8 Cereal Bread

It starts with the flour: pure wheat flour—farine de froment...

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• The total dough weight is 4600g (3412g bread dough + 1187g cereal mix). This batch can be divided into either 14 x 330g batards, or a combination of 8 batârds (330g each), 4 baguettes (245g each), and 8 ficelles (120g each). A ficelle is a baton-like, thin baguette.

  This recipe can be divided by three if using a 7-quart/L stand mixer.
  
• What is traditional bread flour?
  
• At home, to better manage the proofing and baking schedule, prepare your bakers couches accordingly. Cut each couche to roughly twice the width of your baking tray—each one should hold four baguettes. Keep in mind that the baguettes will not all be baked at the same time. Instead, plan to bake four baguettes every 45 minutes (allowing 20 minutes for baking and about 20 minutes for the pizza stone to reheat to 250ºC). To prevent the remaining dough from over-proofing while waiting to be baked, the other 10 batard or other breads should be kept at a cool temperature, around 5 to 10°C. You can store them covered in the refrigerator, or outside if the weather is cold enough.
  

Basic Temperature: 75ºC

• This ancient baguette recipe calls for a desired dough temperature (DDT) that is warmer than most bread recipes: 28–30°C versus the standard 24°C. This higher temperature is intentional, as the method incorporates three specific factors: a slow and short mixing process, a low amount of yeast, and a four-hour bulk fermentation interrupted by a degassing intervention every hour.

  For example, during winter, if the room temperature and flour are both at 18°C and the friction factor is insignificant (≈1 degree celsius).

  75-18-18-1= water temp set at: 38/39ºC.

  Summer: 75-24-24-1= water temp should be set at: 24/25ºC. You also want to lower even further the amount of yeast by 2.
  

Cereal Mixture

• In a large bowl, combine cereals.
  
• An hour before mixing the bread dough, combine warm water with the cereal mix. Stir it well and let rest at room temp; covered.
  

Kneading

• First, pour the water into the mixing bowl and sprinkle in the fresh yeast. Add the flour and salt, then mix on low speed for 8 to 10 minutes max. Pause the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl and the dough hook. The dough does not need to be mixed beyond this point. We are not aiming for a fully developed dough that passes the 'windowpane test'; instead, we want the dough to be slightly under-mixed. The gluten network will develop during the bulk fermentation.
  
• Add the bloomed cereal mixture into the dough, and mix on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes until well distributed.
  

Bulk Fermentation

• Cover the dough and let it ferment for 4 hours. During this time, the dough must be degassed 3 times (once every hour).
  
• This bulk fermentation can take place in the mixing bowl; to degas it, simply turn on the mixer briefly each hour, then re-cover the dough.
  

Dividing Dough

• Flour the work surface and the dough. Use the plastic dough scraper to release it from the edges of the bowl. Gently turn the bowl over (now, the skin is down).
  
• Reposition the dough (skin side up) into an elongated rectangle.
  
• With the help of the large triangle dough scraper or chef knife, cut the dough lengthwise into three equal potions. This procedure will ease the next portioning step. Flour dough between cuts.
  
• Divide the dough into desired portions. Keep the pieces in order, arranged left to right in neat rows. This way, the first piece scaled is the first one shaped, ensuring a consistent process from start to finish.
  

Bunch Rest

• Bench rest is the period during sourdough bread making when dough is allowed to relax on the work surface after pre-shaping and before final shaping. Place each portion with the skin side down. Gently deflate it, then shape it into a smooth oval approximately 15cm in length oval. Dust with flour only as necessary, taking care to prevent excess flour from becoming trapped inside the folds. Cover the pre-shaped dough and let it bench rest for 20 minutes.
  

Rubbing Cereal Mixture

• Combine the rubbing cereals and spread it onto a rimmed baking tray or shallow dish. Moisten a large microfiber towel. Fold it into a large rectangle next to the cereal.
  

Batard Shaping Technique

• Dusting baker's couche with flour is not necessary. To shape a batard properly (an oblong shape with narrowing ends). You must first ensure your work surface is spotless. Uncover the rested ovals. Lightly dust bread with flour, your countertop, and your fingertips. Grab the first shaped oval from the upper left row, gently stretch it, and lay it skin side down but vertically. Gently degas the dough using your floured fingertips.
  
• Fold the top half into the center.
  
• Repeat with the bottom half.
  
• Press to seal the seam. Fold once more and shape into an even, thick log.
  
• Then roll it into a 8-inch (20cm) cylinder—half the length of your baking tray or pizza stone.
  
• To taper the ends of the bâtard, place your hands on either side of the dough in a cupped position. Roll quickly back and forth until the ends are smoothly pointed.
  
• Moisten bread using the damped microfiber towel, then immediately roll it in the 8-cereal mixture.
  
• Place each 4-cereal bâtard seam-side down (à clair) on the bakers couche. Repeat until all are done. Follow the same protocol for the ficelle and baguettes, but without tapering the ends, and no flour on bakers couche.
  

Preheating Oven

• Preheat your conventional oven to 480ºF/250ºC with the pizza stone positioned on the bottom third of the oven for 45 minutes before baking. Since ficelle and baguette will proof faster, your first bread series would be the 2X4 ficelles, followed by the baguettes and then the batârds.
  

Baking

• Using a pizza peel or wooden board, grab the corner of the couche, lift upward, and carefully flip one ficelle or baguette onto the peel (seam side up). Slide it onto the hot pizza stone (seam side down).
  
• Score each bread lengthwise once. Spray water inside the oven, then bake the 4 ficelle for 12 minutes and baguettes for 20 minutes at 440°F/230°C. Carefully open the oven door to let the steam escape, then leave the bread in for 2 more minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool. Immediately, reheat the oven to the same temperature and repeat the same baking process for the remaining breads.
  
• Do likewise with the following proofed breads.
  
• Score 4 batârd lengthwise once. Bake them for 25 minutes at 440°F/230°C. Carefully open the oven door to let the steam escape, then leave the bread in for 5 more minutes. Transfer bread to a wire rack to cool. Immediately, reheat the oven to the same temperature and repeat the same baking process for the 4 remaining batârd.
  

How to Store Bread

• Cereal breads should ideally be eaten within 48 hours.

  For later events: To enjoy them as crispy as they were on the first day, store them in sealed freezer bags just a few hours after baking—they can be kept this way for up to two months. An hour before serving, place them in a preheated (220ºC) oven, turn it off, and leave them inside for 5 minutes. Let the breads rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before eating.
  

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