a large bowl. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add enough water until the dough just comes together. Stir in the olive oil.
Flour your work surface and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (Lorraine has a very distinct method of kneading bread, she rolls the dough away from herself with the heel of her right hand, draws is back, using the palm of her right hand. She then repeats this using her left hand leaving a distinctive V shape on the floured surface!)
Form the dough into a tight ball so the top is really nice and taut. Place it onto a floured baking sheet and form it into a long and thin baguette shape, thinner than usual as it will expand while it rises.
Cover the tray with lightly oiled cling film so it is airtight but not too tight so the dough has room to expand. Put in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour. I usually leave mine on a chair near the oven. Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Uncover the bread and sprinkle on some flour. Put the bread with the shortest edge facing you (or lengthwise) and, starting at the end furthest away from you, hold a pair of scissors so they are parallel to the bread, then tilt them so they are at a 45-degree angle. Make a large cut 10cm away from the top of the dough, almost as if you were going to snip that bit off but it will still be attached, then take that piece and move it to the left. Make another snip about 10cm down from the bottom of the last one and move that piece to the right. Keep on doing this until you reach the end of the bread.
Sprinkle the top with flour and salt.
Spray some water (I usually place 4-5 ice cubes into the oven) to create a steamy atmosphere. Put the dough into the oven. Bake until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap it on the bottom, about 25 minutes.
Yield 1 loaf
Ingredients
275g Strong white flour
2tsp Fast Action dried yeast
1tsp Sea salt, plus extra for the top
175ml Warm water
1tbsp Olive oil
Method
Put the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and yeast into a large bowl. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add enough water until the dough just comes together. Stir in the olive oil.
Flour your work surface and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (Lorraine has a very distinct method of kneading bread, she rolls the dough away from herself with the heel of her right hand, draws is back, using the palm of her right hand. She then repeats this using her left hand leaving a distinctive V shape on the floured surface!)
Form the dough into a tight ball so the top is really nice and taut. Place it onto a floured baking sheet and form it into a long and thin baguette shape, thinner than usual as it will expand while it rises.
Cover the tray with lightly oiled cling film so it is airtight but not too tight so the dough has room to expand. Put in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour. I usually leave mine on a chair near the oven. Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Uncover the bread and sprinkle on some flour. Put the bread with the shortest edge facing you (or lengthwise) and, starting at the end furthest away from you, hold a pair of scissors so they are parallel to the bread, then tilt them so they are at a 45-degree angle. Make a large cut 10cm away from the top of the dough, almost as if you were going to snip that bit off but it will still be attached, then take that piece and move it to the left. Make another snip about 10cm down from the bottom of the last one and move that piece to the right. Keep on doing this until you reach the end of the bread.
Spray some water (I usually place 4-5 ice cubes into the oven) to create a steamy atmosphere. Put the dough into the oven. Bake until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap it on the bottom, about 25 minutes.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing her recipe Lisa. Literally just watched this on TV and decided I really wanted to make it. Looks amazing yet it is so simple!
ReplyDeleteGlad I checked this out as without the Photograph I was unsure of how to cut the dough ! thanks
ReplyDeleteGlad the photos helped, I hope the bread tasted great too.
ReplyDeleteI've followed his recipe exactly but it's come out quite doughy what am I dong wrong?
ReplyDeleteAmanda, the only conclusion I can come to is that the loaf needed a bit longer in the oven. Every oven is slightly different, for example my oven takes ages to heat up to 220 degrees, even when the pilot light goes out it still isn't a full 220 degrees! It took buying an oven thermometer to find that out :) Judge for yourself but I suggest letting your oven heat up a bit longer and the bread is cooked when it is a deep golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. I hope this helps :)
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa, just making the bread now and you state to preheat oven to 200C, but in your comment here you say 220C? Pls advise
ReplyDeleteHello Ben, thanks for dropping by. The recipe calls for the oven to be preheated to 200°. The comment above was only given as an example to demonstrate that my oven and possibly others don't actually heat to the correct temperature and that for accuracy an oven thermometer is advised, especially for baking yeast bread. I hope you enjoyed your finished loaf :)
DeleteI have let mine double in size but I am not ready to eat it yet....how long can I leave it to prove without runing it please?
ReplyDeleteHiya Lucy, usually if you want to delay the rise of any yeast bread it's best to let it rise in the fridge. The cold temperatures slow the growth of the yeast. This advice might be too late for you today but in the future if you want to slow the first or second rise, pop the dough into the fridge until you're ready and then allow it to come to room temperature for 30 minutes or so before shaping or baking it in the preheated oven. Good luck :)
ReplyDeleteNot sure what happened to mine. It turned out rock hard. Any comments appreciated
ReplyDeleteNot sure what happened to mine. It turned out rock hard. Any comments appreciated
ReplyDeleteNot sure what happened to mine it was hard as rock. Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteHi Judy, thank you for your comment. Was the crust rock hard? Did you spray the loaf/oven with water before you baked the loaf, steam is essential for a soft crust as it prevents the outer crust baking too quickly in the hot oven. I sometimes add an ice cube or two on a lower shelf just as I put the bread in the oven, they create steam as they melt, the loaf cooks on the inside while the steam keeps the crust from cooking too quickly and then finally the crust becomes golden brown and crispy in the last minutes of the baking time. Kind regards, Lisa
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