Épi de Blé Baguette

Making bread is something that I really only do on occasion or when the mood hits me.  Épis de blé is a baguette that resembles a sheaf of wheat and is traditionally served during harvest time.  This bread recipe begins with a starter dough and has to be made 18 hours ahead of time.  Click here for pictures and instructions for the perfect the kneading technique.  Wheat has been cultivated by man since before recorded history.  Wheat was more than likely first chewed and then later discovered it could be pulverized and made into a paste.  This paste was then set over a fire and flat bread would have been made which could easily be kept for several days.  In Egypt (1000 BC), yeast was separated and a new strain of wheat was developed which allowed for refined white bread.  Throughout history, a person’s station in life could be told by the bread they consumed.  The darker the bread, the lower the social station because whiter flours were more expensive, harder to refine and yet today, a darker bread is prized for its taste and nutrient value.  Good thing!

Makes 2 loaves
recipe from Canadian Living
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Starter:
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
3/4 cup water, room temperature
1 cup all purpose flour
Dough:
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
For the starter, in a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over water.  Let stand for 1 minutes.  Stir in flour until smooth and slightly elastic, about 2 minutes.  Scrape down side of bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap; set aside for at least 18 hours or for up to 24 hours.

For the dough, mix water and yeast into stater dough until broken up and slightly foaming (2 minutes).  Stir in flour and salt to form ragged soft dough.  Transfer to a well-floured surface.  Knead until smooth and elastic (6 minutes).  Shape into ball.

Place in greased bowl, turning to grease all over.  Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk and indentation remains after pressing finger into dough (about 1 1/2 hours).  Punch down dough, divide in half and knead into balls.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 15 minutes.  Press balls to flatten; roll up into 2 logs until 15 inches (38cm) long.  Place on lightly floured tea towel, pleating towel between loaves.  Cover with greased plastic wrap; let rise until doubled in bulk (45-60 minutes).

Place loaves, 3 inches apart (8cm), on a large flour-dusted baking sheet.  Starting 2 inches (5cm) from end and using sharp scissors at a 45 degree angle. make 1 cut three-quarters of the way through the loaf.  Turn cut section to right.  Repeat 6 more times, cutting 2 inches (5cm) apart and turning each piece to alternate sides to resemble wheat sheaf.
Place in preheated oven 450f (230c).  With a spritzer bottle filled with cold water, spray wall and floor of oven (avoid light bulb) until steam fills oven (10 seconds).  Immediately close oven door.  Add loaves to oven, repeat spraying and bake loaves until golden and hollow sounding when tapped, about 20 minutes.  Let cool on rack.

The Culinary Chase’s Note:  I’m a sucker for bread straight out of the oven.  One of my favorite ways to enjoy warm bread is with butter and molasses.  Spread the molasses on first to let it sink in and butter to seal it in.  Scrumptious!