Read Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 Online
Authors: Julia Child
Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 (36 page)
6)
Molding and final rising—la mise en forme; l’apprêt—40 to 60 minutes at 75 to 80 degrees
White vegetable shortening
An 8-cup rectangular breadpan with vertical or only slightly outward-slanting sides (for example, 9½ by 5½ inches, 2¾ inches deep), or a round pan, or two 4-cup pans
Remember to preheat oven to 435 degrees in time for next step. Grease inside of bread pan (if pan is new, grease heavily then roll flour around inside and knock out excess). With a rubber spatula or the slightly cupped fingers of one hand, loosen dough from bowl and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. If you are making 2 loaves, cut dough cleanly in half with one chop of a long knife. Lift one end of dough and flip it over on to its opposite end. To relax the gluten and make dough easier to form, let rest 7 to 8 minutes covered with plastic.
Following are illustrated directions for forming rectangular loaves. For cylindrical and circular forms, use
the French bread system
.
| With the lightly floured palms of your hands, pat and push the dough out into a roughly shaped rectangle slightly longer than your bread pan |
Fold the dough in half lengthwise |
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| Seal edges of dough together with your thumbs as illustrated |
Flatten the dough again into a rectangle |
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| Press a trench along the central length of the dough with the side of your hand |
Fold again in two lengthwise and seal the edges together with the heel of your hand |
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