"Ken Knecht" > wrote in message
...
> "Doug Kanter" > wrote in
> :
>
>> "Ken Knecht" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> "Doug Kanter" > wrote in news:7%CRf.17473
>>> :
>>>
>>>> How about making a sourdough starter, and using that to make the
>>>> bread?
>>>>
>>>
>>> I've never tried sourdough bread. Something to look into.
>>
>>
>> Here's a good recipe for your first try:
>>
>> Source: In Nonna's Kitchen, by Carol Field
>>
>>
>>
>> Pane Casareccio (Homemade Country Bread)
>>
>>
>>
>> Flour, water, salt and yeast: the breads of the Italian countryside
>> combine four of the most basic ingredients on earth to create
>> delicious country loaves with thick chewy crusts. Many years ago I
>> learned to bake Italian country bread with Nella Galletti at her home
>> in the Umbrian countryside and later discovered that Annita di Fonzo
>> Zannella makes her bread the same way. Nella made traditional saltless
>> bread for which she kept her ingredients in a large madia, a deep
>> wooden chest that held both flour and the natural yeast that came from
>> keeping some dough of that week's baking and setting it aside to be
>> used as leavening for the next week's bread. She mixed the starter
>> with the flour and then began pouring scoops of water directly into
>> the mixture, beating and mixing and kneading for at least 40 minutes.
>> The amounts were immense! She kneaded so vigorously that the dough
>> became like a huge blanket that she kept turning and pummeling and
>> kneading some more until it was elastic and silky and very resilient.
>> Her muscles had a definite workout. After she allowed the dough its
>> initial rise, she shaped it into rounds, let them rise again on
>> floured canvas she pleated between loaves so they wouldn't fuse, and
>> set them on a board. When they were ready-doubled and full of air
>> bubbles-she called a neighbor, who hoisted the board onto his shoulder
>> and took its many loaves to the hot wood-burning oven. Nella swabbed
>> the oven with rainwater that she had saved to create steam, and then
>> she slid in the rounds. An hour later, out came the crunchy crusted
>> bread that would feed Nella, her family, and neighbors for a week.
>>
>>
>>
>> When I explained to Nella that Americans don't have such natural
>> starter available to them, she suggested making a biga, a starter with
>> almost no yeast at all, and letting it rise for two days. You don't
>> have to do anything for the two days in which it sits at room
>> temperature, but you must be sure to start your bread baking with
>> enough time to allow the biga to ferment and develop its rich flavor.
>>
>>
>>
>> Biga (bread starter)
>>
>> ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast or 1/10 small cake fresh yeast
>>
>> ¼ cup warm water
>>
>> ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons water, room temperature
>>
>> 2-1/2 cups (about 11 ounces) unbleached all purpose flour
>>
>>
>>
>> Dough
>>
>> 1-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast, or ½ cake (1/3 ounce) fresh yeast
>>
>> ¼ cup warm water, 105 to 115 degrees for dry yeast, 95 to 105 degrees
>> for fresh
>>
>> 2-1/3 cups water
>>
>> 1 cup (about 8 ounces) biga, measured at room temperature
>>
>> About 5-1/2 to 5-3/4 cups (approx 1-3/4 pounds) unbleached all purpose
>> flour
>>
>> 1 tablespoon sea salt or kosher salt
>>
>> Cornmeal (for baking stones or pans)
>>
>>
>>
>> To make the biga: Stir the yeast into the warm water and let stand
>> until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining water and then
>> the flour, 1 cup at a time. If you are making the biga by hand, mix
>> with a wooden spoon for about 4 minutes. If you are using a
>> heavy-duty electric mixer, mix with the paddle at the lowest speed for
>> about 2 minutes.
>>
>>
>>
>> Rising: Place the sticky biga in a large lightly oiled bowl, cover
>> with plastic wrap, and let rise at cool room temperature for 24 to 48
>> hours. The starter will triple in volume, then fall back upon itself.
