chembake wrote:
>>The total fermentation time for the three rises of that batch was 5 1/2
>>hours, and the kitchen smelled like it. That wonderful bread-wine smell
>>from the fermentation.
>
> If you said that the first fermentation was 2 hours then few minutes in
> between brisk kneading plus some minutes in intermediate proof then
> the total is just within 3 hours...now the proofing is around 1 1/2 to
> 2 hours.. total of five hours plus half and hour of baking .

First fermentation - 1 1/2 hours.
second - 2 hours
third - 2 hours.
At cool room temperature.

30-35 minute bake time.

> ..That is a somewhat short for classical good quality French bread
> IMO and experience

I agree. But this isn't classical French bread.

> Five and half hours is not enough to produce the desired fermentation
> flavor that is produced by artisanal type french bread which is the
> considered the yardstick for quality ...

I confess that I prefer a Parisian-style bread over the more artisanal
or rustic loaves. Living in Paris and then Brussels probably prejudiced
me in that regard.

> An old time French baker whom I had worked for some time in the past
> remarked that ordinary french bread made in many parts of France in
> midnight and baked in the morning ,,,is just ordinary tasting...

<G> Everybody's an expert about what they like, no...? My German
neighbor in New Jersey used to make her dough one morning and bake it
the next morning. 24 hours development for her bread which she started
with a "poolish," about which she said, and with which I agreed, it gave
a wonderful "mature yeast flavor" as she used to say.

>>This is how I'll make this kind of bread again
>
> If you are already happy with that kind of bread .....then good for
> you..

I made four loaves Sunday. Company for afternoon conversation and
dinner. They sipped wine (I may have had a little myself) and watched me
make bread. We ate two with dinner. They took two home and left me with
none. <G> More tomorrow after the radio program.

Pastorio