Red, Red, Wine

Richard Bertinet’s second book Crust: Bread to Get Your Teeth into is one I’ve spent a long time reading and no time (until a few days ago) baking from. I’m hanging my head in shame as it is a wonderful book, really informative and packed with drool worthy recipes aplenty. I berate myself for the lack of attention I have paid it; after all I did wax lyrical about his first book Dough: Simple Contemporary Bread: Simple Contemporary Bread here.

So anyway I finally made myself use the book after ordering plenty of goodies from his online shop, The Bertinet Kitchen. Not only can you buy lots of lovely baking goodies there but you can book onto one of Richard’s famous bread courses, oh my how I’d love to go – maybe I will one day.

 So for my first Crust: Bread to Get Your Teeth into bake I decided on the Cabernet Grape Flour Bread, but I did make a couple of alterations to it. Firstly I adjusted the weight of the flours (keeping the total weight correct as per the original recipes) as I had to cut down on the amount of grape flour used – according to Richard’s website the current grape flour he is selling is a stronger version than the one available when the book was first written. 

Cabernet grape flour is made as a by-product from the North American wine making industry, this powder can be mixed with flour to make breads, pastas and a host of other things besides; the bonus is it has the same antioxidant benefits as red wine but without the alcohol. More information can be found here. It is important to remember however that the grape flour is gluten free so consideration needs to be made to the percentages used in comparison to the wheat flours so as to get a dough with a good structure.

The other minor alteration to the recipe I made was to exchange the 50ml of red wine for water as I hadn’t a bottle of red available and I really didn’t see it as urgent to dash to the shop to buy some purely for this; although next time I make this if I have the wine available I will be sure to use it.

The resulting bread was not only glorious in its rich rustic purple colouring but in its deep slightly tannic flavouring also. The loaf yielded a soft, slightly chewy interior with a very chewy crust, giving great mouthfeel.

This bread really is a show stopper, just try presenting a loaf of this to your family or friends, you are bound to get a wow! Surely you’ll agree it just looks so vibrant and inviting.

As I wanted to serve the bread with a selection of mixed cheeses and salad, but also wanted some to keep for sandwiches the following day I thought I better make a more ‘basic loaf’ too, just in case the red loaf was a little too overpowering.

The ‘basic’ loaf I went for was Rachel Allen’s  White Loaf from Rachel’s Baking Secrets: From Cookies to Casseroles, Fresh from the Oven which is really a typical UK tin loaf; in other words a farmhouse loaf which is brushed with egg wash instead of being dusted with flour.

The egg wash glaze gives a lovely shine to the finished loaf and a lovely crisp crunch too, the kind that makes you want to leave the ‘top crust’ until last just so as you can savour it.

I must note here that I didn’t follow the specified methods for rising and proving the bread in either recipe, instead I went for Daniel Steven’s multi-rise method, which I have probably twittered enough about but I just have to say it again, allowing the bread to rise more than once (up to four times) gives for softer, lighter bread with a better ability for keeping. I wouldn’t dream of using any other method now.

The breads will be entered to YeastSpotting, hosted by Susan of the fabulous blog Wild Yeast.

Cabernet Grape Flour Bread (adapted version):

For the fermented dough:

• 2.5g fresh yeast
• 125g strong white bread flour
• 2.5g salt
• 90ml warm water

1. Rub the yeast into the flour using your fingertips and add the salt and water.
2. Mix well until the dough begins to come together. Turn out onto your work surface and knead the dough until it is soft and silky (alternatively use a free standing food mixer but for this volume of dough I really don’t feel it necessary myself).
3. Return the dough to an oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel (or baking cloth) and leave to rest at room temperature for 6 hours (or in the fridge overnight).

For the Cabernet Dough:

• 400g strong white bread flour
• 80g cabernet grape flour
• 100g dark rye flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 sachet fast action yeast
• 350ml warm water
• 1 quantity of fermented dough (see above)
• 10g fine sea salt

1. Put the flours, yeast, salt, ferment and most of the water in the bowl of a free standing mixer (or large bowl if you wish to knead by hand) and mix well.
2. Knead the dough until it is soft, silky and springy, adding the remaining water if necessary.
3. Shape the dough into a round and place in an oiled bowl, cover with a baking cloth or damp tea towel and leave to rise until nearly doubled in size (approximately one hour).
4. Tip the dough onto an oiled or floured work surface and gently press the dough into a rectangle using your fingertips, reshape into a round and return to the oiled bowl, cover with the cloth and leave until doubled in size (around 30-40 minutes).
5. Repeat stage 4 twice more.
6. Now shape the loaf however you like, personally I prefer either rounds or batards, but the choice is yours. Preheat the oven to it’s top temperature.
7. Transfer the shaped loaf to a floured baking tray and dust lightly with rye flour. Cover with a cloth and leave to prove for 45-60 minutes or until the loaf is well risen.
8. Slash the bread top and place in the hot oven, spritz the oven with water and quickly shut the door to trap the steam.
9. After 10 minutes reduce the oven temperature to 200C and continue to bake for a further 20-25 minutes or until the bread has a good crust and sounds hollow when tapped on the base.

Basic White Loaf (Adapted Version):

• 750g strong bread flour
• 2 teaspoons caster sugar
• 425 ml warm water
• 1 sachet of fast action yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 40g butter
• vegetable oil, for greasing
• 1 egg, beaten

1. Sift the flour sugar and salt into a large bowl, add the yeast. Rub in the butter and make a well in the centre. Pour in most of the water. Mix to a loose dough, adding the remaining water if needed, plus extra if necessary.
2. Knead for about ten minutes or until the dough is smooth and springy to the touch. (If kneading in an electric food mixer with a dough hook, five minutes is usually long enough.) Put the dough in a large oiled bowl. Cover the top with a damp tea towel or baking cloth and place somewhere warm to rise until doubled in size. Usually 1-2 hours.
3. When the dough has more than doubled in size, knock back gently by pressing with your finger tips and shape into a round, put back into the oiled bowl and leave to rise again until doubled in size (30-60 minutes depending on how hot your environment is). 
4. Repeat this stage 3 twice more, when on the last rise preheat the oven to 220C or the equivalent.
5. Shape the dough into a loaf, transfer to a loaf tin and cover with a clean tea towel or baking cloth. Allow to rise again in a warm place for 20–30 minutes, until the shaped dough has again doubled in size. When fully risen, it should leave a dent when you gently press the dough with your finger.
6. Gently (as the bread is full of air at this point and therefore very fragile) brush with egg wash and slash the top of the bread with a sharp knife.
7. Bake in the oven  30–45 minutes. Turn the heat down to 200C after 15 minutes for the remaining cooking time. When cooked, the bread should sound hollow when tapped on the base. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
8. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool before slicing/serving.

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