Boule to Brioche

Injury and Pain can lead to loneliness, having constant pain is no good at all.   But one can get out of it by doing what one likes to do the best.  In my case, the cooking activity got me out of the misery, after all, I could do no good out there.  It has been a month since I got hurt while I was playing sport.

I choose to do baking bread, not cake. Working with yeast dough is very pleasant, fun and therapeutic.  Baking French bread is very challenging, but I am ready to try.  I love brioches, and I bake them successfully. But I have not baked the French bread  ' Boule'.  I love country bread, crusty on the outer and has the soft crumb, delicious.  Simply slice it and serve with olive oil or butter.  Yum

My Home Baked Bread

Rustic Looks, French Bread 'Boule"

Beautiful Boule Bread

Preparation of the Boule

The Dough

Proofing the Dough

Punching the dough down for second proofing, and shaping. 

The dough needs light kneading, and divide into two to
make two loaves of the 'Boule.'

Two baskets are lined and dust with flour to proof and to shape.

The bread dough sits on the basket for 45 minutes to rise.

The dough has risen, and ready to be baked in a hot oven.

Scored and ready to be baked

Freshly baked Boule, it looks So Good.

You never thought that this Boule is baked in my kitchen, you don't need to go to Paris after all to have a delicious crusty Boule.  Tap the outside with your knuckle, and it starts to sing, it is very pleasing.

The second loaf has a different pattern of scoring, it is traditional too.

Different Pattern of Scoring Boule

It cuts well and looks right.

I got two loaves of the crusty Boule bread, we will live on food for a week, I don't mind at all.  Home-baked bread is always right, and it is delicious toasted the next day and after.

The crumb is good. Soft and smooth, I am happy enough.

Sliced Boule Bread with a soft Crumb

I am pleased and proud about this baking, a very successful activity which helped me to relax and to forget.

And where is the brioche?,  Here they are, mini brioche crown filled with cheese, and the other one is filled with homemade glace pear.  I am confident to say that I could do brioche with ease as I believe I have had mastered it.

Freshly Baked Brioches

 Brioche Crown filled with homemade glace pear.

A slice sweet brioche crown.   Beautifully dressed
with glace pomelo

For basic brioche recipe, please look on an older post.

I did not write down the recipe for the Boule.  I may have to go back into it before I forget.  The composition of the ingredients is my own, well, it worked for me.

As I remembered it:
Boule Bread
To bake 2 loaves weight at 500 g each
4 cups strong flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
Extra flour for dusting
You also need 2 baskets and clothes for shaping, baking paper, baking stone to bake.
Bake in a hot oven at 200 degrees C (fan forced oven) for 31-33 minutes.  It was good, but for next time I will bake it longer, maybe 40 minutes instead of 33 minutes.

Note: the process of making the dough, do as you would for making pizza dough, but the dough should be wetter and softer.

Until Next Post
Susy