The name ‘pain a L’ancienne’ may be unfamiliar, but most bread lovers have experience with this dough because it is most commonly used as the basis for baguettes.
Pain a L’ancienne is an excellent example of a wet, cold-fermented dough.
We refer to it as a ‘wet dough’ because it contains a rather high amount of water in relation to flour. This results in a sticky, even hard-to-handle dough when it is mixed. To become a supple dough, it has to rest after the initial mix and then be meticulously hand-folded to develop structure and make the dough elastic and easy-to-handle.
The pain a L’ancienne dough is then held under refrigeration for approximately 18 hours. This slow, cold fermentation of the dough is what imparts the beautiful nutty flavor and crisp crust that characterizes a great baguette.
- Offered as an 18 oz baguette, 2# batard, demi baguette and 1oz rolls
- Vegan
