Dr. Strangeloaf

AH, FRESH BAKED BREAD -- CRUSTY ON THE OUTSIDE, FRAGRANT, YIELDING, YET CHEWY ON THE INSIDE. TANGY, BUTTERY, EARTHY. YOU KNOW, I DON'T CARE WHAT THOSE ARMIES OF CARBOPHOBES CHANT. BREAD IS THE ULTIMATE COMFORT FOOD, PERHAPS THE ULTIMATE FOOD PERIOD. ADMIT IT, RIGHT NOW YOU'RE DROOLING LIKE ONE OF PAVLOV'S POOCHES, AREN'T YOU? AND WHY NOT, CONSUMING A HANDCRAFTED BREAD IS ONE OF LIFE'S GREAT PRIMAL PLEASURES. IF YOU ASK ME, SO IS THE ACT OF BAKING IT. NOW BREAD MAY BE PRETTY SIMPLE STUFF, BUT AS IS USUALLY THE CASE WITH SIMPLE THINGS, EVERY LITTLE DETAIL COUNTS. OF COURSE, IF YOU HAPPEN TO FIND YOURSELF ARMED WITH A FEW DECENT TOOLS, SOME TRIED-AND-TRUE TECHNIQUES, AND A HANDFUL OF CAREFULLY CHOSEN GROCERIES, YOU COULD SOON BE FILLING YOUR HOME WITH THE INTOXICATING AROMA OF FRESHLY BAKED BREAD AND YOUR TUMMY WITH SERIOUSLY... ♪♪ ♪ GOOD EATS ♪ ♪♪ UM, SAY, HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT CRAFT BAKERS PUT INSIDE THEIR MOUTHWATERING WARES? LET'S HAVE A LOOK, SHALL WE? ON AVERAGE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 50 PERCENT FLOUR, 30 PERCENT WATER, MAYBE TWO PERCENT SALT AND YEAST COMBINED, AND SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 15 PERCENT AIR. OTHER INGREDIENTS -- FAT, MILK, SUGAR, NUTS, AND BERRIES AND THE LIKE -- CAN COME AND GO AT THE BAKER'S WHIM, BUT IF ONE OF THESE GOES MISSING, THERE WILL BE NO BREAD. NOW LET'S SHOP, SHALL WE? ALTHOUGH I KEEP ALL-PURPOSE WHOLE WHEAT AND PASTRY FLOUR PERPETUALLY ON HAND, TODAY WE WILL CONCERN OURSELVES EXCLUSIVELY WITH BREAD FLOUR. WHAT SIGNIFIES A FLOUR AS BREAD FLOUR? A VERY HIGH PROTEIN CONTENT, PROTEIN CONTENT THAT REQUIRES THE MILLING OF HARD, OR STRONG, WHEAT. TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS MEANS, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT A WHEAT KERNEL. NOT VERY VISUAL, IS IT? NOW I REALIZE THAT THIS ISN'T ACTUALLY A WHEAT KERNEL, BUT BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE BASIC ARCHITECTURE AND PROPORTIONS ARE THE SAME AS A WHEAT KERNEL. THE OUTER SKIN IS THE BRAN COAT. WE'LL SAY THAT THE FUEL TANKS ARE THE ENDOSPERM, AND THE SHUTTLE ITSELF, WELL, THAT'S THE GERM OF THE KERNEL. THAT ACTUALLY HOLDS THE DNA AND MOST OF THE FAT. GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY, THIS IS THE THING THAT SPROUTS FORTH... SORT OF, KIND OF LIKE THIS. SORT OF. ANYWAY, WHOLE WHEAT FLOURS CONTAIN A GOOD BIT OF THE BRAN AND ALMOST ALL OF THE GERM. SINCE THE GERM CONTAINS FAT, THAT MEANS THAT WHOLE WHEAT FLOURS CAN GO RANCID UNLESS THEY ARE KEPT REFRIGERATED. ALL-PURPOSE FLOURS AND REGULAR BREAD FLOURS DON'T CONTAIN MUCH OF THE GERM. THEY'RE MOSTLY ALL ABOUT THE ENDOSPERM, WHICH IS LOADED WITH FUEL IN THE FORM OF STARCH. BUT THOSE FLOURS ALSO HAVE A GOOD BIT OF