The story behind the bread is the stuff of fairy tales you maybe read as a kid, and the images stayed with you forever.  Picture yourself as a young boy, going for a hike in the forest with a group of buddies and a few supervising adults. Their goal is to visit breathtakingly beautiful caves in Romania.  But, his guide  decided to wander apart from the rest of the group, and the two of them took what was supposed to be a shortcut to the caves.   You see where this is going…   They got hopelessly lost.  They walked, and walked some more.  They searched around for hours, through a dense fog that unexpectedly came down, and made everything much worse.  It got cold, rainy, and dark.  The boy was wearing just a light t-shirt and ended up shivering, all wet from the rain. They finally stumbled upon a little house in the middle of the woods, and decided to take a risk and knock on the door, having no idea who could be living in such a place.   A nice couple welcomed them inside. The old woman was cooking flatbreads, they smelled amazing.  She offered some to the boy, and that was by far the best thing he’d ever tasted in his almost 10 years of life!  And they told them exactly how to get to the caves and reunite with their group…

(Pestera Scarisoara Cave, image from Wikimedia Commons)

Thirty years went by.  The boy is now a grownup man, and his girlfriend a gorgeous woman, whose passion for cooking lead her to try and recreate the flatbread of her partner’s childhood.   And I am lucky enough to take a ride on their journey, and sample the delicious cheesy bread that warmed a little  boy’s heart and soul.

CODRUTA’S CHEESE FLATBREAD
(from Apa. Faina. Sare)

60 g  (2.1 oz) sourdough starter (100% hydration)
70 g  (2.5 oz)    water
60 g  (2.1 oz) yoghurt
2 eggs (about 100g / 3.5 oz)
315 g all purpose flour
6 g  (0.2 oz) salt
30 g (1 oz) sunflower oil

Dissolve the sourdough starter in the water, mixing gently.  Add the yoghurt and beat well, then whisk the eggs in the mixture.   Add the flour, stir, and let the dough sit for 20 minutes at room temperature.

Add salt and knead with an electric mixer until the gluten starts to develop (about 6 minutes).  If the dough seems to soft, add a tablespoon of flour.  Add the oil in small amounts, continuing to mix, until the dough absorbs all the oil.   At this point, the gluten must be very well developed, and the dough quite elastic and smooth.

This amount of dough is enough for 12 to 15 flatbreads. If you want to make fewer, simply store in the refrigerator the dough not used. Next day it will have even better flavor.   Place the dough you want to use on the same day it is made in a warm place and let it rise for 4 to 5 hours.

Pick the fillings of your choice: crumbled sheep’s cheese with herbs, or sautéed cabbage, or go for a sweet version using grated apples and cinnamon sugar.

When you want to make the flatbreads,  tear pieces of 45-50 g of dough and stretch over a surface lightly coated with oil (a smooth plate works great, or a granite countertop) until it forms a circle about 15 cm  (6 inches) in diameter.   Place the filling in the center, and fold all edges over the filling, sealing well and making sure no big air bubbles are trapped inside.  Carefully roll the circle as thin as you are able to, without tearing the surface.  You can try and make it around 20-22 cm (8 inches) in diameter, but it takes a bit of practice.

As you roll each one, place it on a skillet coated with a light spray of oil (well seasoned cast iron, or non-stick), and fry each flatbread until nicely browned on both sides.  Transfer it to a plate and proceed to cook the next one.   Or, if you roll them a little smaller, fry as many as you can fit in your pan, but don’t allow them to touch.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments:  When Phil took the first bite of the bread, he immediately remembered the cheese breads from Brazil, and the feeling he had the first time he had one: pure bliss!   We can testify that you won’t need to be lost in a forest to appreciate these babies, they are awesome!

