Pain a l'Ancienne - Easy and Extremely Delicious

If you have not yet tried making your own bread, you are missing out on a fascinating experience. Since picking up a copy of Peter Reinhart's incredible book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice, I have become obsessed with making Pain a l'Ancienne. A technique more than a type of bread, Pain a l'Ancienne involves the simple use of ice water and refrigeration to delay the action of yeast in the dough, allowing enzymes in the flour to convert the starches into sugars. While it is not necessary to understand the science behind this recipe, what is important is that the end result is a beautifully caramelized, chewy bread that will put to shame anything you can pick up at the supermarket.

Pain a l'Ancienne is made into baguettes by Philippe Gosselin in his Paris bakery. This is a rustic type of bread, full of irregular holes that indicate a well-made "artisan" bread. While the baguettes are beautiful, you can really form the dough into any shape that pleases you.

Here is a link to the recipe: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/2723/pain-lancienne-recipe

Always a fan of the KitchenAid stand mixer, I make use of the dough hook for mixing this dough before refrigerating. After an overnight chill, I take the bread out to rest at room temperature for about 3 or 4 hours the next day. The dough is easily shaped into no-fuss, rustic baguettes, and a pair of scissors can be used to "slit" the dough for an attractive finish.

Try making this bread the next time you invite friends over for dinner or for your Sunday supper. I guarantee that everyone will be impressed!