PROTEIN, ESPECIALLY BREAD FLOURS, A LOT OF PROTEIN. THAT PROTEIN COMES IN THE FORM OF TWO DIFFERENT STRUCTURES. ONE'S CALLED GLIADIN, THE OTHER GLUTENIN, AND WHEN MIXED TOGETHER IN THE PROPER WAY, THEY FORM SOMETHING CALLED GLUTEN, WHICH IS A STRETCHY KIND OF SUBSTANCE THAT MAKES YEAST BREADS POSSIBLE. SO IT MAKES SENSE THAT THE HARDER, OR HIGHER PROTEIN, A WHEAT KERNEL IS THEN THE HIGHER PROTEIN THE FLOUR IS GOING TO BE. AND THE EASIER AND BETTER THE BREAD-MAKING IS GOING TO BE. SEE YA LATER, BIG GUY. SINCE IT MAKES UP ABOUT HALF OF THE AVERAGE DOUGH'S WEIGHT, WATER DESERVES CAREFUL CONSIDERATION HERE. NOW MUNICIPAL HYDRO IS LACED WITH CHLORINE, WHICH KILLS MICROSCOPIC ORGANISMS, RIGHT? THAT'S A GOOD THING MOST OF THE TIME, BUT WE'RE GONNA BE BAKING WITH MICROSCOPIC ORGANISMS, YEAST, AND WE'D LIKE TO KEEP THEM ALIVE UNTIL WE'RE READY FOR THEM NOT TO BE ALIVE. BESIDES CHLORINE, OF COURSE, MINERAL CONTENT, OR WATER HARDNESS, IS A FACTOR IN BREAD BAKING. GENERALLY SPEAKING, HARDER WATERS ARE BETTER FOR BREAD THAN DISTILLED WATER OR WATER THAT HAS BEEN TREATED WITH RESIDENTIAL SOFTENING EQUIPMENT, WHICH OFTEN EMPLOY A LOT OF SODIUM. MY ADVICE, LET YOUR BREAD-BOUND AQUA PERCOLATE THROUGH A CHARCOAL-BASED FILTRATION SYSTEM. I'M PARTIAL TO THE PITCHER STYLE MYSELF. OR YOU CAN USE PLAIN OLD MINERAL WATER. JUST STEER CLEAR OF THE DISTILLED STUFF. ♪♪ REAL BREAD IS ALWAYS LEAVENED BY GASES CREATED BY UNICELLULAR FUNGI CALLED YEAST. YEAST CONVERTS SUGAR INTO CARBON DIOXIDE, ALCOHOL, ACID, AND A FEW DOZEN OTHER COMPOUNDS. IN FACT, THAT'S ALL YEAST DO BESIDES MAKE LITTLE YEAST... ASEXUALLY. SORRY. THESE YEASTLY ACTIVITIES ARE REFERRED TO AS FERMENTATION AND WERE DISCOVERED BY ONE OF THE TOP TEN MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE OF ALL TIME... LOUIS PASTEUR! HE WAS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR PASTEURIZATION. BUT DON'T WORRY, THAT'S ANOTHER SHOW. BACK BEFORE BAKERS' YEAST BECAME AVAILABLE IN THE 20th CENTURY, BAKERS HAD TO EITHER BUY YEAST FROM BREWERS OR CAPTURE AND CULTIVATE WILD YEAST IN SOURDOUGH STARTERS, LIKE THIS! WELL, MAYBE NOT EXACTLY LIKE THIS! MIX TOGETHER SOME WATER AND FLOUR IN A NICE BIG CLEAN JAR OR BOWL AND JUST LEAVE IT LAYING AROUND, PREFERABLY ON A PORCH OR BY AN OPEN WINDOW. YOU'LL SEE, IN NO TIME, SOME WILD YEAST WILL COME ON BY. HERE COME SOME WILD YEAST NOW. (yeast) MMM, THAT LOOKS GOOD. (Alton) HEY, GUYS, JUMP IN, THE SLURRY'S WARM. KEEP STIRRING AND FEEDING YOUR STARTER, AND IN A FEW DAYS YOU'LL HAVE YOURSELF A NICE COLONY OF HEALTHY YEAST READY AND WILLING TO GIVE ANY BREAD A LIFT. WHAT MAKES SOURDOUGH STARTERS REALLY SPECIAL IS THAT WILD YEAST USUALLY TRAVEL IN THE COMPANY OF BACTERIA... (yeast) JUMP IN, THE WATER'S GOOD. LACTOBACILLUS, TO BE EXACT. DIFFERENT STRAINS OF YEAST AND