and croûtons]
It is almost impossible in present-day America to find the firm, close-grained, evenly rectangular, unsliced type of white bread that is essential for professional-looking canapés, appetizers, and fancy sandwiches. In French this is pain de mie , meaning that the mie , the crumb or inside, is more important than the crust; in fact the crust exists merely as a thin and easily sliced covering. French boulangeries form and bake the bread in special covered molds; the bread rises during baking so that it fills the mold completely and emerges absolutely symmetrical. The form can be round or cylindrical, but it is usually rectangular. You can easily achieve the round or the rectangular shapes by baking in any straight-sided bread pan or baking dish, covering the pan with foil and a baking sheet, and topping that with some kind of weight to keep the bread from pushing up out of shape while it is in the oven.
For about 1 pound of flour , making 3 cups of dough, to fill one 8-cup covered pan or two 4-cup covered pans
1) The preliminary dough mixture—le fraisage. Either by hand:
1 cake (0.6 ounce) fresh yeast, or 1 package dry-active yeast
3 Tb warm water (not over 100 degrees) in a measure
2 tsp salt
1⅓ cups tepid milk in a measure
3½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour ( scooped and leveled )
A 4- to 5-quart bowl with fairly straight sides
A rubber spatula, and a pastry scraper or stiff metal blade
Mix the yeast in the warm water and let it liquefy completely while measuring out the rest of the ingredients. Dissolve the salt in the tepid milk. Measure the flour into the mixing bowl. Then stir in the liquefied yeast and salted milk with a rubber spatula, cutting and pressing the dough firmly together into a mass, being sure all bits of flour and unblended pieces are gathered in. Turn dough out onto a flat kneading surface, scraping bowl clean. Dough will be quite soft and sticky; let it rest for 2 to 3 minutes while you wash and dry the bowl.
2) Kneading—pétrissage
Start kneading by lifting the near side of the dough, using a scraper or spatula to help you, and flipping it over onto the other side . Scrape dough off surface and slap down again; lift, flip over and slap down again, repeating the movement rapidly.
In 2 to 3 minutes dough should have enough body so that you can give it a quick forward push with the heel of your hand as you flip it over . If it remains too sticky for this, knead in a sprinkling of flour. When it begins to clean itself off the working surface and draw back into shape, it is ready for the next step—kneading in the butter.
3) Kneading in the butter
4 Tb (½ stick) chilled butter
When butter is incorporated into a dough in most French recipes, it is added after kneading.
Soften the butter by beating it with a rolling pin. Then smear it out with a scraper, spatula, or the heel of your hand until it is soft and malleable but still cold .
By tablespoon bits, start rapidly folding and smearing the butter into the dough with the heel (not the palm) of your hand , then gather the dough into a mass with your scraper and smear again. Keep working in more bits of butter as each previous addition is partially absorbed.
Dough will be ropy, very messy, and even stickier until it begins to absorb the butter. Work fast to prevent the butter from turning oily, always using the heel of your hand , and also cutting the dough with scraper or spatula. In a few minutes dough will again become smooth and elastic. Proceed to Step 4.
Or make the preliminary dough in the food processor (steel blade):
Using the same proportions as for hand-made dough, dissolve the yeast and add it to the salted milk. Place the 3½ cups of flour in the container of the food processor (unless you have a small machine, in which case divide all ingredients by half and do it in two batches). Cut the butter into pieces, and add to the flour, along with the salt. Process for several seconds
It is almost impossible in present-day America to find the firm, close-grained, evenly rectangular, unsliced type of white bread that is essential for professional-looking canapés, appetizers, and fancy sandwiches. In French this is pain de mie , meaning that the mie , the crumb or inside, is more important than the crust; in fact the crust exists merely as a thin and easily sliced covering. French boulangeries form and bake the bread in special covered molds; the bread rises during baking so that it fills the mold completely and emerges absolutely symmetrical. The form can be round or cylindrical, but it is usually rectangular. You can easily achieve the round or the rectangular shapes by baking in any straight-sided bread pan or baking dish, covering the pan with foil and a baking sheet, and topping that with some kind of weight to keep the bread from pushing up out of shape while it is in the oven.
For about 1 pound of flour , making 3 cups of dough, to fill one 8-cup covered pan or two 4-cup covered pans
1) The preliminary dough mixture—le fraisage. Either by hand:
1 cake (0.6 ounce) fresh yeast, or 1 package dry-active yeast
3 Tb warm water (not over 100 degrees) in a measure
2 tsp salt
1⅓ cups tepid milk in a measure
3½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour ( scooped and leveled )
A 4- to 5-quart bowl with fairly straight sides
A rubber spatula, and a pastry scraper or stiff metal blade
Mix the yeast in the warm water and let it liquefy completely while measuring out the rest of the ingredients. Dissolve the salt in the tepid milk. Measure the flour into the mixing bowl. Then stir in the liquefied yeast and salted milk with a rubber spatula, cutting and pressing the dough firmly together into a mass, being sure all bits of flour and unblended pieces are gathered in. Turn dough out onto a flat kneading surface, scraping bowl clean. Dough will be quite soft and sticky; let it rest for 2 to 3 minutes while you wash and dry the bowl.
2) Kneading—pétrissage
Start kneading by lifting the near side of the dough, using a scraper or spatula to help you, and flipping it over onto the other side . Scrape dough off surface and slap down again; lift, flip over and slap down again, repeating the movement rapidly.
In 2 to 3 minutes dough should have enough body so that you can give it a quick forward push with the heel of your hand as you flip it over . If it remains too sticky for this, knead in a sprinkling of flour. When it begins to clean itself off the working surface and draw back into shape, it is ready for the next step—kneading in the butter.
3) Kneading in the butter
4 Tb (½ stick) chilled butter
When butter is incorporated into a dough in most French recipes, it is added after kneading.
Soften the butter by beating it with a rolling pin. Then smear it out with a scraper, spatula, or the heel of your hand until it is soft and malleable but still cold .
By tablespoon bits, start rapidly folding and smearing the butter into the dough with the heel (not the palm) of your hand , then gather the dough into a mass with your scraper and smear again. Keep working in more bits of butter as each previous addition is partially absorbed.
Dough will be ropy, very messy, and even stickier until it begins to absorb the butter. Work fast to prevent the butter from turning oily, always using the heel of your hand , and also cutting the dough with scraper or spatula. In a few minutes dough will again become smooth and elastic. Proceed to Step 4.
Or make the preliminary dough in the food processor (steel blade):
Using the same proportions as for hand-made dough, dissolve the yeast and add it to the salted milk. Place the 3½ cups of flour in the container of the food processor (unless you have a small machine, in which case divide all ingredients by half and do it in two batches). Cut the butter into pieces, and add to the flour, along with the salt. Process for several seconds
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