Raccoon and Lobster

I’m pretty pleased with how these violent loaves turned out, even though they aren’t nearly as phallic as Stacy’s . Unfortunately for those following along, I didn’t use a recipe. I started with the basic recipe for the ciabatta bread, added some sourdough starter for good measure, added flour until I got the consistency I was looking for, and practiced frissage, french kneads, envelope folds and shaping boules and batards until I was tired and happy, let them rest, slashed them, and shoved them in the oven. Frankly, I’m surprised they turned out at all, much less as good as they look. Even if they turn out terrible, just playing around with the dough taught me a lot about proper technique.

Wanna play with your dough too? Try these videos:

http://www.pbs.org/juliachild/free/baguette.html