The great “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes” project continues…

A few days ago I did a post on my experience with the cookbook Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. In case you missed it, the first part of this bread-bakin’-project can be found here:  Artisan Bread Project.

Today’s changes:

• Last Post = Loaf 1:  baked directly on stone with cornmeal dusting, used steam bath
• Loaf 2: baked on parchment paper, used steam bath
• Loaf 3: baked on parchment paper, no steam bath

In my last post (and my first artisan bread baking session), I baked one petite loaf – a size that I did not intend to create but loved just the same.   So the two artisan loaves that I baked today were of the same size to keep it all scientific and all.

When I pulled the bowl out of the fridge, the dough was nearly identical to the last “opening” in appearance.  Other than being just a bit drier, it looked quite similar to last time.

I stuck my hand in and was surprised to see how easily I was able to pull off a chunk of dough.  The dough did not seem quite as elastic.  It was still pretty sticky.  I tried to pull out enough to make another petite loaf and was successful.

I did the whole “gluten cloak” thing by pulling the top of the dough down and under as before.  I placed this loaf on a piece of parchment paper rather than on the cookie sheet dusted with cornmeal.  The book actually calls for a pizza peel, which I don’t have, and says you can substitute a rimless cookie sheet dusted with cornmeal.  I did not like the cornmeal dusting (it burns) and read somewhere that you can use parchment instead.

I should note that I mindlessly skipped the “cut a cross in the top” step on the second loaf.  And since I was trying to change as few variables as possible, I chose to not cut a cross in the third loaf either (which yielded a strange little surprise… read on!).

I did preheat the oven (with the pans in it), poured 2 cups of hot water into the cookie sheet for the steam bath and put the loaf and parchment paper onto the baking stone.  It baked for the same amount of time as last time and was perfectly done when the time was up.

The third loaf was a repeat of the second (and done later in that same day).  The only thing I changed was that I skipped the whole water/steam bath thing.  This loaf went in on the parchment paper too but I did not use the pan of water.  Honestly, I found the water bath annoying on the very first loaf and wanted to see if it really made any difference.

And here are my findings:

• The steam bath did not make much difference.  The second loaf (w/water) did rise just a bit higher than the third loaf (no water).  In my opinion, the water bath made no distinguishable difference and is not worth my trouble.
• The parchment paper is the way to go.  If you already own a pizza peel, give it a shot.  I found that the cornmeal dusting burnt to the bottom of the loaf.  The parchment got pretty toasty on the third/”no water bath”  loaf but it turned out just fine.
• Cutting the cross in the top will help your loaf look like a loaf of bread.  Whaaaat?

Take a look at this odd shaped loaf (loaf #3 if you’re following along).  The teenager thinks it looks like a dinosaur.  Doesn’t it look like a bird in a nest?  Or an animal looking over a wall?  Or…..