bake - June 2012 - PAN36

BREADS & BAKING
Bolillos & French Rolls
Working with bread dough is
both art and science. Hispanic bakers
are skilled at working with dough
in a fast-paced environment and
producing high-quality breads like
the popular bolillo, which is a variation
of a French roll.
One of the key factors in
producing a light airy texture inside
the bolillo involves the amount of
time spent shaping the dough. Too
much time in the shaping process
can cause stiffer dough that will not
produce the desired result of an airy
texture.
There are two simple ways to
work with bread dough once it is
mixed. One method is to punch
down the dough to allow the gluten
to form rapidly. Another effective way
of shaping the dough is to stretch and
fold the dough repeatedly on the
workbench until it forms into a tight
ball. Remember not to overdo it.
Both of these methods of
kneading bread dough develop
gluten by stretching out the proteins
and increasing the rate at which the
molecules collide and the internal
chemical reactions occur. Kneading
34 JUNE 12 | PANADERIA
also forms an ordered cohesive mass.
The virtue of kneading is the mass
is very uniform and the gluten can
be developed very extensively. This
gives the baker very strong loaves,
which will rise very well and have
good mechanical strength. Most
straight dough recipes develop all
the gluten by kneading.
Bolillos can be produced with ease
using Trigal Dorado Bolillo Mix from
BakeMark, to which you only need
to add water and yeast. First, make
up the dough as directed, letting the
dough rest properly before scaling it
into 2½ to 3 oz pieces. Then round
them gently, and let them rest for
approximately fi ve additional minutes.
Flatten and de-gas the dough
balls. Finally, roll them up firmly,
forming a torpedo-like shape. Place
them on a baking screen or sheet pan
with the seams down.
Let them rise to three-fourths
size in a moderate proofing cabinet
(90°F at 80% humidity). Score them
lengthwise with a sharp blade. Bake
them at 400°F until light golden in
color. If steam is available, use 5-6
seconds of steam.
APPEALING TO MAINSTREAM
As Hispanic bakers look to
appeal to a wider group of customers,
especially the general public, one of
the most popular products to make
is the sourdough French roll. Similar
in origins to the bolillo, French rolls
are often made using sourdough,
giving the roll a distinctive sour taste.
This involves a different method of
production than the traditional bolillo,
though, because you will make the
dough with a starter.
Sourdough is simply a culture
of wild yeasts and bacteria that are
maintained in a mixture of fl our and
water to be used to make bread.
Using a sourdough starter, or levain,
in bread provides many more benefi ts
than just sourness. Acidity in general
enhances the fl avor of the bread. The
texture and crust will also become
more substantial as a result of the
acidity, and the shelf life is longer
because of delayed staling and mold
inhibiting properties.
The microorganisms in
sourdough need to be nourished on
a regular basis in the form of feedings.
How the culture is fed will determine
bake - June 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of bake - June 2012
