Contents
Introduction
I f you ever bought bread from the bakery, then you would know that no bread from a store can compare to it. Comparing it to homemade bread, you will realize that it stands in a class of its own. There are many types of bread created with different qualities, and artisan bread ranks at the top. The word artisan is present to show you how much care and attention has been given to this stable food. It is better because better techniques and higher quality ingredients used for enriching its tastes have been used. People making artisan bread put quality and flavor first and do whatever they can to have a superior tasting product. These people practice for days on end to achieve their goals, and the bread reflects their talent with its texture and flavor.
Artisan bread is made with extreme delicateness and finesse. Someone with no experience cannot pull it off on their first try. To get to the good tasting bread, you need to make a lot of ok-is bread first to get the hang of different techniques. You have to try until you achieve the desired taste that you are looking for, which is second to nothing. The process is tough because the result has to be the best. You might be able to experience aromatic, crusty, scrumptious bread every day.
Healthwise, it is a big leap in the right direction. Store-bought bread put all sorts of chemicals inside their product for mass distribution. These chemicals have no business being in bread. When you are making your bread, you don't need to worry about such things. Secondly, it helps in digestion as artisan bread is made by mixing different enzymes that already start the process of breaking it down.
There is a common belief that the longer it takes to make bread, the longer it will take to go bad. Thus, the loaves you make will last for a long time, and you can enjoy biting into it from time to time.
You might be thinking that you cannot make bread as good as the bakeries? They look so sophisticated and complicated. Only professionals can do such a thing. Bakeries have good quality equipment at their disposal. The ovens are of high caliber ranging to heats that are impossible for a normal convection oven. The ingredients are premixed and measured to the tee. They also use high-quality enzymes and dough conditioners to bring out the most in their bread. They test several batches, experimenting till they land a eureka moment. Most bakeries do all those things, but some don't use such elaborative techniques. Some great bakeries run only on bakers baking bread using their experience and knowledge with baseline tools and equipment. True that you cannot be as good as a person baking for decades, but you can make great artisan bread and that too at home.
Making bread at home is becoming a trend with people demanding good looking and tasty loaves without spending too much on the bakeries. Ways have been created so that beginners can easily dive into this hobby and make delicious bread in less time. Ingredients have become more refined and upgraded like flour and yeast to help the everyday user. If you start today starting with simple recipes, you can end up a skillful bread maker in no time. This cookbook will help you become a pro artisan bread baker.
Artisan Bread 101
T he word artisan implies that the person has mastery in their field, and the thighs they make reflect that mastery with complexity and guile. The history of making bread goes as far back as 6000 years when the first ovens were built. It is said that they began in Egyptian and Mesopotamian regions, and their methods start to evolve beside the oven. There was a heavy Greco-Roman influence as well, and people started consuming bread as stable in these ancient times.
These old practices started being replaced until the modern era as industrialization and mass production flooded the homes with pre-made bread from factories. Now, artisan bread has come back into society, influencing and giving joy to many people associated with it.
Artisan bread is human-made that is often sold in open form as a freshly baked product. It is meant to be consumed as quickly as possible, as its price is justified based on freshness and taste. They cannot be made in large factories and cannot be mass-produced, but locally, they are available in different bakeries. Factory-made bread has to prioritize other aspects before taste, whereas artisan beards only focus on developing maximum flavor. They are rustic and large compared to store-bought varieties and the superior in every way. There are many types of artisan bread available, but all share similar characteristics, such as:
Bakers use old methods and techniques to make their bread.
Bakers make the bread by hands.
There is the higher water content in these bread.
The bread has lean formulations.
Enzymes are added to pre-ferment the bread.
They take a longer time to prepare mostly because the fermentation process takes at least about a day.
With the internet and the formation of some groups and chat rooms on different social media platforms, people interested in the hobby of bread making have now come together and shared their interests. Before, people might not have sought out their interest or improved on their knowledge that they might have inherited from their parents. Online communities are encouraging people to improve on their skills and motivating them by giving positive reviews on images they post of them with their bread. They are being encouraged to create employment opportunities for their skills and start their businesses.
Over time, artisan bread following has grown exponentially and is continuing to grow even today.
What are the different types of artisan bread that you can make?
A ll bread is made with clean ingredients. They include flour, yeast, salt, and water. There can be other ingredients that you can add for a more customized flavoring or make the dough have a better texture. Moreover, different types of loaves can be made by using different techniques and ingredients. Here are some examples of artisan bread.
Country Loaf
It is one of the simplest artisan bread ones can make. It has a cellular structure, which makes it great for absorbing different sauces and serving with beverages, meat, and cheese.
Baguette
This is the bread that is shown to represent France. They are freshly made and eaten alongside cheese. They are narrow and long, have a light crusting and a beautiful glazed appearance at the surface.
Sourdough
It appeals to specific foodies who like tanginess and sour in their bread. They take a longer time to make with lactobacillus as their fermenter instead of yeast.
Ciabatta
They are a classic bread of Italian origin. It is broad and thick in shape but very airy and moist on the inside. Their shape makes them ideal for making sandwiches.
Mediterranean style bread
This bread is made with various vegetables and spices added to make it a dish on its own. It reflects the ingredients found in the Mediterranean region and is wholesome and delicious.
Walnut Cob
It is a special type of bread made with different flours mixed to produce malty flavor bread. It is also, as the name suggests, filled with walnuts to provide more flavor and crunch to its base.
Brioche
This bread also has origins in France. It is relatively sweeter than other bread and contains milk and eggs as well. It is ideal for making French toast.