A Baker's Secret?
I am currently reading Confessions of a French Baker. If I ever have a chance to visit France (or any part of Europe, for that matter), I would visit all the bakeries I can find and raid the shelves while my money lasts. And then maybe I, too, will have that secret grin on my face like the one of Peter Reinhart's apprentice. But until then, I would have to be contented with drooling at those lovely loaves from pictures and imagine their wonderful aromas.
Anyways, back to the book. One of the concepts that the French Baker let on was the princple of 56. What that means is that the temperature of the water, flour and kitchen air must add up to 56 degC.
Example given:
Water temperature - 14 degC
Flour temperature - 20 degC
Room temperature- 22 degC
Hmm... Now considering Singapore climate with room temperature averaging at 29 degC, doesn't that mean that we have the water and flour must be refrigerated to something like this:
Water temperature - 11 degC
Flour temperature - 16 degC
Room temperature- 29 degC
Erm... mathematical sounds fine, but how will the yeast ever wake up from their eternal slumber with water at 11 degC? Am I missing something here?
Anyways, back to the book. One of the concepts that the French Baker let on was the princple of 56. What that means is that the temperature of the water, flour and kitchen air must add up to 56 degC.
Example given:
Water temperature - 14 degC
Flour temperature - 20 degC
Room temperature- 22 degC
Hmm... Now considering Singapore climate with room temperature averaging at 29 degC, doesn't that mean that we have the water and flour must be refrigerated to something like this:
Water temperature - 11 degC
Flour temperature - 16 degC
Room temperature- 29 degC
Erm... mathematical sounds fine, but how will the yeast ever wake up from their eternal slumber with water at 11 degC? Am I missing something here?
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