Now, please go to Codruta’s blog, and check her photos to see how she made them a lot thinner than mine.  I was afraid to do it, but I know next time I’ll be more daring.  The dough is very forgiving, there’s enough fat in it to make it pliable.   I used a Mexican type cheese (Cotija),  but next time I’ll crumble it in smaller pieces, that will help stretching the dough thinner too.  Because it was just the two of us enjoying the flatbreads, I halved the recipe and used a food processor to do the kneading, as the amount of dough was too small for my Kitchen Aid.  Simply put the dough in the bowl of the processor and turn it on for about 20 seconds.  See if it’s smooth and maybe process 10 more seconds.  The dough will feel warm, don’t worry about it.  It will be fine. 

Next time I want to make these flatbreads filled with sauteed shredded cabbage, as Codruta told me it’s one of her favorite flavors.  But, the possibilities are endless, you can even make them without any filling, and just sprinkle some spices on the dough before enclosing and stretching.   A great use for your sourdough starter!

Note added after publication:  I apologize for spelling Romania incorrectly at first.  My Brazilian nature interfered, and I used the spelling from Portuguese. It’s all corrected now, but if you happened to catch the first version, sorry! 

I am sending this post to Susan Yeastspotting…

ONE YEAR AGO: When Life gives you (Meyer) Lemons

TWO YEARS AGO:  Blasted Broccoli, Stove-top version

Now, time for some fun with it.  Remember the proofing bread box I gave myself for Christmas?   Well, I put it to the test, by making a batch of sourdough bread and dividing the dough in two.  Half went into the cozy environment of the box (78 F), half stayed outside in my kitchen kept (at this time of the year) at around 70F.  The recipe I chose for such a ground-breaking experiment comes from a great baker, who blogs at Breadcetera.  You can learn a ton of stuff from him, make sure to bookmark his site and visit often.   He developed this technique called “double flour addition,”  with the goal of maximizing the amount of air bubbles trapped in the dough from the very beginning of mixing.  These tiny air bubbles, created by whisking the very loose mixture of flour and water, later generates the pockets of air that every baker searches for in this type of rustic loaf.

SOURDOUGH BREAD WITH DOUBLE FLOUR ADDITION
(from Breadcetera)

680 g bread flour
90 g whole wheat flour
455 g water
15 g salt
300 g sourdough starter (at 100% hydration)

Combine the flours in a large bowl and lightly mix them with a whisk.

Add the water and the sourdough starter to the bowl of a Kitchen Aid mixer, and use the whisk attachment to work them together at the lowest speed for a minute or so.  At this point, you only need to combine them and have the starter dispersed through the water.    Add just 75g of the flour mixture, and increase the speed of the mixer to level 3. Whisk until the mixture seems quite aerated (about 3 to 4 minutes).

Remove the whisk attachment and place the dough hook in place. Add the rest of the flour, and knead for a couple of minutes, until the flour forms a shaggy mass.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes.

Sprinkle the salt over the dough, and mix on speed 3 for 6 minutes.  Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let it ferment for 2 hours, without any folding or kneading.  Divide the dough in two equal pieces, and lightly give it a round shape.   Let it rest for 15 minutes for the gluten to relax,  and do a final shaping, creating surface tension by pulling the sides of the dough up as you gather it all in the “boule” shape.   Place the balls of dough, seam side up, in a floured round container (such as a brotform), cover with plastic, and let it ferment for 3 hours at 78 F.

Invert the dough on a peel, score, and bake at 425 F for 40 minutes, with steam during the first 15 minutes.  Let it completely cool before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

For my experiment, I divided the dough in two right before the first fermentation, and placed one half in the proofing box.   That dough stayed in the box until baking time, the other one stayed over the kitchen table, protected from drafts.  The difference in the dough itself was pretty dramatic, but I could not get a picture that was good enough to show it. However, once the bread was baked, the one from the proofing box had much better oven spring, the other one was a bit on the flattish side.   Both were delicious, and the crumb had a nice structure, but one bread looked a lot “healthier.”   Here they are…

You can see that the taller bread, with a more round shape, had better oven spring, bursting through the slashing with greater power. Sorry, no photos of the crumb, we froze that baby for later and by the time we got to enjoying it, I forgot to grab the camera.