BACTERIA LIVE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, AND THEY EACH HAVE THEIR OWN DISTINCT FLAVOR. SO SAN FRANCISCO SOURDOUGH ISN'T FAMOUS SIMPLY BECAUSE IT'S GOT A GOOD MARKETING PLAN. IT'S BECAUSE LACTOBACILLUS SAN FRANCISCO LIVES ONLY IN THE BAY AREA AND HAS A VERY DISTINCT FLAVOR. OTHER REGIONS, FROM ITALY TO TASMANIA, HAVE THEIR OWN PARTICULAR MICROFAUNA AND, THEREFORE, THEIR OWN SOURDOUGH FLAVORS. NOW SINCE WILD YEAST CAN LIVE IN VERY ACIDIC ENVIRONMENTS AND SINCE THE BACTERIA LIVING THERE KEEPS OTHER UNWELCOME BACTERIA... I GUESS HE DIDN'T LIKE THE TASTE. SEE, THEY KEEP OTHER ONES OUT, SEE HOW THAT WORKS? CAREFULLY MANAGED STARTERS CAN LAST INDEFINITELY, BUT KEEPING UP WITH ONE IS A GOOD BIT OF WORK, KINDA LIKE HAVING A PET THAT YOU RAISE AND FEED AND TAKE CARE OF... AND THEN BAKE AND EAT. EXCUSE ME. FINALLY, I'LL BE AS PERKY AS RACHAEL... BAKERS' YEAST COMES IN SEVERAL FORMS. FRESH, OR CAKE, YEAST IS WIDE-AWAKE, READY TO GO, AND PACKED AWAY IN THIS NICE BIG MOIST FOOD BLOCK. IT'S A FAVORITE AMONG PROFESSIONALS, BUT SINCE IT'S HARD TO FIND AND DIES VERY QUICKLY EVEN IN THE REFRIGERATOR, IT'S NOT SO POPULAR WITH ME. THEN THERE'S GOOD OLD DRY ACTIVE YEAST, WHICH ISN'T REALLY ACTIVE AT ALL. IN FACT, IT'S MOSTLY DEAD. LET'S JUST TAKE A LOOK HERE IN THE MICROSCOPE, AND YOU'LL SEE THESE TINY EXTRUDED RODS. THEY'RE COMPOSED OF TIGHTLY MASSED CLUSTERS OF DEAD YEAST CELLS, EACH OF WHICH ENTOMB AN EVEN SMALLER CLUSTER OF DORMANT BUT LIVING CELLS. OKAY, NOW SINCE THE DEAD CELLS HAVE TO BE WASHED AWAY IN ORDER FOR THIS YEAST TO DO ITS BUSINESS, YOU'VE GOT TO SOAK THIS, OR PROOF IT, IN WARM WATER BEFORE ADDING IT TO THE REST OF THE BREAD RECIPE. THAT CAN BE KIND OF A PAIN. AND SINCE THE LIVING POPULATION HERE IS SO SMALL, IT TAKES A REALLY, REALLY LONG TIME TO BRING UP A LOAF OF BREAD BECAUSE THEY'VE GOTTA REPLICATE. IT TAKES A REALLY LONG TIME IN THE RISE. TO GET AROUND THIS, WE CAN USE INSTANT OR RAPID-RISE YEAST, WHICH LOOKS ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME. I GUESS IT DOES LOOK EXACTLY THE SAME. BUT IT'S DRIED IN A KINDER, GENTLER WAY, SO THERE ARE MORE CELLS ACTUALLY ALIVE. THIS YEAST CAN BE ADDED DIRECTLY TO DRY INGREDIENTS WITHOUT PROOFING, AND THAT IS A VERY GOOD THING INDEED. THE PROBLEM HERE IS THAT THESE YEAST WORK SO QUICKLY THAT THEY CAN RISE A LOAF BEFORE THE DOUGH HAS TIME TO REALLY DEVELOP ANY KIND OF FLAVOR OR TEXTURE, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY. HERE WE HAVE THE INGREDIENTS THAT MIGHT GO INTO AN ORDINARY, EVERYDAY LOAF OF BREAD. WE HAVE TEN OUNCES OF FILTERED WATER, ONE POUND OF BREAD FLOUR, ONE TEASPOON OF INSTANT YEAST, AND TWO TEASPOONS EACH KOSHER SALT AND HONEY. IF YOU'VE DONE ANY BAKING AT HOME, YOUR INSTINCT WOULD PROBABLY BE TO PUT THESE ALL TOGETHER INTO