ROASTED POTATO and OLIVE FOCACCIA

Posted in Breads by sallybr

I am all for avoiding excesses, but every once in a while I will throw caution to the wind and indulge. A bread studded with chunks of roasted potatoes will not make you feel light as a feather, no matter how carefully you go through the “portion control” route. We are talking a fair amount of calories here, but those are very tasty calories, therefore, worth consuming. Just don’t bake it every week! 😉

This is another recipe designed by Dan Lepard, published on The Guardian website – you can shape it as a loaf, but I opted for a thick and rustic focaccia. My electric oven handles flat breads a lot better than loaves, and it’s been a while since I made a focaccia anyway. The clock was ticking….

ROASTED POTATO AND OLIVE BREAD
(Dan Lepard)

450 g yellow, thin-skinned potatoes
a little olive oil to coat potatoes
375 g (ml) water
1 tsp instant dry yeast
100 g yogurt
50 g honey
175 g pitted green olives, coarsely chopped
1 small bunch dill, chopped (I substituted thyme)
2 tsp sea salt
625 g Italian 00 flour (I substituted bread flour)
Olive oil and salt flakes

The potatoes are briefly roasted and incorporated with all other ingredients to make a very sticky dough. Using Dan’s minimal kneading method, the dough rises for several hours, until patted in a baking dish as a focaccia or shaped as a loaf.

For a full, detailed recipe, please follow this link to Dan’s site.

ENJOY!

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Comments: Part of the charm of this bread is the inclusion of potatoes and olives in large chunks, don’t cut them in small pieces. Next time I intend to roast the potatoes just a little bit longer, to make the flavor more prominent in the bread. Some pieces of potato will tend to fall off as you knead, don’t worry, just stick them back into the dough, which, with each kneading cycle will be smoother and smoother.

I am sending this hearty focaccia to Susan’s Yeastspotting event….

ONE YEAR AGO: SALMON CURRY (one of my favorite recipes ever!)

20Sep2010

POLENTA-CRUST TOMATO LOAF

Posted in Breads by sallybr

Another recipe designed by Dan Lepard, courtesy of the Guardian website. In terms of time and overall process, it is very similar to the semolina barbecue buns I blogged about last week, but it results in a bread with a much more assertive flavor – thanks to the tomato and rosemary – and gorgeous crumb color. Even if you are new to bread baking, this recipe will not cause you any grievance – I promise… 😉

POLENTA-CRUST TOMATO LOAF
(Dan Lepard)
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100 g yogurt (3.5 ounces)
25 g tomato paste (1 ounce)
25 ml olive oil (1 + 1/2 Tbs)
125 ml warm water (3.7 oz)
150 g sundried tomatoes in oil, roughly chopped (5 oz)
1 sprig rosemary, leaves picked
400 g bread flour (14 oz)
1½ tsp salt
1 tsp instant dry yeast
Polenta or coarse cornmeal, for shaping

Mix together the yogurt, tomato paste and oil, add the warm water and stir in the tomatoes and rosemary. Put the flour, salt and yeast in a mixing bowl, pour in the tomato mixture and work to a soft dough. Leave resting for 10 minutes, lightly knead on an oiled surface for 10 seconds, and return to the bowl. Repeat this minimal, quick kneading cycle twice more at 10-minute intervals, then leave the dough covered at room temperature for one hour.

Pat the dough into an oval, roll it tightly like a scroll, then roll it back and forth on the worktop, pressing down the ends so they taper slightly. Brush with water and roll in polenta or coarse cornmeal. Place seam-side down on a tray lined with nonstick paper, cover with a cloth and leave for an hour. Slash down the center and bake at 425 F (220 C) for 45 minutes. Allow it to completely cool before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: My favorite type of bread is a sourdough, made with a mixture of white and rye flours, sometimes a little whole wheat flour added in the formula. Open crumb, hearty crust, a great match for any type of meal. Having said that, I agree with Dan Lepard: this loaf has its place in the world, bread snobs should not be twisting their noses at it. It smells terrific while it’s baking, almost as if you are making pizza. Enjoy it with smoked ham or prosciutto, and for a more mellow alternative try a ricotta-based spread (ricotta, lemon zest, salt and pepper: simple, understated, but delicious).

I am submitting this red-tinted loaf to Susan’s Yeastspotting…

ONE YEAR AGO: Light Whole Wheat Bread

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13Sep2010

SEMOLINA BARBECUE BUNS

Posted in Breads by sallybr

Before we left on our journey to L.A., I had this bread in my “to bake soon” list. Life got impossibly busy, but I didn’t worry too much, because I knew it would be a perfect bread for the nano-kitchen: minimal kneading, and doable in our toaster oven. Several of my virtual friends made this bread and raved about it, but that’s a no-brainer: Dan Lepard is the man behind the formula. 😉

SEMOLINA BARBECUE BANS
(from Dan Lepard – The Guardian website)

75g semolina or cornmeal, plus more to finish (I used fine cornmeal)
150 ml boiling water + 200 ml warm water
25g unsalted butter
1 tsp honey (I used agave nectar)
1 Tbs yogurt
1 + 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp instant yeast
450 g bread flour
(olive oil for kneading)

Spoon the semolina into a mixing bowl, pour 150ml of boiling water over it, stir well and leave for 10 minutes. Use a fork to mash the butter, honey, yogurt and salt into the mixture, then slowly work in 200ml of warm water, breaking up any lumps with your fingers. Stir in the yeast and flour, work to a smooth, soft dough and leave for 10 minutes.

