Hey There! I’ve got a few questions about Artisan Baking I was hoping someone may be able to help me out with? Please and thankyou!
What ingredients cause Panettone to have such a short shelf life?
What are the finished characteristics of Turkish Pidé (firm dough)?
Explain the pre baking procedure required for the Turkish Pidé (wet dough), and why it is necessary?
Poori is a type of pocket bread. What causes the pocket?
What is a standard test to see if your flat bread is of good quality?
In the “traditional baguette” why is it necessary to add the water in a number of stages?
What are the effects on the finished product when you retard artisan dough?
What are the ideal retarder conditions?
I can answer one of those questions. The “pocket” in flat breads is formed because the dough, being rolled quite thin, has a lot of surface area. When it is placed in a very hot oven or on a griddle or grill, the surface of the bread quickly forms a crust. The crust seals the inside of the bread so that, when the water in the dough turns to steam, it has no way to get out. Instead, the steam fills the inside, puffing the bread up—until, perhaps, the crust splits somewhere, at which point, the bread will not puff any more.
So, it is the steam, not the yeast, that makes the pocket. This is why Indian roti, which is made without yeast or other leavening, puffs just like pita or other yeasted flat breads. (Roti is made in two steps, first is baked on a griddle and then it is held briefly over an open flame. The intense heat from the flame causes it to puff a lot more than it did on the griddle.)