Remember these guys?
Proofing time approx. 90 minutes.
Now that we have proofed loaves, we need to get the oven going. Ovens tend to vary widely in performance, so it may take a few bakes before you dial in the perfect temperature and time in your own kitchen. Set one of the racks in the middle and one as low as it will go, and preheat to 500 degrees (F). Place an empty 9" cake pan on the bottom rack, which we will put to use momentarily.
This little guy is important.
The last two things we need to do before these loaves bake is venting and glazing. Venting allows the steam an easy escape route and helps prevent the tops of the loaves from cracking and splitting, and when done right it adds to the appearance of the finished bread. Glazing imparts moisture or oil to the tops of the loaves, further preventing cracking and also adding to the color of the crust. I use butter for this, but egg whites, olive oil or even plain water can be used, to varying effect.
To vent the loaves, we'll need a sharp knife or razor blade. Razor blades do the job best, but given the proliferation of disposable shaving implements, we're more likely these days to have a knife on hand. I use my trusty bread knife, as I've found it works just as well cutting dough as it does cutting bread. For loaves of this size, we're going to make three diagonal cuts in the dough, running lengthwise down the loaves. Don't be afraid to cut deep! Ideally the cuts will be roughly 3" in length and 1" in depth.
You can see where the knife pulled the dough a little.
A bit of oil on the blade helps.
For glazing I melt 1/2 stick of salted butter (1/4 cup) in a microwave-safe container, and coat each loaf generously with a basting brush. There will still be some butter left after doing this, set it aside as we'll be using it again shortly.
Baby, I'm gonna butter your bread.
The final step is to get these babies in the oven. Place the pans in the center of the top rack, leaving about 3-4" of space between them. Pour one cup of plain water into the cake pan on the bottom rack (watch for steam, it burns!) and close the oven. Reduce the temperature to 425 degrees (F) and set a timer for 20 minutes.
Things are about to get steamy.
The purpose of the water in the cake pan is to maintain a high humidity level inside the oven during baking. This is most important during the first few minutes the loaves are in, during a process known as "oven spring". Oven spring is the final bit of rise that will happen as the moisture in the dough evaporates and expands as it heats. We want the humidity in the oven as it helps the skin of the dough remain pliable during the oven spring (further reducing cracking/splitting), and it also helps to promote that chewy crust I mentioned earlier, keeping it from drying out and hardening as the bread bakes.
After the oven spring. Very nice!
When our twenty minutes have passed, open the oven and once again glaze the tops of the loaves with the remaining butter. Our bread now looks much like it will when finished, on the outside, at least. It will still need another 20-25 minutes at 425 degrees (F) for the crumb to set properly and the sides and bottom to brown a bit.
Once we've passed the 45-minute mark, our loaves should be ready to come out of the oven and cool. The tops should be golden brown, and the sides and bottoms should be a light brown (which we can see once out of the pans). Allow the loaves to cool on a rack or towel for about 30 minutes, or until no longer warm to the touch. Don't try to cut a hot loaf! Not matter how sharp the knife, until that bread cools it will want to mash instead of slice. We need to give the crumb time to cool so the loaf will cut properly.
If these taste as good as they look, we're in for a treat.
Finally, it is time to eat! Join me for the final installment of this series where we take a detailed look at the very loaves I baked for the articles.
Next:
Part Seven - The Bread
Previous:
Part Five - The Rise
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