by A.J. Coltrane
1st attempt at Epi de Blé (sheaf of wheat):
The finished result is a long way from the “flower of wheat” idealized form. (Search “epi bread” for examples.)
The recipe is basically a standard baguette dough that is cut with scissors. I used 300 grams of flour for the dough. That was too much. As a guess, 200 grams would have made a thinner, more “graceful” epi.
Recommended temperatures run between 400F and 450F. I went with 425F for 20 minutes, which seemed to work out ok.
The Verdict: It’s a nice pull-apart bread for dinner or a crowd. The shape creates a high ratio of crust, so there are more crunchy bits to go around. It’s easy, attractive, and festive. I’ll be making this again soon, and probably a bunch of times through the holidays.
FlatbreadGarden 