A BIG BOWL, MIX THEM, THEN KNEAD THEM, LET THAT RISE, PUNCH IT DOWN, LET IT RISE AGAIN, AND THEN BAKE IT. THIS IS CALLED THE STRAIGHT DOUGH METHOD. WHERE DID YOU GET THIS IDEA? BOOKS. THE PROBLEM IS, SOMETIMES BOOKS GET IN THE WAY. ♪♪ WHAT I THINK IS A BETTER WAY OF GOING, A WAY THAT WE CAN GET MORE EXTRAORDINARY TEXTURE AND FLAVOR, IS TO SPLIT OUR INGREDIENTS INTO TWO SEPARATE PROCEDURES. PROCEDURE ONE IS CALLED A PRE-FERMENT, OR A SPONGE, AND IT WILL INVOLVE ALL OF THE WATER, ALL TEN OUNCES, FIVE OUNCES OF THE BREAD FLOUR, THIS 1/4 TEASPOON OF THE YEAST, AND ALL OF THE HONEY. THEN LATER ON WE'LL COME IN WITH ANOTHER INSTALLMENT THAT WILL BE THE REST OF THE FLOUR, THE REST OF THE YEAST, AND ALL OF THE SALT. GOT IT? NOW WE COMBINE THE WATER, THE FLOUR, THE FIRST DOSE OF THE YEAST, AND ALL OF THE HONEY. WHISK TO COMBINE. NOW HERE'S WHERE WE DEVIATE EVEN FURTHER FROM THE STRAIGHT DOUGH METHODOLOGY. WE STASH THIS IN THE CHILL CHEST FOR 8 TO 12 HOURS. I USUALLY DO THIS OVERNIGHT. SINCE YEAST SLOW WAY DOWN WHEN THE GOING GETS COLD, THIS WILL RETARD THE FERMENTATION. THIS IS GOOD FOR FLAVOR AND TEXTURE BECAUSE SOME OF THE CARBON DIOXIDE PRODUCED BY THE YEAST WILL BE REABSORBED BY THE BATTER, WHICH WILL MAKE IT SOFTER AND EASIER TO WORK WITH LATER ON. AND THIS WAY THE YEAST DON'T BURN THEMSELVES OUT BEFORE WE'RE READY TO BURN THEM OUT, SO TO SPEAK. OH, AND DURING THIS TIME THE FLOUR GRANULES ARE GOING TO HYDRATE, AND THAT IS GOING TO START BUILDING THE GLUTEN NETWORK THAT IS GOING TO MAKE KNEADING A VERY, VERY PLEASURABLE EXPERIENCE. NOW THE REST OF THE FLOUR GOES INTO OUR MIXING BOWL ALONG WITH THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAST. OUR PRE-FERMENT WILL BE ADDED. I LIKE TO PUT THIS IN LAST BECAUSE IT'LL KINDA HELP TO HOLD THE FLOUR DOWN. BREAD HOOK ON STIR. OH, I ALMOST FORGOT THE SALT. FOR SOME REASON IT'S VERY, VERY EASY WHEN BAKING TO FORGET THE SALT BECAUSE PEOPLE USUALLY ADD IT AT THE VERY END. I'LL ADD THAT NOW. NOW SOME OF YOU SALTPHOBES MAY BE THINKING, "JUST LEAVE THE SALT OUT, "IT WON'T MATTER, THE BREAD WILL BE MORE HEALTHY WITHOUT IT." WELL, DON'T YOU DO IT. FOR ONE THING, BREAD WITHOUT SALT HAS THIS TERRIBLE, DEAD, FLAT, SYNTHETIC FLAVOR, WHICH IS REALLY HORRIBLE. AND THERE'S ANOTHER REASON FOR ADDING SALT TO DOUGH. IT LIMITS, OR SLOWS AND REGULATES, THE FERMENTATION PROCESS, AND THAT'LL KEEP THE DOUGH FROM TAKING OVER YOUR REFRIGERATOR. BELIEVE ME, WITHOUT SALT THIS MUCH DOUGH WOULD GO INTO THE FRIDGE, YOU'D OPEN IT, AND THERE WOULD BE SON OF BLOB! THERE WE GO, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO SEE, A NICE HOMOGENOUS MASS. YOU CAN SEE IT TOOK ALL THE FLOUR OFF THE BOTTOM OF THE BOWL, IT'S VERY, VERY STICKY AND VERY, VERY MOIST, AND THERE'S NOTHING DRY IN THE BOWL. NOW WE MOVE TO THE NEXT