Pain De Campagne

Why this recipe works Pain de campagne is a round country bread that’s a mealtime staple in French homes, and it can be found in nearly every boulangerie. We wanted to develop a recipe for a rustic boule as good as any on a French table—one with a hearty crust, an irregular crumb, a wholesome chew, and a deep, slightly tangy flavor. Traditionally, this country bread is made with part whole-wheat flour and part bread flour; using just a small amount of whole-wheat flour (20 percent of the total weight of flour) gave us decent wheaty flavor and didn’t make the loaf overly dense. Still, we were hoping for a loaf with a deeper taste. We make most of the sponges in this book with 20 percent of the weight of flour, but we wondered if adding more sponge could boost flavor. Indeed, mixing 50 percent of the dough’s total flour into the sponge gave us sweet notes and a bit more tang. But we found that we couldn’t surpass 50 percent; when we used more sponge to start our bread, the loaf lacked structure. (The acid that is created in a fermented sponge is beneficial for developing a strong gluten network only up to a point. In the presence of too much acid, the gluten structure breaks down. You can substitute a round banneton, or proofing basket, for the towel lined colander.

MAKES: 1 loaf

RESTING TIME: 6 hours 20 minutes

RISING TIME: 3 to 4 hours

BAKING TIME: 45 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 11 to 12 hours, plus 3 hours cooling time

KEY EQUIPMENT: water-filled spray bottle, large linen towel, 5-quart colander, baking stone, 2 (9-inch) disposable aluminum pie plates, 2 quarts lava rocks, pizza peel, lame, instant-read thermometer

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE SPONGE

• 1⅔ cups (9⅛ ounces) bread flour
• 1 cup (8 ounces) water, room temperature
• ⅛ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast

FOR THE DOUGH

• 1 cup (5½ ounces) bread flour
• ⅔ cup (3⅔ ounces) whole-wheat flour
• 1½ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
• ¾ cup (6 ounces) water, room temperature
• 2½ teaspoons salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Stir all the ingredients in an 8-cup liquid measuring cup with a wooden spoon until well combined. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature until the sponge has risen and begins to collapse, which takes about 6 hours (the sponge can sit at room temperature for up to 24 hours).
2. Whisk bread flour, whole-wheat flour, and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir water into the sponge with a wooden spoon until well combined.
3. Using the dough hook on low speed, slowly add the sponge mixture to the flour mixture and mix until a cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains, which takes about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
4. Add salt to the dough and knead on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic and clears the sides of the bowl but sticks to the bottom, which takes about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased large bowl or container, cover it tightly with plastic, and let it rise for 30 minutes.
5. Using a greased bowl scraper or your fingertips, fold the dough over itself by gently lifting and folding the edge of the dough toward the middle. Turn the bowl 45 degrees and fold the dough again; repeat turning the bowl and folding the dough 6 more times (for a total of 8 folds). Cover it tightly with plastic and let it rise for 30 minutes. Repeat the folding and rising process. Fold the dough again, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic and let the dough rise until it nearly doubles in size, which takes 1 to 1½ hours.
6. Mist the underside of a large linen or cotton tea towel with water. Line a 5-quart colander with the towel and dust it evenly with flour. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter (the side of the dough that was against the bowl should now be against the counter). Press and stretch the dough into a 10-inch round, deflating any gas pockets larger than 1 inch.
7. Working around the circumference of the dough, fold the edges toward the center until a ball forms. Flip the dough ball seam side down and, using your cupped hands, drag in small circles on the counter until the dough feels taut and round and all the seams are secured on the underside of the loaf.
8. Place the loaf seam side up in the prepared colander and pinch any remaining seams closed. Loosely fold the edges of the towel over the loaf to enclose it, then place the colander in a large plastic garbage bag. Tie or fold under the open end of the bag to fully enclose it. Let it rise until the loaf increases in size by about half and the dough springs back minimally when poked gently with your knuckle, which takes 30 minutes to 1 hour (remove the loaf from the bag to test).
9. One hour before baking, adjust the oven racks to the lower-middle and lowest positions. Place a baking stone on the upper rack and place 2 disposable aluminum pie plates filled with 1 quart of lava rocks each on the lower rack. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil.
10. Remove the colander from the garbage bag, unfold the edges of the towel, and dust the top of the loaf with flour. If any seams have reopened, pinch them closed before dusting with flour. Lay a 16 by 12-inch sheet of parchment paper on top of the loaf. Using one hand to support the parchment and loaf, invert the loaf onto the parchment and place it on the counter. Gently remove the colander and towel. Transfer the parchment with the loaf to a pizza peel.
11. Carefully pour ½ cup of boiling water into one disposable pie plate of preheated rocks and close the oven door for 1 minute to create steam. Meanwhile, hold a lame (a tool used for scoring bread) concave side up at a 30-degree angle to the loaf and make two 7-inch-long, ½-inch-deep slashes with a swift, fluid motion along the top of the loaf to form a cross.
12. Working quickly, slide the parchment with the loaf onto the baking stone and pour the remaining ½ cup of boiling water into the second disposable pie plate of preheated rocks. Bake until the crust is dark brown and the loaf registers 205 to 210 degrees Fahrenheit, which takes 45 to 50 minutes, rotating the loaf halfway through baking. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack, discard the parchment, and let it cool completely, about 3 hours, before serving.