Also in the news... I've been obsessed with learning how to make a great loaf of bread. Last night I had a minor breakthrough. A nice crunchy crust.
The recipe is from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. I made a sponge of half the flour, yeast, salt and water the night before, then added the rest of the flour and salt the next day.
I flattened the dough like focaccia and dusted the top with fresh rosemary, salt and lashings of olive oil. Then baked the loaf in my new red enamel braiser with the lid on for about twenty minutes at 400 to steam the crust, then finished the baking at 375 with the lid off for another twenty minutes or so.
The bread came out more than decent. The crust had a nice amount of crunch and the inside had a marvelous chewy flavor. I didn't get a very good photo of the finished loaf, we were too busy eating it. The leftover half is going to be bruschetta tonight.
Doing the double kneading was pretty labor intensive and made a fuss of a mess. Next I'm going to try doing a one step version and see if I get similar results.
Back to inking,
Marilyn.
---
It's fun to get together and have something good to eat at least once a day.
That's what human life is all about-enjoying things.
~ Julia Child
Looks yummy! You might also take a look at "5 minute a day Artisan Bread." Lots of info online, and after I checked out the book from the library I had to buy my own copy. Basically you mix up a big batch of dough, let it rise, then store in the fridge and bake up a hunk each time you want bread. There is no kneading, and the results are fabulous. I've been baking bread for 40+ years and this is my favorite method!
ReplyDeleteI've tried the Five Minutes a Day" bread and it is tasty. I do prefer this new recipe for the crust. Home made beats store bought every day of the week. :-)
DeleteYour bread is lovely! I love a good crust and chewy crumb- I bake my bread this way sometimes ( in a Dutch oven). Did you heat the oven first and then put the dough in there hot?
ReplyDeleteNo, I let the bread rise in the pan and chucked it into the hot oven. I would have liked a bit more color in the crust. Next time I might do an egg wash.
Delete