Alpine Baguettes (Alper baguette)
ALLOW 12 TO 24 HOURS TO PREPARE THE SOURDOUGH AND SOAK THE SEEDS; 13 TO 18
MINUTES TO KNEAD;
10 MINUTES TO REST;
2 TO 2 1/2 HOURS TO FERMENT;
10 MINUTES TO REST AGAIN; 30 TO 40 MINUTES TO PROOF; 25 TO 30 MINUTES TO BAKE
Clemens Walch inherited a memorable setting for his bakery-the base of a ski
slope in the picture-perfect town of Lech in the Austrian Alps. But his bread
would be unforgettable no matter where he sold it. The first time I tasted this
colorful baguette, I had made my final run down the mountain and was starving.
I took off my skis, walked into the shop, and tore into this incomparably
flavored loaf.
Fatter and flatter than a classic French baguette, this loaf is crunchy, with a
light, chewy crumb, tanned and aromatic from the rye sourdough. It is a good
choice for those new to working with rye flour because the dough itself is
mixed with bread flour, making it easy to handle from mixing to shaping.
Clemens uses four kinds of seeds-sunflower, pumpkin, flax, and sesame-as well
as rolled oats to give his bread texture and flavor. You can use any
combination of seeds that you like, but I wouldn't want to make it without the
pumpkin and sunflower seeds.
*MAKES 3 THICK BAGUETTES ABOUT 12 INCHES LONG (13 OUNCES/368 GRAMS EACH)
Equipment: BAKER'S PEEL OR RI M LESS BAKING SHEET PARCHMENT PAPER BENCH SCRAPER
OR CHEF'S KNIFE BAKING STONE CAST-IRON SKILLET
German rye sour-dough About 1/2 cup Rolled oats 1/3 cup Sunflower seeds 1/3 cup
Pumpkin seeds 1/3 cup Flax seeds 1/3 cup Sesame seeds1/4 cup Water, tepid (70
to 78 degrees) 2 1/4 cups Instant yeast 1 teaspoon Unbleached bread flour,
preferably high-gluten} 3 1/4 cups Sea salt11/2 teaspoons
PREPARE THE SOURDOUGH AND SOAK THE SEEDS. Twelve to 24 hours before you plan to
bake, refresh your rye sourdough. Pour the rolled oats and seeds into a small
bowl and cover them with 3/4 cup (6.2 ounces/175 grams) water. Soak them
overnight, uncovered, so they plump and soften.
MIX THE DOUGH. Pour the remaining 11/2 cups (12·3 ounces/jjo grams) water into
a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir in the yeast, bread
flour, soaked oats and seeds, and salt with a rubber spatula. Stir down the rye
sourdough, which will have bubbled up during fermentation, to invigor ate and
deflate it. Measure out 1/2 cup (3-5 ounces/roo grams) of the sourdough and
pour it over the dough, scraping the measuring cup clean.
(Refresh and store the remaining rye sourdough). With the spatula, work in the
sourdough just enough to bind it to the dough.
KNEAD THE DOUGH. By hand: Lightly dust the counter with bread flour. Scrape the
dough onto the counter and knead with smooth, steady strokes, flouring your
hands as necessary, for 10 rninutes. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let
it rest on the counter for 10 minutes. Uncover and continue to knead until it
is smooth, silky, and elastic, 5 to 8 minutes more. The dough will be soft but
not exces sively sticky.
By machine: Use the dough hook and mix the dough on medium-low speed (3 on a
KitchenAid mixer) for 8 minutes. Turn off the machine and scrape the hook and
the sides of the bowl. Drape a piece of plastic wrap over the dough and let it
rest in the bowl for 10 minutes. Turn the mixer back on to medium-low and knead
until the dough is smooth, silky, and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes more.
FERMENT THE DOUGH. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled, clear 2-quart
container with a lid. With masking tape, mark the spot on the container that
the dough will reach when it has doubled in volume. Cover and leave it to rise
at room temperature (70 to 75 degrees) until it doubles, reaching the masking
tape mark, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. When you press your fingertip into the dough, your
fingerprint will spring back slowly.
PREPARE THE OVEN. About 1 hour before baking, place a baking stone on the
middle rack of the oven and a cast-iron skillet on the lower rack. Heat the
oven to 450 degrees.
DIVIDE AND PRESHAPE THE BAGUETTES. Cover a baker's peel or rimless baking sheet
with parchment paper. Lightly flour the counter. Uncover the dough and scrape
it out. With a bench scraper or chef's knife, cut the dough into
3 equal pieces (13 ounces/368 grams each). Flatten 1 piece of the dough into a
rough rectangle, fold it in thirds, like a busi ness letter, ana. turn it
smooth sia.e up. Repeat with the remaining 2 pieces. Drape the pieces with
plastic wrap and let rest on the counter for 10 minutes.
SHAPE THE BAGUETTES. Shape each piece of dough into a baguette about 12 inches
long and 3 inches wide with rounded ends. Dust the parchment paper with flour
and place the baguettes on it, seam side down, about 3 inches apart. Drape with
plastic wrap.
PROOF THE BAGUETTES. Let the loaves rise at room temperature (70 to 75 degrees)
until they look puffy and light, 30 to 40 minutes. When you press your
fingertip into the dough, your fingerprint will spring back slowly.
BAKE THE BAGUETTES. Slide the loaves, still on the parchment, onto the baking
stone. Place 3/4 cup of ice cubes in the skillet to produce heavy steam. Bake
until the baguettes are reddish brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
COOL AND STORE THE BAGUETTES. Slide the peel or the rimless baking sheet under
the parch ment paper to remove the loaves from the oven. Slide the loaves,
still on the parchment, onto a wire rack. Cool for about 5 minutes and then
peel them off the parchment paper. Cool the loaves for about 30 minutes more
and enjoy them warm. Store cooled baguettes in a brown paper bag. The sourdough
will help keep them fresh for up to 2 days. Reheat in a
350-degree oven for 7 minutes to recrisp ilie crust. For longer storage, freeze
in resealable plastic bags for up to 1 month.
Local Breads by Daniel Leader
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