This post outlines the process for making a Sourdough Couronne Bordelaise Crown Bread, also known as a Bordeaux-style crown, with a medium hydration Pain de Campagne dough.
If you are looking for a relatively easy, centerpiece-worthy French bread to showcase at a special dinner with a friend (or two), might I suggest this Crown Bordelaise! This bread can be enjoyed as you would a French baguette or use it as the canvas for Brushetta.
Pain de Campagne dough is leavened using one of my favorite fermentation techniques – an overnight Pate Fermentee.
The preferment is made with sourdough instead of yeast and represents 64% of the total dough. It’s a fairly easy dough to work with, and if you let it ferment long enough, you’ll end up with a nice crumb structure – i.e. some lovely, but not too big, holes.
Elizabeth says
How stunningly beautiful!
Cathy says
Thank you Elizabeth!
Elizabeth says
Thank you, Cathy, for posting the photo essay on how to achieve this. I can’t get over that the collar pops up during the baking to create the crown! So cool.
Cathy says
I know it’s pretty wild!
Jones Tanna says
Wow! That is so gorgeous! The color is marvelous but the cuts or collar is truly incredible.
Cathy says
Thank you Tanna! This is a unique bread indeed! I love this method.
Nelly says
Hi! Thanks a lot for the recipe and detailed instructions.
Bread is great!
Cathy says
Hi Nelly, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Nick says
Great recipe!! Tried with great results!
The collar didn’t totally pop, I might try a technique I saw in a Raymond Calvel video where you gently oil the lowest edge of the collar piece before putting in each ball.
Thanks so much!!
Cathy says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Oiling the collar piece sounds like a great idea. I might have to try that myself.