I see this reference in an earlier post from PJH, regarding making the sourdough bread into baguettes instead of round or oval loaves:
"in retrospect, I should have supported it in a baguette pan."
What do you mean by that, and if you are talking about the "baker's couche" in the KAF catalog, or the "perforated pans" in the same catalog, how do those work (is the baker's couche a hard pan, lined with cloth, or is it just cloth; if using the perforated pans, do you spray the bottom and not use parchment?
Also, when you want to freeze some started for a "backup," do you just freeze a one-cup discarded starter?
Barbara, I'm referring to the perforated pans. Yes, spray them with non-stick vegetable oil spray first. No need for parchment. A baker's couche is a piece of cloth used to hold the loaves as they rise. You then transfer them to a baking sheet when it's time to bake. The couche is a bit trickier to use, and MAY result in a flatter loaf, since without any support on a baking sheet, the baguettes may spread. As for freezing - freeze the entire starter. Or if you want some frozen, some fresh, simply divide it in half, feed, and freeze half, keep the other in the fridge. PJH
September 26, 2008 at 10:32am