French Bread \"Amish Friendship\" Style

Broc

French "Amish Friendship" Bread
With more than a cursory tip-o-the-Hat to Alton Brown.
This is a sourdough bread recipe, using "Amish Friendship" starter

INGREDIENTS

1 pound bread flour, plus a little bit extra if needed
1+ teaspoon instant rapid rise yeast
2 teaspoons honey
10 ounces bottled or filtered water
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
1 Cup Friendship Bread Starter ["Ripe," Day 10 before adding the milk, sugar & flour]
2 quarts boiling-hot water
Vegetable oil, for greasing the rising container
1 tablespoon cornstarch [for glazing]

STAGE ONE -- DAY ONE -- PRE-FERMENTING

• Combine 5 ounces of the flour, 1/4 teaspoon of the yeast, all of the honey, all of the bottled water and the Friendship starter in a straight-sides container; cover loosely and refrigerate for 8 to 12 [or even more] hours.

STAGE TWO -- DAY TWO [bake day]
Pre-heat a ceramic or clay loaf pan with lid, in a 420F oven or Egg

• Place the remaining 11 ounces of flour, remaining yeast, and all the salt into the bowl of a stand mixer, and add the pre-ferment [which includes the Friendship Starter] from the refrigerator.
• Using the dough hook attachment, knead the mixture on low for 2 to 3 minutes just until it comes together. You may have to add in several more Tbs of flour at this point
• Cover the dough in the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes, knead the dough on medium speed for 5 to 10 minutes
• Do the window pane test – the dough will still be a bit sticky
• Place the dough into a greased bowl & set on rack in oven over a pan of boiling-hot water. This keeps the oven warm and adds valuable steam to the oven space.
• Allow to rise until doubled in size, approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.
• Turn the risen dough out onto a counter top
• Press the dough out with your knuckles, then tri-fold several times.
• Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and allow to rest for another 10 minutes.
• Punch down, then fold the dough in onto itself. Turn the dough over and squeeze the bottom together so that the top surface of the dough is smooth.
• Place the dough back onto the counter [on parchment paper] and begin to roll gently between your hands to tighten – use circular motion.
• Cover with a tea towel and bench proof [still on the parchment] for an add’l hour, or until you poke the dough and it quickly fills back in where you poked it.
• Toss the dough into the ceramic/clay loaf mold, slash top lengthwise, glaze [Option -- use a round CI pan w/lid... I often use a 3-1/2 qt Le Crueset]
• Bake @420F for 30 minutes, then remove lid and lower temp to 375F for an additional 20 minutes [internal 205F]
• Cool for 30 minutes before slicing.

Grandpas Grub

Broc,

Thanks doing the work and sharing this.

You should probably explain what you are coming up with here and how it turns out/tastes.

My question is day 10, is it day 10 before adding ingreadients. Or After adding ingreadients and dividing, I guess which would/could also be called day 1?

From the looks of your ingredients I would have to think this is going to have a way different texture & taste from the Friendship Bread.

Any body wanting a Friendship Bread Starter contact any one of the folks that have been keeping this going including me.

GG

Broc

I used "ripe" starter from Day 10 -- before dividing it and creating baby starters. I have more of the little starters than I need, and am using them -- testing them -- in just about everything.

I have made no-knead, and Alton's bread [two different things] and sort-a combined these two bread techniques with the Friendship starter to see what happens...

Basically, it's Alton's "overnight" starter, with Friendship added... and otherwise prepared as no-knead.

Those about me are saying, "This is the best French bread I've ever had!"

Texture is excellent, albeit a little "heavier" than most bread -- crust is excellent [due to the baking method... tossing it into 420F pre-heated cast iron, or ceramic, etc].

Enjoy!

~ Broc

Grandpas Grub

Thanks Broc for sharing your results.

Kent

Beli

Thanks Broc,
Copied it already Got any photos???