A FOCACCIA EXPERIMENT

Posted in Breads by sallybr

A few months ago I followed an interesting discussion at The Fresh Loaf forum, in which a member (Kevin) made a mistake while scaling up a recipe (I can relate to that too well, by the way) and ended up with one of the best focaccias he’d ever made! Being a very experienced baker, he made several batches of the same recipe, to convince himself that the small alteration in the method was indeed responsible for the outcome. It all comes down to holding back some of the water (and the salt) in the recipe, and adding it a little later to the dough. The rationale behind doing it was actually discussed a few years ago by Steve in his blog “Breadcetera” – check it out by clicking here.

I was anxious to try this variation in my favorite, default recipe, and this past weekend I finally had a chance to perform this important experiment.

DOUBLE-HYDRATION FOCACCIA
(inspired by The Fresh Loaf Forum)

2 cups lukewarm water, divided
2 tsp active dry yeast
4 cups unbleached bread flour
3 tsp salt
2-3 tsp olive oil
2 T chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp kosher salt

Measure 1 + 1/2 cup of water in a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over water and stir until dissolved. Using a strong wooden spoon mix 2 cups of flour until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 cups of flour, and knead with your hands (inside the bowl is fine), until the dough forms a very shaggy mass. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Dissolve the salt in the remaining 1/2 cup of (lukewarm) water. Add it to the dough, and mix with your hands using a squishing/kneading motion. Do not be alarmed by the look of the dough at this point. Slowly the water and salt will find their way into the mixture. Once it all seems incorporated, cover the bowl and let it rise undisturbed for 1 hour and 20 minutes. The dough will be very bubbly at this point.

Heat the oven to 450F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 inch baking sheet. Pour the dough onto the sheet, brush the surface with 2 tsp 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. Brush the surface with another teaspoon of olive oil, sprinkle with rosemary and salt.

Place in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack and….

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Compared to the regular recipe, this focaccia rose a lot more, had a more airy crumb, and a softer crust. If you like to use focaccia to made a sandwich, a panini-type production, this recipe is perfect for it. However, to make a proper comparison, I must wait until we get home. With a large oven, I will be able to make two batches, bake them at the same time and draw a clear conclusion. So, stay tuned. June is not too far away. (I say that with mixed feelings, it won’t be easy to say goodbye to Los Angeles… )

I am submitting this post to Susan’s Yeastspotting, a must-visit site for all lovers of bread…

and, I am also joining a fun blog party, hosted by Alyssa from Cupcake Apothecary: “A Themed Bakers Sunday.” This week the theme is a favorite of mine: Bread! Check out all the other entries and vote for your favorite!

ONE YEAR AGO: Pierre Nury’s Bougnat (awesome recipe!)

4May2011

PAIN DE PROVENCE

Posted in Breads by sallybr

As I mentioned before, I get a lot of inspiration for bread baking over at The Fresh Loaf Forum. Browsing through their huge collection of recipes, one made me quite nostalgic, thinking about our good times living in France. I absolutely had to make it: a “boule” loaded with herbes de Provence! It cannot possibly get much better than that. The recipe comes from Floyd, The Fresh Loaf’s host and a very accomplished bread baker. He got his inspiration from a recipe found in Bernard Clayton’s Complete Book of Breads. My copy, by the way, sits patiently at home, waiting for our return… 😉

I cut the recipe in half to make it easier to bake in my small Breville electric oven, but I’m posting the regular version, which will produce a larger loaf. The dough requires an overnight poolish, but is very simple and straightforward to make. Don’t be alarmed by the amount of herbs, they perfume the bread with just enough intensity to make you fall in love with it more and more at each bite.

PAIN DE PROVENCE
(adapted from Floyd’s recipe)

for the poolish (made 8 to 18 hours before the final dough):
1 cup bread flour
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast

for the dough:
All the poolish made the day before
2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup Herbes de Provence
1 + 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier (I substituted orange juice)
1/4-1/2 cup water

The night before baking, make the poolish by mixing together 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of water, and 1/2 teaspoon of yeast to make a batter. Cover the container with plastic wrap and set aside for 8 to 18 hours until you are ready to make the final dough.