>> It ill still be wet and sticky when you use it, so moisten your hands
>> when you scoop some out to measure it. Cover and refrigerate after 48
>> hours. You may keep the biga refrigerated for up to 5 days.
>>
>>
>>
>> To make the dough by hand: Stir the yeast into the warm water in a
>> large mixing bowl; let it stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Add
>> the room temperature water and the biga. Squeeze the biga through
>> your fingers to break it up and then stir it vigorously with a wooden
>> spoon until the water is chalky white and the starter is well
>> shredded. Begin stirring the flour mixed with the salt, 2 cups at a
>> time, into the yeast mixture. Beat well with a wooden spoon until the
>> dough comes together into a shaggy moist mass. Flour your work surface
>> and your dough scraper and keep a mound of flour nearby for your
>> hands. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface and, with the help
>> of the dough scraper and as little flour as possible, turn and knead
>> the dough until it gradually loses its stickiness, although it will
>> remain wet.
>>
>>
>>
>> By heavy-duty electric mixer: Stir the yeast into the warm water in a
>> large mixing bowl; let it stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Add
>> the room temperature water and the biga. Squeeze the biga through
>> your fingers to break it up and then stir it vigorously with a wooden
>> spoon until the water is chalky white and the starter is well
>> shredded. Add the flour and salt and with the paddle attachment mix
>> until the dough comes together. You may need to add up to 4
>> tablespoons more flour, but the dough will never come away from the
>> sides and bottom of the bowl. Change to the dough hook and knead for
>> 4 to 5 minutes at medium speed. You may finish kneading the sticky
>> wet dough by hand on a well-floured surface, sprinkling the top with
>> up to 4 tablespoons more flour.
>>
>>
>>
>> First Rise: Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. If you have a
>> straight-sided translucent plastic container, please use it so that
>> you can mark exactly where the dough starts and measure its progress
>> until it has tripled. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise
>> until tripled and full of air bubbles, about 3 hours.
>>
>>
>>
>> Shaping and second rise: Turn the sticky dough out onto a
>> well-floured work surface. Flour a dough scraper and have a mound of
>> flour nearby for your hands. Pour the dough out of the bowl but do
>> not punch it down. Lightly flour the top and cut into 3 equal pieces.
>> You can moisten your hands in water if the dough seems very sticky;
>> wet hands do not stick to wet dough. Flatten each piece and roll it up
>> lengthwise, using your thumbs as a guide for how tight the rolls
>> should be. Turn the dough 90 degrees, gently pat it flat, and roll it
>> up again, still using your thumbs as a guide. Shape each piece into a
>> ball by rolling the dough between your cupped hands, using the surface
>> of your work table to generate tension and create a taut skin on the
>> surface of the dough. Place the loaves on floured parchment paper or
>> waxed paper, set them on baking sheets or pizza peels, cover with a
>> heavy cloth, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
>>
>>
>>
>> At least 30 minutes before you plan to bake, heat the oven(s) to 450
>> degrees with baking stones inside.
>>
>>
>>
>> Baking: Just before baking, sprinkle the stones with cornmeal.
>> Gently invert the loaves onto the stones-you may leave whatever
>> parchment paper has stuck to the wet dough for 15 minutes or so and
>> remove it once the dough has set. You may prefer to slide the loaves
>> onto the baking stones without turning them over; you may also leave
>> them on the baking sheets and set them directly on the stones. The
>> break will look deflated when you initially put it in, but will puff
>> up like a pillow in no time. Bake until golden brown and crusty,
>> about 35 minutes, or until a tap on the bottom produces a hollow sound
>> that indicates the loaf is baked. Cool on racks.
>>
>>
>>
>> Variation: Use 1 scant cup (5 ounces) whole wheat flour, preferably
>> stone-ground and 4-3/4 cups (1-1/3 pounds) unbleached all-purpose
>> flour.
>>
>>
>>
>
> Thank you.

You're welcome. I forgot to mention what's already obvious - the recipe's
not for a bread machine. But, kneading dough is good. Visualize your boss'
neck, or your least favorite politician. :-)