PORTION OF THE PROGRAM, WHICH IS TO SIMPLY COVER THIS WITH A KITCHEN TOWEL FOR 20 MINUTES. LET'S SEE WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE LAST 20 MINUTES. AH, THERE YOU GO. THE DOUGH IS KINDA SWELLED UP, IT'S EVEN STICKIER THAN IT WAS. LOOK, WHEN YOU KIND OF TEAR IT, YOU CAN SEE THOSE GLUTEN STRANDS ARE ALREADY STARTING TO FORM. SEE, JUST LIKE THAT. IT'S DEFINITELY TIME TO KNEAD. I USUALLY DO THIS IN MY MACHINE AT MEDIUM SPEED... MAKE SURE YOU PUT ON THE LOCK... MEDIUM SPEED FOR FIVE TO TEN MINUTES. HERE'S WHAT'S KEY -- IF YOU SEE THE DOUGH START TO CRAWL UP AND KINDA EAT THE HOOK, YOU'RE GONNA BOOST THE SPEED FOR A MOMENT TO FLING THE DOUGH BACK OUT ONTO THE SIDE OF THE BOWL, WHERE IT CAN GET BACK TO KNEADING. CENTRIFUGAL FORCE -- IT'S A CRUEL MISTRESS. WHY DO WE NEED TO KNEAD? BECAUSE THE SECOND THE WATER AND FLOUR WERE STIRRED TOGETHER, TWO WEAK PROTEINS, GLIADIN AND GLUTENIN, BEGAN WEAVING A KIND OF 3-D MOLECULAR WEB CALLED GLUTEN. ALTHOUGH WEAK AT BIRTH, WITH PROPER FOLDING AND STRETCHING, THIS MESH WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME STRONG ENOUGH TO CAPTURE THE BUBBLES BLOOMED BY THE YEAST, THUS IT IS KNEADING THAT MAKES RISEN BREADS POSSIBLE. LET'S TAKE A LOOK. JUST GRAB YOUR DOUGH AND PULL OFF A LITTLE BITTY BALL LIKE THAT. FLATTEN IT INTO A DISK. WHEN YOU GET IT FLATTENED OUT, START WIGGLING IT TO STRETCH IT. THE GOAL HERE IS TO SEE HOW THIN OF A MEMBRANE WE CAN MAKE IN THE MIDDLE. THE THINNER THE MEMBRANE WITHOUT BREAKING, THE BETTER THE GLUTEN STRUCTURE WE HAVE. NOW LET'S HAVE A LOOK AT THAT. THE WAY YOU CAN KNOW IS HOLD IT UP TO THE WINDOW OR THE LIGHT, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT MEMBRANE. THAT LOOKS EXCELLENT. GOOD, GOOD GLUTEN STRUCTURE. NOW IF WE WANT OUR DOUGH TO RISE TO THE OCCASION, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GIVE IT A LITTLE BIT OF HELP. THE FIRST THING I DO IS PUT IT INSIDE A CONTAINER THAT HAS BEEN LIGHTLY, VERY LIGHTLY, GREASED, THAT'LL HELP. I LIKE USING TALL, NARROW CONTAINER LIKE THIS BECAUSE IT MAKES IT EASIER TO TELL WHEN THE DOUGH HAS DOUBLED IN VOLUME. THAT'S HOW MUCH OF AN INCREASE WE'RE LOOKING FOR. TO MAKE SURE THAT I CAN TELL, I USE MY SPECIAL CUSTOM VOLUME INDICATOR. THAT'S RIGHT, A RUBBER BAND. YOU COULD USE A PIECE OF TAPE IF YOU WANT, BUT I FIND THIS MORE CONVENIENT. I LIKE TO DO MY RISE IN THE OVEN BECAUSE I KNOW I CAN KEEP IT WARM IN HERE, BUT NOT THE WAY THAT YOU THINK. I'M GONNA ADD WATER, HOT WATER, TO THIS PAN, JUST A LITTLE. ONCE I CLOSE THE DOOR, NOT ONLY WILL IT KEEP THIS VESSEL NICE AND WARM, IT WILL PROVIDE HUMIDITY, AND THAT IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WITHOUT HUMIDITY THIS COULD GET A DRY, NASTY SKIN ON TOP OF IT. THAT WOULD PREVENT A FULL RISE, WHICH, BY THE WAY, WILL