To make the dough, combine the remaining flour with the remaining yeast, salt, and herbs. Add the poolish, the liqueur, and 1/4 cup of the additional water. Mix the ingredients, and, if necessary, add more water or flour until the proper consistency is reached .

Mix by gentle kneading, and leave it undisturbed for 20 minutes in a lightly greased bowl. Do three more cycles of gentle kneading (or folding) every 30 minutes. At the end of the last kneading (a little less than 2 hs of bulk fermentation), let the dough rise undisturbed for a full hour.

Remove the dough from the bowl and shape it into a ball or long loaf. Cover the loaf with a damp towel and allow it to rise again until doubled in size, which takes between 60 and 90 more minutes.

While the loaf is in its final rise, preheat the oven to 450F, with a baking stone inside, if you will be using it. Just prior to placing the loaf in the oven, score the top of it with a sharp knife or razor blade.

Place the loaf in the oven and bake for 20 minutes at 450, then rotate it 180 degrees and reduce the oven temperature to 375 and baked it another 25 minutes. The internal temperature of the loaf should be around 200F.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least a half an hour before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Of all the spices present in herbes de Provence, lavender is the one that I detect first and foremost. I once visited that part of France at the time when the lavender fields were in full bloom, and the smell everywhere is simply unforgettable. I thought the amount of herbs in the dough could be a bit excessive, but reading Floyd’s remarks about it gave me the reassurance to make it exactly as he did. The aroma of the herbs is evident from the moment you mix the dough, but once the bread is midway through baking, you cannot wait to try the first slice.

The crumb is light and airy, and the bread is quite unique for its delicate herbal tones. I have a special sandwich in mind for this bread, but that is a story to be told another time… 😉

I am sending this to Yeastspotting….

ONE YEAR AGO: Golspie Loaf

20Feb2011

CORNMEAL ENGLISH MUFFINS

Posted in Breads by sallybr

Or, as Dan Lepard described them, “traditional English muffins with a neat twist.” They have the exact same look of the regular English muffin, similar texture, but a slightly more complex taste due to the addition of cornmeal to the dough. Since they are leavened by commercial, fast acting yeast, you can have these tasty treats ready for brunch in less than 3 hours. Making bread first thing in the morning always makes me feel good, and gets the weekend started with a great vibe!

CORNMEAL ENGLISH MUFFINS
(detailed recipe found at The Guardian website)

The dough is made with soaked cornmeal, bread flour, yogurt, vinegar, and commercial yeast.

One important modification: I used only 350ml of water instead of the 425ml called for in the original recipe, after the advice of two friends (Celia and Joanna) who recently made these muffins and felt they did not hold their shape well if the full amount of water is added.

After three cycles of quick kneading, the dough rises undisturbed for an hour and a half, then is rolled 1/2 inch thick, and cut in circles. Initial cooking on a very hot griddle, 4 to 6 minutes per side, produces a beautifully golden crust on the surface…

They go into a 400F oven for 10 more minutes to make sure the crumb is fully set, and after patiently waiting for them to cool down, the baker might be lucky enough to hear her partner saying “can I make a little sandwich for you”?

I am submitting this post to Susan’s Yeastspotting….

ONE YEAR AGO: Cornish Hens for a Sunday Dinner

15Jan2011

WEEKEND PITA PROJECT

Posted in Breads by sallybr

I grew up enjoying one of my favorite breads, pita, on a weekly basis. In Brazil it’s called “pao sirio” (Syrian bread). As I’ve mentioned before, Middle Eastern food is very popular in Sao Paulo, so my weekends often included visits to a particular spot that sold bags of freshly baked flat bread. It was similar to what we call “pita” here in the US, and usually associate with Greek food. The current bagged stuff at grocery stores pales in comparison to freshly baked pita, and it’s so easy to make that once you master this technique, I doubt you’ll go back to the commercial versions. Unless, of course, you’re lucky enough to have a Middle Eastern bakery right in your neighborhood… 😉

This recipe comes from Dan Lepard, and you can find it by clicking here. You can also read a discussion about it in his forum by following this link.

