Anice and currant

This morning I was talking about my dream of opening a bakery or small cafe with my brother,in a town somewhere  I haven’t yet found. My brother was cajoling me with visions of a storefront shop in a small town, delivering bread and goods in an old Citroen truck like in France to local markets. If it happens, I definitely will put this bread in the repertoire, it’s a loaf that was from Bouley bakery where I staged  over a month period every Friday night after my regular work shift I was trying to remember some shaping techniques I had just acquired from my bread course at school, as well as some formulas. Steal with your eye’s and your ears like a chef once told me !

Currants aren’t widely used here in the States, but in Europe they are plentiful, they make fine jams, desserts and for this loaf a great bread! Along side the sweet fruit is the flavor of anise with it’s I guess medicinal tone that  plays well with some tasty goat or sheep cheese!

Currant Anise bread

Levain build:

Flour 100% 24g

Water 100%24g

Starter 50% 12g

Second feed:

Flour100% 60g

Water 100% 60g

Starter 100% 60g

Levain 179 g
A.P. Flour  299g
Rye 95g
Water 256g
Salt 10 g
Currants 105
Anise 5g

Feed your levain, first! Usually the day before in the morning then at night giving 8-12 hours to wake up, I had mine already refreshed but out of the fridge, just added warmer water to give it a push!(so lazy)

Make up the dough according to your style, I did it by hand a’la Dan Lepard! As the official lazy baker, I kept no notes or really watched a clock! Sorry, but I would say a good 2.5 hours or 3 first rise, pre-shape, shape and rise, say hmm 4 hours? Bake in a hot oven give it some steam and bake 35-45 minutes!

Whoops forgot a loaf in the oven, whew just in time!