TAKE ONE TO MAYBE TWO HOURS, DEPENDING ON BAROMETRIC PRESSURE AND OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE AND THE pH OF THE DOUGH AND YADDA-YADDA-YADDA. AH, AS YOU CAN SEE BY OUR PATENTED VOLUME INDICATOR, WE HAVE MADE PROPER PROGRESS. IT IS NOW TIME TO PUNCH DOWN THE DOUGH. ACTUALLY, I HATE THAT EXPRESSION BECAUSE VIOLENCE NEVER SOLVES ANYTHING. WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO DO HERE IS FOLD. MOST BEGINNING BAKERS THINK THAT THIS PROCESS IS ABOUT KNOCKING BUBBLES OUT OF THE RISEN DOUGH, BUT IT ISN'T. IT'S ABOUT REDISTRIBUTING BUBBLES AND REDISTRIBUTING NEW YEAST CELLS. SO JUST PRETEND THAT YOU'RE MAKING A TRI-FOLD WALLET, OKAY? JUST BARELY DUST YOUR HANDS WITH FLOUR AND KINDA PRESS THE DOUGH OUT WITH YOUR KNUCKLES. FOLD THIS SIDE OVER AND THIS SIDE OVER. THEN REPEAT, JUST KNOCK IT OUT. FOLD OVER THIS SIDE. THERE WE GO, AND OVER HERE AGAIN. THERE, I'VE GOT A NICE LITTLE PACKAGE. JUST COVER THIS WITH A CLOTH AND LET IT REST FOR TEN MINUTES. NOW IT'S TIME TO SHAPE. OUR DOUGH IS ALREADY STARTING TO FATTEN UP AND RISE AGAIN. I'M GONNA FLATTEN IT OUT. YOU'RE GONNA HEAR SOME POPPING AS BUBBLES GIVE UP THEIR GAS. KINDA FOLD IT IN ON ITSELF LIKE THIS, KINDA LIKE YOU'RE MAKING A BIG JELLYFISH. NOW TURN IT OVER AND TIGHTEN THAT UP SO THAT YOU GET THIS NICE, SMOOTH SKIN ON THE OUTSIDE. THERE, NOW JUST LAY THIS DOWN FLAT. TAKE YOUR HANDS AND SET THEM ON EITHER SIDE OF THE BALL. DON'T GRAB IT, BUT JUST START ROTATING IT LIKE THIS. THAT IS GONNA TIGHTEN UP THE SKIN ON THE DOUGH BALL. THERE, TIGHT AS A DRUM. NOW THIS WE WILL MOVE TO OUR PIZZA PEEL. IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PIZZA PEEL, YOU COULD USE A COOKIE SHEET, AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T HAVE A LIP ON IT. THERE WE GO, A LITTLE CORNMEAL SO IT'LL SLIP AND SLIDE LATER. PUT OUR DOUGH BALL RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE AND COVER THIS AGAIN. THIS TIME WE'RE GONNA LET THIS SIT, ACTUALLY WE'RE GONNA LET IT RISE, FOR ONE HOUR. WHEN YOU LET A FORMED PIECE LIKE THIS RISE, IT'S CALLED BENCH PROOFING, ALTHOUGH I'M NOT SURE WHAT IT'S GONNA PROVE EXACTLY. I DO KNOW THAT IF WE PUT THIS PIECE IN THE OVEN RIGHT NOW IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY DENSE AND CHEWY. THIS IS GONNA GIVE US A LIGHT AND FLUFFY TEXTURE. I'LL BE BACK. BAKING ON A HOT, DENSE MASS WILL ENSURE A GOOD RISE AND A CRISP CRUST. I'VE NEVER LIKED THE IDEA OF SPENDING $40 TO $50 ON A PIZZA STONE THAT I'M GONNA END UP BREAKING. SO I USED TO LINE MY OVEN WITH CLAY TILES, BUT THEY'RE HARD TO MANAGE. SO I SWITCHED TO SOMETHING THAT'S A LOT EASIER TO DEAL WITH, THE DISH FROM A LARGE, UNGLAZED TERRA-COTTA POT FROM ITALY AND MY HARDWARE STORE. IT WORKS JUST FINE AS LONG AS YOU ALWAYS REMEMBER TO PUT IT IN THE OVEN