How And Where To Learn Artisan Bread Techniques

By Author: Sahana Sankar
Total Articles: 23
Comment this article

Bread making is one of the most interesting and scientific baking processes. It is no longer a cakewalk like what was there in the olden days. Artisan bread is one of the finest bread available in the country and worldwide. An artisan makes a product that is acquiring the true quality of the ingredients which it has. Once you select the ingredients a product is designed the way it should. There are lots of industries other than bread which are showing producers of artisans. For example, there are pizza, cheese, jams, meat and pickles, chocolate respectively. Artisans also decorate mechanics, artisans, plasterers, jewelers, craft shops, and hairdressers.

Why artisan bread is so special?

Artisan bread is extremely tasty since it is created by natural processes. Many types of bread are created and are depicted as given below

• Spanish Almond Twist Bread
• Yeast Crumb Cake
• Polish Babka
• French Bread
• English Muffins
• Pandoro
• Crumpets
• Kugethoph
• Stollen( German or French )
• Pita
• White Pan Bread / ...
... Rolls
• Yeast Corn Bread
• Italian Rustic Olive Bread
• Italian Hard Rolls
• Russian Black Bread
• Sesame Bread
• Whole Grain Bread / Rolls
• French Bread ( Sponge Dough )
• Challah ( fermentation )
• Pain De Campagne ( Sour Sponge ).
• Ciabatta
• Cracked Rolls / Wheat Bread
• Twigs & Seeds
• Panettone
• Focaccia
• Pain Seigle
• Chinese Steamed Buns
• Brooklyn Crumb Buns
• Colombia Di Pasqua
• Whole Wheat Bread
• Crackers

The key thing to understand is that artisan bread is quite different from the everyday bread which we purchase in the supermarkets. The techniques which you use, the ingredients which you select, and the time required for making the bread are very different from the actual time which you take to bake bread. Usually, if you bake bread in your home then you will go in for artisan bread.

To give you exact information, artisan bread is all about acquiring the finest product from the ingredients. This is done by giving the dough the time to develop structure and flavor. Modern bread making is all about adding adequate ingredients to the mixture for increasing the speed of the process. However, the flavor is gone and much of the flavor and the result are decent.

Difference between artisan baker and standard baker

There are marked differences between artisan baker and standard baker. The key factors influencing the bread are namely the protein level, location of the place of its baking, gluten developing quantities like extensibility and elasticity. The standard bakers will use three types of flour like white, wholemeal, malted, and flour. Conventional bakers will make various types of bread with different recipes for the bread by adding mixes to the mix. Artisans will be varying the flour type, changing the fermentation method, and adding additional ingredients.

Techniques for making artisan bread

Since there is a slow fermentation it creates a very strong gluten structure in the dough, since the structure will give the bread the crush, bounce, and the Moorish rip when it is pulled apart. Besides the structure, there is a long fermentation that will permit the dough for creating rich flavor and deep characteristics. Once you increase or decrease the mixing time the dough will take on different characteristics like changing times, recipe or temperature. The bread quality and the consistency of the result will hit the mark and reflect the ability of the bakers.

The bakers utilize the finest quality ingredients which are available to create the ideal loaf. But they will never use bread improvers or premixes. Artisan bread is created using the techniques of slow fermentation and with fewer amounts of yeast.