Copycat Bouchon ear-buns

[AlaMoi]

I'm fixing to develop a copycat of the Bouchon "rolls" they serve (warm) with brunch.  looks like:

 

two issues:

1 - the bread itself

2 - the technique

 

at first I thought they did the scissors-snip thing to create the 'outcroppings' - but on closer exam it appears they make individual taper/torpedo shape rolls and overlap / glue them together & let rise . . .

 

note also what looks to be the 'cut surface' . . . like each was cut on diagonal from one long baguette(?) then 'stuck together'

 

the crust on these is not hard-crisp; the softer crisp could be an artifact of baking/holding at humidity?

it's the crumb where I have no good experience.

the crumb is fairly 'fine' - no big holes/etc ala 'good rustic bread'

the texture is not soft/mushy like a typical 'dinner roll' - it's 'firm' - tears easily - stands up to a knife spreading butter&jam

 

my thinking is a well machine kneaded baguette dough - thinking the extra kneading may produce a finer crumb.

 

any ideas / experiences / advice along the line?

[Kerry Beal]

Looks like epis to me - cut with scissors as I recall.

 

King Arthur recipe

 

 

[AlaMoi]

wow - sure does!

thanks for the lead!

[curls]

Thomas Keller’s book “Bouchon Bakery” has a recipe for Demi-epis. That may be exactly what you are looking for @AlaMoi.

[rotuts]

for review purposes :

 

 

[Pete Fred]

All purpose flour: ½ cup + 1 tablespoon + 1¼ teaspoons

 

Oui, chef!  

 

Also, don't forget you can dilute 10⁄11 of a shaftment of fresh yeast in 1⁄32 of a pottle of water if you don't have instant yeast.

[Duvel]

The epi shape is very forgiving. I made it from a plethora of doughs, e.g. this one from left-over pizza dough. 
 

Due to the shape the sharp „ears“ brown faster than the bulky parts, which - at least in my experience - makes epis a bit unevenly crunchy. 

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by Duvel (log)