COLD, THEN SET THE OVEN TO 400 DEGREES. IT'S JUST ANOTHER LITTLE DEVIATION FROM THE NORM. I LIKE THOSE! WELL, LET'S SEE WHAT OUR FINAL HOUR OF RISE HATH WROUGHT. GRACIOUS, IT'S A BIG THING, ISN'T IT? I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I LIKE TO HAVE A NICE CRISPY CRUST ON MY BREAD. TO ENSURE THAT, I'M GOING TO BRUSH ON A GLAZE COMPOSED OF 1/3 CUP WATER AND A TABLESPOON OF CORNSTARCH. SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED. I'M NOT LOOKING FOR A THICK LAYER, JUST A VERY THIN GLAZING. NOW TIME TO SLICE. CUTTING THE TOP OF A LOAF IS NOT ABOUT ORNAMENT. IT'S ABOUT OPENING UP THE STRUCTURE SO THAT THE LOAF CAN RISE AGAIN IN THE OVEN. IF YOU DON'T DO THIS, THE OUTER SKIN IS GONNA KEEP EVERYTHING IN, AND YOU'RE GONNA END UP WITH A VERY SMALL, GRAINY TEXTURE. I LIKE TO USE A SERRATED KNIFE, AND I LIKE A BOX CUT. JUST KINDA SET THE KNIFE HERE AND DRAG ACROSS. WE DON'T WANT TO GO MORE THAN ABOUT 1/2 INCH DEEP. ♪♪ NOW BEFORE THE BREAD GOES IN, WE'LL POUR A LITTLE MORE WATER INTO THAT PAN IN THE BOTTOM. STEAM IS GOOD DURING THE BAKING PROCESS BECAUSE IT WILL PREVENT A CRUST FROM FORMING ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BREAD BEFORE THE OVEN SPRING HAS DONE ITS THING. MOISTURE GOOD. IN WE GO. JUST WORK THE BREAD RIGHT OUT TO THE EDGE OF THE PEEL, AND THERE WE GO. LET THIS SIT FOR 50 TO 60 MINUTES. DON'T OPEN THIS DOOR! SO IT'S BEEN 55 MINUTES. IS IT DONE, IS IT SAFE? HOW DO YOU KNOW? I MEAN, WHAT'S 50 MINUTES TO A HUNK OF BREAD, RIGHT? SOME PEOPLE SAY THEY CAN JUST SMELL THE AIR IN THE KITCHEN AND KNOW IF IT'S DONE. OTHERS SAY THEY CAN TELL BY THE COLOR OF THE CRUST. SOME ARE THUMPERS, I'M NOT A THUMPER. NO, THESE ARE ALL MYSTIC VOODOOS TO ME. I'M A TEMPERATURE GUY. JUST KINDA QUICKLY TIP THAT OVER ONTO YOUR GLOVED HAND AND PLUNGE INTO THE BOTTOM. YOU'RE LOOKING FOR 205 TO 210 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. I'M AT 207, THAT'S GOOD. THE REASON THAT WE WANT THAT TEMPERATURE JUST SUB-BOILING IS, THAT MEANS THERE IS STILL WATER IN THAT BREAD. IF THE TEMPERATURE RISES ABOVE THE BOILING POINT, IT MEANS THAT IT'S GOING TO BE TOO GOSH-DARN DRY. THIS IS GOOD. WHEW. NOW WE COME TO THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE BAKING PROCESS, WAITING. WE'VE GOT TO LET THIS BREAD COOL FOR HALF AN HOUR BEFORE CUTTING INTO IT. IF WE ATE IT NOW, WELL, WE'D BURN OUR MOUTHS FOR ONE THING, BUT WE'VE ALSO GOT TO ALLOW THE STARCH AND PROTEIN STRUCTURE TO COOL AND SET. IF WE CUT INTO IT NOW, WE'D END UP WITH MUSH. SO WE WAIT. OKAY, 30 MINUTES UP! LET'S CUT. MMM, FEELS GOOD, SMELLS GOOD. AH, I KNOW THEY SAY THAT MAN CANNOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT THIS IS ONE MAN WHO IS WILLING TO TRY. SEE YA NEXT TIME ON "GOOD EATS." Captioned by Scripps Networks, Inc.