Give the dough three 10-second kneads on an oiled surface over 30 minutes, then leave, covered, for an hour. Roll the dough to about 25cm x 35cm on a floured surface, lay on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and leave covered for 20 minutes. Cut the dough into eight flat rectangular “rolls” but do not separate them, just make a deep incision all the way down the baking sheet. Leave, covered, until risen by half (I cut into six rectangles, and allowed them to rise for 25 minutes).

Heat the oven to 465F. Brush the tops of the buns with water, sprinkle with semolina and score a deep crisscross on top with a knife. Bake for about 20 minutes, until brown on top. Let it cool for at least one hour on a rack before amazing yourself at how delicious the rolls taste.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This bread is so simple to prepare that I am still a bit shocked by how good it turned out. If you haven’t yet been sold to the idea that minimal kneading makes excellent bread, this recipe will convince you. I didn’t roll the dough, just stretched it lightly to preserve as much as possible the airy texture acquired in the hour long rise.

Dan made this recipe with pulled pork sandwiches in mind, and the combination would deserve to go into the Sandwich Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, we don’t have any pulled pork at the moment, but the rolls still tasted awesome with ham, cheese and a slice of juicy tomato.

I am submitting this post to Susan’s Yeastspotting… the second bread from our Bewitching-Nano-Kitchen.

ONE YEAR AGO: Lavash Crackers

5Sep2010

SOURDOUGH ENGLISH MUFFINS: A SWEET BEGINNING

Posted in Breads, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

Our nano-kitchen is no longer a bread virgin! This morning I baked a batch of English muffins, my favorite breakfast item. I used a recipe found in Susan’s Wild Yeast blog, that calls for a mixture of whole wheat and regular flours, and baked them on our electric griddle. It was wonderful to feel the smell of freshly baked bread in our new home.

WHOLE-WHEAT SOURDOUGH ENGLISH MUFFINS
(adapted from Wild Yeast blog)

For the sponge (make the day before baking)
110 g sourdough starter (at 100% hydration)
160 g bread flour
100 g whole wheat flour
276 g milk

for the dough
all the sponge
75 g bread flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp honey

Combine all the ingredients for the sponge in a medium bowl, cover and keep at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours.

Add the dough ingredients and mix to combine. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, then knead by gently folding a few times in the bowl. Cover and repeat this minimal kneading two more times over a 45 minute period. Do not add more flour, it will be a little sticky, but with time it will gain body and be easier to handle.

Flour the counter, pat the dough gently over it, cut in 8 pieces and form each one very gently into a flat circle. Place them over a floured parchment paper (dusted with semolina flour or cornmeal if you like), sprinkle flour on top and cover. Allow them to rise for 1 hour.

Cook them on a very hot griddle (450F) slightly coated with oil. Cook them 7-8 minutes per side, but make sure to flip them in the beginning every 2 minutes, this will ensure nicely shaped muffins. Cool completely before splitting them (preferably using a fork).

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I’ve been on a quest for the perfect sourdough / whole wheat muffin, and tried 4 different recipes in the past few weeks. My only change to Susan’s recipe was modify it for minimal kneading, and slightly increase the proofing time. I tried it with a higher proportion of whole wheat in the final dough, but that compromised the texture. This variation gave me the best crumb and still a hearty taste from the whole wheat flour.

I am sending this post to Susan’s Yeastspotting, my first submission straight from the nano-kitchen! So exciting! 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Kaiser Rolls

22Aug2010

WHEN A KING MAKES A PROMISE…

Posted in Breads, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

HE DELIVERS!

Normally, I would shy away from baking a bread using exclusively whole wheat flour, because often they turn out dry, heavy, and not too flavorful. But those folks at King Arthur Flour know their bread extremely well, and recently highlighted in their blog their most popular recipe, a 100% Whole Wheat Bread. They promised that it would produce “a moist, close-grained, nutty, and rich bread, that slices as a dream.” They did not lie: this is a deliciously hearty loaf, not heavy at all, with a hint of sweetness from the honey, perfect to start your day on a very “good carb-note.”

CLASSIC 100% WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
(from King Arthur website)

8 to 10 ounces lukewarm water
1 + 3/4 ounces vegetable oil
3 ounces honey
14 ounces whole wheat flour
2 + 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 ounce dried milk
1 + 1/4 teaspoons salt

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it becomes smooth. Alternatively, knead it in a KitchenAid type machine (I did that for about 7 minutes at speed 2).

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl or large measuring cup, cover it, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours (mine doubled in a little over 1 hour).

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled surface, and shape it into a loaf. Place it in a lightly greased 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 1 to 2 hours, or till the center has crowned about 1″ above the rim of the pan (mine took only 1 hour to reach that point). Towards the end of rising time, heat your oven to 350F.

Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after 20 minutes to prevent over-browning. The finished loaf will register 190°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center.

Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out of the pan on a rack to cool. If desired, rub the crust with a stick of butter; this will yield a soft, flavorful crust (I omitted this step). Cool completely before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

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Comments: The variable amount of water given in the recipe accommodates for differences in humidity and temperature in each kitchen. Start with 8 ounces and see how the dough behaves. It is very important not to add too much flour, or it will be too heavy.

Instead of using my regular oven, I baked this loaf on our Breville toaster/convection oven, and it performed very well. It is a fantastic appliance, one that will be used more and more in the near future. 😉

I am submitting this post to Susan’s Yeastspotting…

ONE YEAR AGO: Basic French Bread