Tag Archives: rustic french bread

I found this recipe attractive for two reasons:  first, because it used a portion of whole grain flour and second, because it could be shaped easily.  As a child, my grandfather used to bring back epi loaves from a bakery in Miami.  I remember being fascinated by the pointy rolls all stuck together.  30 years later, I’m still fascinated by all those pointed rolls stuck together!  It is a very visually pleasing shape and one not readily found.

As far as the dough goes, I was glad to see that it was more manageable than the pain a l’ancienne.  It has umpf!  This made it much easier to shape than any of the other recipes I’ve tried so far.  Admittedly, the smaller loaves did not turn out as expected.  The braided loaf seemed to melt all together and the round couronne, well, wasn’t a crowning achievement.  So I cheated!  Since I didn’t press down hard enough with the dowel or use enough flour, the creases never stayed separated.  So, just before baking, I made cuts with a serrated knife.  Not the look that was intended, but it worked out in the end.