“It’s a science to some extent, but you have a lot of room to move in terms of flavor.”

That’s how Dara Reimers describes the challenge of baking a loaf of artisan bread. Reimers is owner of the Bread Shack located at 1056 Center St., Auburn.

A group of 17 bread students recently learned the ins and outs of how to make a one-pound loaf of levain sourdough bread, from start to finish, at a workshop at St. Mary’s Nutrition Center. “With only three hours to work,” Reimers said, “we have a lot to do. We need to jump right in to get the bread baked in time for you to leave with a loaf.”

True to her word, within the first five minutes she had the group measuring water, flour and sourdough starter (what she lovingly refers to as her “chef”) into large, stainless steel mixing bowls. “This first batch of dough,” she said, “will be a little sticky, because there is no salt in it.” The dough sets for 30 minutes to activate enzymes and allow for gluten development. The technical term is autolyze.

There was much commotion and excitement in the room during this first part of the lesson, while students tried to figure out if their dough mixtures were too wet or too dry. Reimers went station-to-station to check on everyone’s dough consistency, making suggestions such as “add a splash of water” or “you need more flour.” She demonstrated how to spin the bowl and use a plastic bowl scraper to fold the dough onto itself, her preferred tool and method.

Once the small balls of dough were set aside for 30 minutes, the room quieted down and Reimers gave a lesson on the sourdough starter. She has kept her starter alive for 21 years, and shares it willingly in her classes. A little gooey and slightly stretchy, the raw starter contains small fermentation bubbles that ultimately make the bread rise. This eliminates the need to add commercial yeast to your bread, and makes it much more flavorful.

“That’s what I fell in love with when I first started baking,” said Reimers, who is an active member of the Bread Bakers Guild of America and recently coached its Team USA to first place at the Sigep Bread Cup in Rimini, Italy. She says that after her very first bite of artisan bread, she knew this is what she was meant to do.

Since everyone leaves the class with their own “chef,” Reimers shared instructions on how to maintain it. She said you actually have to start your bread-making process 24 hours before you want to bake it, which is when you do the first round of “refreshment.” The goal of refreshing your starter is to keep it strong and healthy by feeding it one simple ingredient: flour. “The whole trick is controlling time and temperature,” she said.

The starter is typically fed once a week, and once fully refreshed, you end up with enough starter to share with friends. Luckily, Reimers loves to share her knowledge of all things bread. She will graciously answer your questions or perk up a starter gone bad at the Bread Shack if you find yourself stumped. 

The easiest ways to get your own starter is to take excess from a friend (at least 2/3 of a cup) or to attend Reimers’ bread class. If those aren’t options, Reimers suggests you email her at [email protected], and she will offer you a few alternatives.

When asked about flour — almost another entire science in and of itself in the baking world — she said she uses a basic King Arthur 100 percent organic white flour in the class. All whole wheat flour she uses at the bakery is Maine-grown and milled by Aurora Mills in northern Maine.

Thirty minutes later the class switched gears, and went back to the balls of dough that had been resting. Adding salt was the next step, and the final ingredient. “Salt is pretty much the magic spice. It inhibits or slows down the fermentation,” she said. It also acts as a preservative and adds to the flavor of the bread. The dough was then covered and set aside again for another 30 minutes.

The next trick she taught was called the “stretch-and-fold,” a method to replace punching down the dough, a term most bread bakers are familiar with. Two stretch-and-folds followed, with resting time in between of approximately 45 minutes.

Once the bread had rested for 30 minutes following the second stretch-and-fold, it was time to give the loaves their final shape. Shaping was a bit more complicated than one would expect for a simple oval shape. Reimers explained it’s because she does not use a loaf pan.

The bakers-in-training practiced their scoring techniques on loaves she had formed earlier in the day, a skill one might expect to be easy, but is actually a bit more challenging once you know it serves the special purpose of allowing heat and steam to escape in the direction you want it to — versus out the bottom of your loaf, where the seam is placed.

Class participant Diane Mawhinney has done some bread baking in the past, and explained why she took the class. “I’m a big fan of the Bread Shack, so when I learned Dara was willing to unlock her secrets at this class, I couldn’t resist!” She added, “My technique could stand some improvement. . . . My first sour dough loaf was rather peaked, and shaped something like an exclamation point. It was great-tasting, but I’m thinking Dara won’t be facing any competition from my corner of Turner in the foreseeable future!”

A final note: When it comes to measuring ingredients, Reimers said, “if you’re serious about making bread, move to the metric system.” She prefers to weigh her ingredients instead of using measuring cups (it’s easier, neater and more accurate) and recommends home bakers try it out with a kitchen scale. Reimers converted her recipe for Levain Sourdough Bread into traditional imperial measurements for Sun Journal readers.

After shaping, our loaves were ready to be brought home and refrigerated for at least four hours before baking. They are scored just prior to baking. The practice loaves Reimers brought to class went into the oven. After 22 minutes, 17 beautiful, aromatic and perfectly shaped-and-scored loaves came out of the oven. All that was missing was butter and jam! To see our “artisan” handiwork, go to www.sunjournal.com.

Recipe

Levain Bread

For one small, one-pound loaf

1 to 1-1/4 cups white bread flour

1/2 to 2/3 cup water if necessary

2/3 cup levain starter

1.5 teaspoons Kosher salt (if using regular table or iodized salt, 3/4 teaspoon)

Put water in the bowl first, add flour and starter. Mix until blended. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes. (It’s preferable if the temperature of the final dough is near 68 degrees; adjusting the temperature of the water may be necessary. Baker Dara Reimers actually uses a digital thermometer to test temperatures of the ingredients.)

Add salt and a splash of water to the dough, and blend with bowl scraper. When well incorporated, cover again and wait another 30 minutes.

Do two “stretch-and-folds,” 45 minutes apart. Try to set the dough in an area no warmer than 72 degrees, but no cooler than 50 degrees.

Set aside dough for 30 minutes after the second stretch-and-fold. Then shape dough and put in the refrigerator for a minimum of four hours before baking.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees for one hour prior to baking. It is preferable to bake on a baking stone at least 1/2-inch thick. Put your stone(s) in the oven during preheat.

To create a hot, humid environment in the oven, use a water mister or spray bottle to spray the inside of your oven liberally with water; avoid spraying the stones. Score the bread before putting into oven. Once in oven, spray again with mist, and again in 2 minutes. Temperature of oven can be lowered to 415 degrees. Bake for 22 minutes. It may take a little longer in your home oven.

There are three ways to check for doneness: the three-color test (caramel color on bottom with a medium and white on top); the sound test (it sounds hollow when you knock on it with your knuckles); or with a digital thermometer, inserted 1 inch below the crust  — the temperature should read 197 degrees, and not more than 200 degrees.

How to store your artisan bread

Naturally leavened breads retain moisture longer than yeast breads, which can become dry and stale quite quickly. The thicker crust on an artisan bread acts as a natural protective cover. Once sliced, naturally leavened bread should be stored in a paper bag with the cut side facing down on the counter or a wooden cutting board. Equally successful is in a breadbox or covered with a cotton/linen towel or bag. Bread will get stale quicker in the refrigerator. Baker Dara Reimers recommends no plastic bags (except when freezing). The plastic softens the crust and alters the texture of the bread.

Learn how to make pastries

For bakers ready to take on a new challenge, Baker Dara Reimers will present a new class at St. Mary’s Nutrition Center of Maine called “French Breakfast Pastries.” Participants will learn how to make and hand-roll their own croissants and bake a fresh brioche, a type of French bread characterized by a rich, sweet flavor with a flaky, pastry-like texture. The hands-on workshop will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, March 31.