Here's a short example video of me scoring the 1,800 gram Miche early this morning. If anyone wants to try this, maybe you'll get that last score more parallel than I did 😂

I'd hope to make some videos as I baked today, but that was not in the cards for me with my schedule. Instead, I took some pictures that I've added to the Miche de l'Ours Formula & Baking Guide inside the Bake Like a Boulanger course in the classroom. I'll have more to add after I bake early tomorrow morning. Check them out and let me know if helpful. I added a few here of them here as well.

In the heart of the French tradition, the boule—which literally translates to "ball" and is pronounced bool—is the quintessential round loaf that defines the rustic soul of sourdough baking. In the context of the boulangerie, it represents one of the most fundamental shapes a baker learns, requiring a specific tension-pulling technique to create a smooth outer skin that allows the bread to expand upward rather than outward during the bake. The historical weight of this term is so significant that it gave rise to the very word for a bread baker, the boulanger, and the shop itself, the boulangerie, tracing back to a time when round loaves were the standard form for communal ovens across the French countryside. Mastering the boule is a prerequisite for more advanced forms, and the process of creating its tight surface tension is a vital precursor to the grignage, the scoring of the dough, which ensures the loaf opens beautifully alongside its counterpart, the bâtard, or the oval-shaped loaf.

Head over to the classroom to find the Miche formula and baking guide, ingredient list, and quick timeline in the Bake Like a Boulanger course. We'll be baking Miche de l’Ours (pronounced meesh duh loorse) means Miche of the Bear. It seems a fitting name for a large substantial bread like miche that traditionally nourished a family. Historically, when freshly baked it was served fresh with butter; by the end of the week, it was still present in the form of pain perdu (French toast) or croutons for soup. It is sometimes said that miche is food that never gives up on the family. This recipe is designed with ingredients easily found in most grocery stores and includes whole wheat flour, rye flour, bread flour, and all purpose flour. The blend of flours seeks to recreate a traditional French flour with lower protein and milled with a bit more of the wheat bran and germ than you'll find if American bread flour. The total hydration, including the flour and water contributed by the starter, is 76%. You'll want to aim to maintain a dough temperature of 76 F throughout fermentation. Traditionally it is baked 'bien cuit' to a dark mahogany color as you can see in the photos from my test bake last week. And remember to click on the check mark at the top right corner of each page to document your progress. Even if you're not baking along, you'll find lots of interesting information about French baking and bread culture.

The term miche literally translates to "loaf" or "large round loaf" and is pronounced meesh. In the realm of traditional French sourdough, a miche represents the pinnacle of rustic baking—a substantial, hand-shaped boule that can weigh anywhere from one to several kilograms, typically made with high-extraction flours and a natural levain. Historically, these large loaves were the heart of French village life; because communal ovens were often fired only once a week, families required enormous, thick-crusted breads that could retain moisture and stay edible for many days. This necessity birthed the iconic miche Poilâne, which revitalized interest in stone-ground grains and natural fermentation during the mid-20th century. When you bake a miche, you are managing a massive amount of thermal mass, requiring a carefully timed cuisson to ensure the center is fully baked without burning the exterior, a process that ultimately yields a deep, complex flavor profile far more intense than that of a smaller baguette or bâtard.