Comments on Farine: A Miche is Born...

MC I read your Gerard Rubaud post yesterday, a mo...

2010-01-06T16:37:31.170-05:00

MC
I read your Gerard Rubaud post yesterday, a most beautiful story!
I just had an idea. 24 divided by 5 = 4.8 times a day. The 5 hours feeding is not a rigid time schedule, right? depending on the weather, the room temperature, etc? It would be more like 5 - 6 hours a feed; would that be correct??
Shiao-Ping

Hi MC Goodness me - it made your head spin! I wou...

2010-01-01T02:16:43.423-05:00

Hi MC
Goodness me - it made your head spin! I would take your word for it.
Shiao-Ping

Hi, Shiao-Ping, I could never feed my levain every...

2009-12-29T08:13:04.252-05:00

Hi, Shiao-Ping, I could never feed my levain every 5 hours (first of all, I wouldn't be able to plan on being home every 5 hours, much less, set the alarm clock in the middle of the night) but that's the schedule adopted by Gerard Rubaud (the French baker I visited in Vermont) and let me tell you, his levain is so aromatic it makes my head spin just to sniff it... More about his technique next week as I am going back to see him (weather permitting).

Hi MC Re: To feed a levain every 5 hours Do you...

2009-12-29T05:24:26.974-05:00

Hi MC

Re: To feed a levain every 5 hours

Do you not think all that you would get from such frequent feeding is a levain that is very active and robust, but perhaps a bit "flavour-less"? I heard sometimes to get a very "sour" levain, bakers even put their ripe levain into the fridge for a day before using it to build their dough. To my way of thinking, two feedings a day seem like plenty, which I can't even keep up.

But then again, I am not very experienced when it comes to "levain." I haven't explored all the possiblities with a levain.

The video is very interesting. Thank you, MC, for putting it up here. Poilane is a name that all aspiring artisan bakers want to know about. Very interesting post.

@Jeremy, the miche isn't my favorite bread but I c...

2009-12-03T06:49:37.393-05:00

@Jeremy, the miche isn't my favorite bread but I can understand how someone can go wild about it. It is a majestic bread (the word I'd use in French would be "auguste"), rich with the lore and fervor of the old days.
@Anonymous, the "little thing" is a piece of surplus dough the baker took off the previous loaf because it would have been too heavy.

what is that little thing they add while pre-shapi...

2009-12-03T00:58:35.059-05:00

what is that little thing they add while pre-shaping

I never had Max Poilane's miche, but I am obsessed...

2009-12-01T05:17:22.812-05:00

I never had Max Poilane's miche, but I am obsessed by the miche! It's such an honest and austere country loaf, always good for a tartine, always good with cheese or ham, saucisson! Often I write or photograph my favorite miche and will continue to do so, thanks for your wonderful post!

Jeremy

Hello, Giovanni, now you really make me want to tr...

2009-11-30T14:08:46.072-05:00

Hello, Giovanni, now you really make me want to try it for myself!
Re: the aromas. Gerard Rubaud would tell you that, yes, the flour is very important and that it is the reason why he grinds a portion of his grains before each feeding of the levain and each final batch as well. But the frequent feeding of the beasties and the temperature at which they are kept all have an impact too. I have already resigned myself to the fact that I will never be in a position to feed my levain every 5 hours as he does. So the best I can shoot for is a fraction of the aromas he gets...

I have tasted the Max Poilane's Miche in Lyon. It'...

2009-11-29T14:48:24.856-05:00

I have tasted the Max Poilane's Miche in Lyon. It's really amazing! It had a complex sour flavor, far beyond my sourdough bread :(
Every time I bake I hope to get something close to that miche. I'm going to think the key is the T80 stone grounded flour. Maybe one day ...
Giovanni