Baking Bouchon - Recipe 23: Demi-Epis

Bread is back!  Remember when I made my first loaf of bread from this cookbook?  No?  Well, go remind yourself here.

I was pretty excited because I got to use my water gun again.  The whole water gun, rocks & chains in the oven combo is used to create steam in the oven which was supposed to create a nice, crispy crust.  I had some success last time but I think these little loaves turned out even more crispy.  Unfortunately, I have no photos of that process for you this time because CA was not home while I was making my bread.  If he had been, not only would you have pictures but you might actually have demi-epis that look like demi-epis.

Straight up bread ingredients... flour, yeast, water, salt.

The term demi-epi refers to the shape of the bread.  This dough is essentially a baguette but it's shaped into a small (demi) wheat stalk (epi) shape.  Or, it's supposed to.  I didn't understand the directions on how to cut the dough to make the epi shape.  I ended up with something that looked like a ginger root, not a wheat stalk.

The photo on the right is my ginger dude and the demi-baguette I made with the other loaf when I realized my technique was incorrect (sometimes I'm persistent and try to do things 12 times until I get them right, other times I'm tired and just want it over with already.  Today was a tired day).  The photo on the right is from the cookbook showing me what the dough should look like.  Yeah, not the same.

When CA looked at the directions he completely understood them and told me that I should have cut it from the top of the loaf, not the side.  Hmmm.  I would like to blame this misunderstanding on the fact that men wrote this book and not on the fact that I tend to just plow through things without taking the time to contemplate them.  CA is a contemplater, I am not.  Too bad I didn't ask him for his opinion before I took out the scissors.

If I set aside the fact that I made demi-ginger roots, this bread was quite successful.  I think I did a better job trapping the steam in the oven which made for a crisper crust.  Hooray!!

I think CA liked it too because he ate so much bread that he declined dessert.  I never decline dessert.

Julie