Let go of appearances. Be concerned with more than just looks to achieve a bread that doesn’t leave the heart bitter and the stomach empty. A respectable loaf of bread is not necessarily visually perfect. Bread should look, first and foremost, like it came from somewhere. The grain from a particular farm, the water from a certain well. Be proud of your work and understand that bread is as much a practice as it is a noun.
TOOLS YOU’LL NEED
5-quart Dutch oven
Double-sided razor and a wooden coffee stirer
Parchment (not waxed)
Potholders
Timer
Wire rack
Remove the racks in your oven so that you have a single rack in the middle. On this rack place your covered Dutch oven. Turn the oven on to 500 degrees. Preheating the Dutch oven mimics the hot masonry found in a wood-fired oven, ensuring a nice oven spring.
When the oven has fully heated, remove one of the loaves from refrigeration to bake. The others can remain chilled until it’s their turn. Next you will turn out the loaves and score, or slash, them using a tool called a lame (pronounced LAHM)—French for “blade”—which is a long stick that holds a sharp razor. Make your own by sliding the double-sided razor onto the end of the coffee stirrer.
Before you proceed, consider the angle, depth, and pattern of your score. This will influence the final appearance and taste of your bread. As the flap of dough created by your slash pulls back and away from the bread in the heat of the oven, it begins to bake prior to the rest of the loaf. This creates a range of color, which translates to a range of flavor. The direction of your score will have an effect on how it opens. One long slash down the middle encourages the loaf to spread, while several short cuts will help maintain the original form.
You may wish to adjust the depth of your score based on the proofing. If underproofed, score heavy. If overproofed, score lightly. On a perfectly proofed loaf of bread, the score should stay within the “skin” of the loaf, going less than ½ inch into the body of the bread. Imagine a center line running down the middle of the loaf. Orient all slashes toward this line, going for long sweeping strokes with even depth. Hold your blade at a 45-degree angle, never straight up and down.
Flip the bread out onto a piece of parchment paper, aiming for the middle. Quickly pull away the cloth and basket, and set them aside. Score the loaf.
Carefully remove the Dutch oven. It will be heavy and hot, so use caution. Remove the lid.
Pick up the parchment holding the bread and lower it into the waiting pot. Push the parchment away from the loaf, toward the walls of the pot. Place the lid securely back on and return the pot to the oven for 20 minutes. Leaving the lid on for the first 20 minutes of baking traps the moisture released from the bread against itself, promoting a graceful unfolding of scores.
Twenty minutes into baking, reduce the oven temperature to 450 degrees and remove the lid from the Dutch oven. Hot steam will pour out, so exercise caution. Finish baking for another 15 to 20 minutes.
When done, your loaf will have a glossy, mahogany hue and, if tapped on the bottom, will sound hollow. Rest it on a wire rack, allowing air to circulate around the entire crust. Cool it for 2 to 3 hours before slicing if you wish to taste the true flavor. Listen for the sounds of cracking: the cooling interior pulls against the crust, making hairline fractures into a chorus.
To properly store a loaf, place the cut side down on your cutting board or keep it wrapped in a cloth like linen or heavy canvas inside a paper bag. Your bread will keep 4 to 5 days. To freeze it, slice the entire loaf once it’s cool, seal it inside a gallon freezer bag, and take it out one slice at a time, toasting to refresh.