Dan’s method involves a simple dough (flour, yeast, sugar, olive oil, a little salt) prepared with his minimal kneading procedures, divided into 8 portions, and each one rolled into an oval or circle about 5mm (1/4 inch) thick. The flat breads bake over a blazing-hot baking sheet for a few minutes, until they puff (or not, depending on how well you hit the correct thickness) and acquire a hint of color.

When you hit the jackpot – the slightly elusive, “just-right” thickness, you’ll be rewarded with a beautifully puffed up balloon in your oven!

Comments: Whenever I succeed in baking bread with my electric oven, I wear a smile and walk on top of the world for a few days! Baking 8 pita circles took some patience and fiddling with the oven. Besides baking one at a time, I had to start with the rack in the center, and as the bread puffed up I quickly moved it to the lower position. Against all odds, I didn’t burn myself! It took me more than an hour to bake the full batch, which told me that the dough can sit at room temperature for a long time and still produced great pita! 😉

By the way, if your pita doesn’t inflate as a balloon, it will still be delicious. In fact, I like to roll a few slightly thicker, because they produce a softer bread, with more crumb and a chewy texture. It’s a nice change from the “pocket” version, that also re-heats a little better next day.

I am thrilled to submit this post to Susan’s Yeastspotting, my first this year!

ONE YEAR AGO: Tried and Tasted Round-up

15Dec2010

FESTIVUS DINNER ROLLS

Posted in Breads by sallybr

A post dedicated to all the Seinfeld fans… 😉

Sometimes in a meal a bread grabs the spotlight. Think about the glory of a rustic sourdough boule beside a bowl of lentil soup, or a slice of pain Poilane beneath a golden cheesy layer of Croque Monsieur. But during a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner feast the breads accept a more humble place. Small rolls, soft and unpretentious, are the best choice. This recipe was published in Fine Cooking magazine in 2001, with Abigail Johnson Dodge behind it, which means it is flawless. You can make and shape the dough a day beforehand, place it in the fridge, and bake it while entertaining your guests on even a very busy cooking day.

CLASSIC DINNER ROLLS
(Abigail Johnson Dodge, Fine Cooking 2001)

18 oz. (4 cups) all-purpose flour
1 package (2-1/4 tsp.) rapid-rise yeast
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
4 oz. (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter
3 large egg yolks

Place the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in the bowl of your KitchenAid type mixer, mix to combine. Put the bowl in the mixer stand and fit it with the dough hook.

Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan, stirring gently until the butter melts, and the temperature reaches 115F to 125F. Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients in the bowl, add the egg yolks, and mix with the dough hook in low speed until everything forms a shaggy mass. Increase the speed to medium high and mix/knead for about 8 minutes.

Remove the dough from the bowl, shape it into a ball, grease the bowl lightly with oil, and place the dough back inside, covering with plastic wrap. Let it rise until doubled in size (45 minutes if using rapid-rise yeast, a little longer for other types of yeast).

Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Turn the dough onto a clean work surface (no need to flour; the dough is soft but not sticky) and gently press to deflate. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, form each into a ball, and place in the pan, with the seam side down.

Cover the pan with plastic and let the dough rise until almost doubled, about 30 min. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375°F. Remove the plastic and bake the rolls until they’re puffed and browned, about 20 min. Serve warm.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: To make this recipe in advance, cover the rolls with plastic wrap right after shaping and place them in the fridge. Next day remove the dish from the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for 2 hours, and then bake the rolls at 375 F.

I brushed the rolls right before baking with an egg wash (1 egg beaten with a couple of teaspoons of water), because I like the shiny look it gives to the bread. However, you can also bake them without it, as the original recipe suggests.

Warm from the oven, these rolls are perfect to soak up that last bit of gravy on your plate. And they can return the next day sliced in half, for mini-turkey or prime-rib sandwiches, a holiday tradition in many American homes!

If you are hosting a big Christmas or New Year’s Eve dinner, these rolls will be a nice addition to your menu. They are very easy to make – even if you are a rookie bread baker – and absolutely delicious.

I am submitting this post to Yeastspotting.

ONE YEAR AGO: Lebanese Baked Kibbe (one of my favorite recipes ever!)