Pain D’Epi

Why this recipe works Baguettes have an iconic shape, but there are more shapes and sizes of this crusty, open-crumbed loaf to explore, including our Seeded Ficelle and this striking wheat stalk–shaped loaf called pain d’epi. This loaf boasts not only a gorgeous appearance, but a uniquely impressive crust as well. Why? All of those cuts and angles leave more surface to crisp in the oven. Stateside, these loaves are found only in the highest-quality bread bakeries, so you may never think to attempt replicating these loaves, with their intricate design, at home. But once you’ve mastered our Bakery-Style French Baguettes, making pain d’epi doesn’t actually take much extra effort, and adapting our baguette shaping technique was simple. We followed our baguette recipe until it was time to score the loaves. Instead of turning to our lame, we broke out our kitchen shears, cutting into the loaves at an angle to create attached lobes that resembled the stalks of wheat. If you can’t find King Arthur all-purpose flour, you can substitute bread flour. This recipe makes enough dough for four loaves, which can be baked anytime during the 16- to 48-hour window after placing the dough in the refrigerator in step 3. The pain d’epi are best eaten within 4 hours of baking.

MAKES: 4 loaves

RESTING TIME: 1 to 1½ hours

RISING TIME: 18½ to 19 hours

BAKING TIME: 17 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 21¼ to 22¼ hours, plus 20 minutes cooling time

KEY EQUIPMENT: rimmed baking sheet, couche, water-filled spray bottle, baking stone, pizza peel, flipping board, kitchen shears, 2 (16 by 12-inch) disposable aluminum roasting pans

INGREDIENTS:

• ¼ cup (1⅓ ounces) whole-wheat flour
• 3 cups (15 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1 teaspoon diastatic malt powder (optional)
• 1½ cups (12 ounces) water, room temperature

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Sift whole-wheat flour through fine-mesh strainer into bowl of stand mixer; discard bran remaining in strainer.
2. Whisk all-purpose flour, salt, yeast, and malt powder, if using, into mixer bowl. Using dough hook on low speed, slowly add water to flour mixture and mix until cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains, 5 to 7 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Transfer dough to lightly greased large bowl or container, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise for 30 minutes.
3. Using greased bowl scraper (or your fingertips), fold dough over itself by gently lifting and folding edge of dough toward middle. Turn bowl 45 degrees and fold dough again; repeat turning bowl and folding dough 6 more times (total of 8 folds). Cover tightly with plastic and let rise for 30 minutes. Repeat folding and rising every 30 minutes, 3 more times. After fourth set of folds, cover bowl tightly with plastic and refrigerate for at least 16 hours or up to 48 hours.
4. Transfer dough to lightly floured counter, press into 8-inch square (do not deflate), and divide in half. Return 1 piece of dough to bowl, cover tightly with plastic, and refrigerate (dough can be shaped and baked anytime within 48-hour window). Divide remaining dough in half crosswise, transfer to lightly floured rimmed baking sheet, and cover loosely with greased plastic. Let rest until no longer cool to touch, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
5. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time (keep remaining piece covered), roll into loose 3- to 4-inch-long cylinder on lightly floured counter. Cover loosely with greased plastic and let rest for 30 minutes.
6. Mist underside of couche with water, drape over second rimmed baking sheet that has been inverted, and dust evenly with flour. Gently press 1 dough cylinder into 6 by 4-inch rectangle on lightly floured counter, with long side parallel to counter edge. Fold upper quarter of dough toward center and press gently to seal. Rotate dough 180 degrees and repeat folding step to form 8 by 2-inch rectangle.
7. Fold dough in half toward you, using thumb of your other hand to create crease along center of dough, sealing with heel of your hand as you work your way along loaf. Without pressing down on loaf, use heel of your hand to reinforce seal (do not seal ends of loaf).
8. Cup your hand over center of dough and roll dough back and forth gently to tighten (it should form dog-bone shape).
9. Starting at center of dough and working toward ends, gently and evenly roll and stretch dough until it measures 15 inches long by 1¼ inches wide. Moving your hands in opposite directions, use back and forth motion to roll ends of loaf under your palms to form sharp points.
10. Transfer loaf seam side up to prepared couche. On either side of loaf, pinch edges of couche into pleat, then cover loosely with large plastic garbage bag.
11. Repeat steps 5 through 9 with remaining piece of dough and place on opposite side of pleat. Fold edges of couche over loaves to cover completely, then carefully place sheet inside garbage bag. Tie, or fold under, open end of bag to fully enclose. Let loaves rise until nearly doubled in size and dough springs back minimally when poked gently with your knuckle, 30 minutes to 1 hour (remove from bag to test with knuckle).
12. One hour before baking, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, place baking stone on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Line pizza peel with 16 by 12-inch piece of parchment paper, with long edge of paper perpendicular to handle. Unfold couche, pulling from ends to remove pleats. Gently pushing with side of flipping board, roll 1 loaf over, away from other loaf, so it is seam side down.
13. Using your hand, hold long edge of flipping board between loaf and couche at 45-degree angle, then lift couche with your other hand and flip loaf seam side up onto board.
14. Invert loaf seam side down onto prepared pizza peel, about 2 inches from long edge of parchment, then use flipping board to straighten loaf. Repeat with remaining loaf, leaving at least 3 inches between loaves.
15. Using kitchen shears, cut into loaf at 45-degree angle, about 3 inches from end of loaf, nearly but not all the way through loaf.
16. Arrange cut section at 30-degree angle in either direction. Repeat every 3 inches, pulling sections out toward alternating sides to create wheat stalk shape. Repeat with second loaf.
17. Slide parchment with loaves onto baking stone. Cover loaves with stacked inverted disposable pans and bake for 5 minutes. Carefully remove pans and continue to bake until loaves are deep golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating loaves halfway through baking. Transfer loaves to wire rack, discard parchment, and let cool for 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.