The bread proofing box not only optimizes the temperature, but also provides the correct amount of humidity, thanks to the small dish that sits at the bottom of the box, with some water in it.  No need to worry about a skin forming on the loaf in the final proofing, no need to use plastic to cover it.  A very well designed machine, that is getting constant use in our home.

I am submitting this post to Susan’s Yeastspotting…

ONE YEAR AGO: Shrimp and Fennel Casserole

TWO YEARS AGO:  Tuscan Bread

Jessica contacted me and told me I could write a blog on any type of recipe, which immediately launched me into a hyperventilation fit.  Since one of the things that calms me down is bread baking, I opted for a sourdough.  Easy decision. Which bread to make was a lot more complicated, as at any given time I might have 20 breads on my  “to bake soon” list.  

I chose a sourdough boule that would be appropriate for a feast!   Curious?  Click here for the article and the recipe…

This bread will be submitted to Susan’s Yeastspotting event, my first submission of 2012!

Jessica (and Valerie), thanks so much for the opportunity to contribute to your site!

Just a sunset…. a Maui sunset… 

]]> http://bewitchingkitchen.com/2012/01/09/a-guest-blog-feast/feed/ 15 sallybr DSCN5477 http://bewitchingkitchen.com/2011/12/05/focaccia-with-sun-dried-tomatoes-and-gorgonzola/ http://bewitchingkitchen.com/2011/12/05/focaccia-with-sun-dried-tomatoes-and-gorgonzola/#comments Mon, 05 Dec 2011 06:01:19 +0000 sallybr http://bewitchingkitchen.com/?p=11764 Continue reading →]]> I used my basic “No Need to Knead” recipe as the starting point for this version, that includes a small amount of rye flour in the dough.  Rye gives it a more “rustic” feel, and the sun dried tomatoes a hint of sweetness to balance the sharpness of the gorgonzola cheese.  This colorful focaccia will be a great addition to  your end of the year festivities, and it is so simple to prepare, you can pull it even in the middle of an intense cooking marathon.

FOCACCIA WITH SUN DRIED TOMATOES AND GORGONZOLA
(inspired by Suzanne Dunaway’s “No Need to Knead”)

2 cups lukewarm water
2 tsp active dry yeast
3 + 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup rye flour
3 tsp salt
1-2 Tbs  olive oil
4 ounces sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil
2 ounces gorgonzola cheese
2 T chopped fresh rosemary
kosher salt for topping

Measure the water in the bowl of a KitchenAid mixer, sprinkle yeast over the water and stir until dissolved. Add the two types of flour, and the 3 teaspoons of salt.  Mix for a minute or so, until ingredients form a shaggy mass.   Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

Using the kneading pad, knead the dough for about 8 minutes, until smooth.  It should still cling to the sides and the bottom of the bowl.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until almost doubled in volume (1 to 1.5 hours).  Meanwhile, cut the sun dried tomatoes in small pieces, and crumble the gorgonzola cheese.  Reserve.

Heat the oven to 500F. Oil one (or two)  non-stick 13×18 inch baking sheets (I prefer to use a single one, to get a thicker focaccia).

Pour the dough onto the sheet,  brush the surface with 1 Tbs olive oil. Dip your fingers in cold water or olive oil and make indentations all over the dough, working to stretch the dough as you go. Distribute the sun dried tomato and gorgonzola cheese all over, pushing them into the dough, using a little more olive oil, if necessary.   Sprinkle rosemary leaves all over, a little salt (careful, gorgonzola is salty), and place it in the oven, reducing the temperature to 450F.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments:  I went back into kneading-mode for this version,  using the KitchenAid instead of stirring with the wooden spoon, and noticed that a longer time of fermentation was better, perhaps because of the rye flour, so leave it for a full hour and check if the dough is bubbly and noticeably risen.  If not, leave it for another 15 to 30 minutes.

Some of the sun dried tomatoes might insist on falling off the bread, but guests don’t seem to mind chasing them… 

I am submitting this post to Susan’s Yeastspotting.  Stop by to see what everyone else is bringing to the party!

ONE YEAR AGO:  Revisiting Spring

TWO YEARS AGO: Basic Sourdough Bread