Eggless Gibassier Recipe (A French Anise & Orange Flavored Loaf) |French Artisan Bread

 

Gibassier is a french pastry bread from Provence, Its a galatte made with fruited olive oil. Its generally flavored with aniseeds, candied orange peel and orange blossom water water and sugar is dusted on top of this bread. This was one aromatic bread and the orange flavored sure is a hit with this bread.. I didn’t find orange blossom water here so just used up orange juice and zest but traditional orange blossom is the must.This buttery textured bread is shaped like we shape fougasse which resembles like a leaf.Its is one of 13 varieties of bread which is made in Christmas as desserts france. People there refer this bread as Pompe à Huile am french olive oil bread.

This month aprana had shared this bread for we knead to bake challenge and so happy to have attempted this as I loved this flavorful and soft pastry bread a lot.Though the recipe aprana shared called for egg as tried it with substitution and the end result as you can see was fabulous ..This bread is easy to make like any other bread but the process will need some patience which involve starting with “biga” or pre fermented bread which is usually made the previous night and using the biga  to make the bread the next morning.

 

 

Ingredients

For the Pre-ferment (Biga)

1 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup milk
1/16 tsp instant yeast

For the Dough
3 1/4 cups bread flour/ All purpose flour
For 2 eggs I substituted 4 tbsp water, 2 tbsp Oil and 1/2 tsp Baking pd
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup warm water
1/8 cup orange juice
All the pre-ferment/ Biga from above
1 3/4 tsp Instant yeast
1/3 cup  butter ( slightly soft at room temperature)
1 1/2 to 2 tsp anise seeds/ sounf
1/2 cup chopped candied orange peel (I used dried apricots)
1 tsp orange zest (use 2 tsp if using dried apricot)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 tsp salt

For Glazing and Dusting the Gibassier

1/3 cup to 1/2 cup clarified butter (ghee)
Vanilla sugar or castor sugar


Method

•  The biga / prefemented dough has to be made a night ahead on the day of bread making the biga has to used.
• So the previous night mix all the ingredients under “For Biga” and make a stiff and smooth dough.
• Then place the dough in a greased bowl and cover , let it rest over night , It needs atleast 14 -16 hours to ferment. I needed add little more milk to make the dough stiff.
• The dough will ferment well after 14 -16 hours
• Only the next morning you can make the gibassier dough.  I used my hands to make the dough , I needs a little effort when kneading with hand as the dough is little sticky. But if you have a food processor or Kitchen aid then it is hassel free you can do it in that even.
• In a large bowl add the egg substitute ( 4 tbsp water, 2 tbsp Oil and 1/2 tsp Baking pd ) , Olive oil, warm water, orange juice  and mix well.
• Tear the pre fermented dough into pieces and add it to the bowl. Also add bread flour, sugar, salt, yeast and knead them to a smooth dough. Add extra warm water if you feel the dough is dry and knead them till the dough is smooth.
• Now incorporate butter to the dough but little by little at a time. Just cut the soft butter into chunks and mix it in the dough little at a time.
• Knead the dough well it is soft. This requires lots of kneading when you do by hand.
• Add chopped apricots or candied orange, aniseed and orange zest to the dough and knead them well.
• Shape the round and place it in a grease boil and cover. Let it rest for 1-2 hours  or till it doubles in volume.
• After it doubles in volume , turn it on a working surface and divide them into 12 equal portions.
• Shape them into balls and rest them for 15 – 20 minutes .
• Then flatten the dough and shape them to a semi circle or oval. Make three cuts in the semi circle, one in the center and two on the either sides.
• Use a plastic corner or a visiting card over here as I didn’t find anything in handy I used my old credit card ;)..Don’t use scissors or knife to make slits in the semi circle.
• Make 4 slits with scissors along the arched side.

• Now lift the shaped gibassier and transfer it to a parchment lined tray, make sure you stretch it a little while placing so that the cuts open well.
• Repeat this with all the remaining dough.

• Cover loosely and let it rest for 30-45 mins more.
• Preheat a oven at 180c(350F) and once the gibassier puffs up bake it for 10 -15 mins till you see golden brown crust.
• Once its baked take it out of the oven and brush the bread with some clarified butter with help of baking brush.
• Sprinkle caster sugar / vanilla flavored sugar on each bread and let them cool in a cooling rack.
• Serve this bread warm or at room temperature with coffee / tea.
• I lot 12 gibassiers exactly ..