Wild Yeast. Mouni Abdelli

SECOND RISE

       SCORING AND CUSTOMIZATION

       BAKING

       5 BREADS LEAVENED EXCLUSIVELY WITH WILD YEAST STARTER: RECIPES

       THE BASIC RECIPE

       FRUIT AND CHOCOLATE MUESLI BREAD

       CHEESE, THYME, AND OLIVE BREAD

       MULTI-SEED BARLEY BREAD

       CIABATTA

       ZUCCHINI-PARMESAN BREAD

       SEMOLINA BREAD (WITH FRUIT YEAST)

       CHALLAH

       CARROT-PAPRIKA BREAD

       PAVÉ LOAF WITH A HINT OF RYE

       TURMERIC AND BLACK CUMIN BREAD

       PROVENÇAL LOAF

       TAHINI AND KAMUT^® FLOUR BREAD

       WILD YEAST TORTILLAS

       50/50 BREAD

       OLD-FASHIONED MUSTARD BUNS

       FLAXSEED BREAD

       FOUR-GRAIN PRUNE BREAD

       WHOLE-GRAIN PITA BREAD

       SEEDED MILLED RYE BREAD

       CHILLED AUTOLYSIS BAGUETTES

       6 THERE’S MORE THAN JUST BREAD!

       SOFT CARAMELIZED WAFFLES

       DRIED APRICOT SEEDCAKE

       ULTRA-SOFT PECAN BROWNIES

       MINI JAM BRIOCHES

       VIENNESE PASTRY DOUGH (FOR CROISSANTS, CHOCOLATE CROISSANTS, AND SWEET RAISIN ROLLS)

       BASIC MUFFIN RECIPE

       SHORT-CRUST PASTRY BASE (FOR PIES AND QUICHES)

       FERMENTED PASTA

       WILD YEAST DOUGHNUTS

       PIZZA DOUGH

       WHOLE-WHEAT ENGLISH MUFFINS

       RED PESTO AND PARMESAN ROLLS

       TROUBLESHOOTING: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

       WHAT SHOULD I DO IF MY STARTER . . .

       WHAT SHOULD I DO IF MY DOUGH . . .

       WHAT SHOULD I DO IF MY BREAD . . .

       HAPPY BAKING, MY FRIENDS!

      INTRODUCTION

      In this age where everything goes too fast, can we reclaim the pleasure we get from doing simple things that require a little more patience? In our frantic race toward greater productivity and less personal satisfaction, is it so crazy to hope that we could take a step back with respect to the most basic elements of our daily life, things like making our own bread?

      I remember my mother and the ritual with which she made bread: the choice of ingredients; the kneading, which she often did by hand; the traditions, like not leaving the doors open to avoid the drafts that might have affected the rising of the dough. . . . As children, we never asked questions; we were too busy waiting for the bread to be baked so that we could savor it hot, just plain or covered with a thin film of good farm butter. There was something magical in that moment! A magic that we have forgotten over time, as rushed as we are!

      What if, finally, the most important ingredient in making true good bread is simply time? I asked myself that question recently, after having spent some time pleasantly examining a batch of bread dough as though it were the most fascinating thing in the world. What is satisfying to me is rediscovering real bread, bread that takes time to make but is so worth it.

      I also learned that this slow process could not only bring me a great deal of pride but could also be healthier. For a very long time, I thought it was a wonderful thing to be able to bake up a loaf of par-baked bread in less than 30 minutes. But over time, I began to enjoy it less and less and even found it harder and harder to digest, and I was far from being alone in that. . . .

      If you think about it, bread, the idea of bread, is both extremely simple and very complex. Some flour, some water, some salt—these ordinary ingredients are enough to produce this “divine” food. So how can we help but be amazed by this process that has allowed the human race to benefit from wheat in so many ways, by this mixture that, once transformed, can give rise to an entirely different food, one that is fragrant, richly savory, and that stimulates every one of our senses?

      Have you ever tried to chew a few grains of raw wheat? Not only is it very tough, but there isn't much to be gained from it. The transformation