I've been making old world artisan bread at the Apple Farm lately. It's delicious and extra good toasted and served with butter. A slow rise adds an extra dimension of flavor.
The technique involved requires a good scale, instant yeast, fine sea salt, and a Dutch oven. The rest can be worked around if you don't have them. A 12 qt round container and a proofing basket. First of all use an accurate scale to measure ingredients.
Measure Percentages
1000 gm white flour 100%
720 gm water 72%
20 gm fine sea salt 20%
2 gm instant yeast 02%
Measure the flour into a 12 qt round container. Add the water warmed to 95 - 105 degrees and stir with your hand. Get all the dry bits that remain on the bottom and sides and incorporate them into the dough. Let this mixture sit covered for 20 to 30 min. Longer if possible. The longer the better. This is called the autolyse. It allows the flour to better hydrate and starts the progression of flavor building. After the flour and water have sat for a while sprinkle the instant yeast and fine sea salt over the surface of the top of the dough. The technique involved here is to handle the dough very gently. There is no kneading involved, After you sprinkle the salt and yeast, using a wet hand, (wet your hand as needed) fold the dough over itself by grabbing a portion of the edge of the dough and pulling up till you feel resistance then dropping it over the top of the dough. Then pinch large pieces of dough between your hands and mush them together gently, then let it sit covered with plastic wrap sprayed with vegetable oil. Do a fold (pull the dough up and let it fall on to itself) every 20 minutes three times in the first hour.
After the dough has doubled in volume gently turn the dough out onto a floured board as even as possible. You will cut it in half so dust the middle with flour.Take half the dough and fold it in your hands making s smooth round top and place it in a well floured bowl. Cover with a wet towel or oiled plastic wrap and let rise for 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile heat the oven and dutch oven on a middle shelf, for 45 min at 525 degrees. Gently turn out he dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. With floured hands pick up the formed dough and carefully (the dutch oven is extremely hot. Be careful) and gently place the dough in the preheated dutch oven. Be cautious when handling the hot cast iron Dutch oven, use long sleeve oven mitts. Bake for 35 min, then remove the the top of the Dutch oven and bake for 10 more minutes or more till the loaf is dark brown. Turn the finished loaf out and cool on a rack. Let the bread cool for at least 40 minutes before slicing.
Enjoy
Showing posts with label baked. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baked. Show all posts
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Easy Focaccia Recipe
Easy Focaccia Recipe
Start with 5 cups of flour and 2 teaspoons of salt.
Stir two teaspoons sugar and 2 teaspoons active yeast into 1 1/2 cups of
lukewarm water and wait till it gets frothy.
Add a half cup of olive oil
to the flour and stir then add the water, sugar and yeast.
Mix in a bowl by hand or in a mixer and knead for six or seven minutes
to form a soft dough.
It should look like this and should be soft and elastic.
Put a little oil in a bowl and roll around the
dough then cover with plastic and let it rise to double.
Punch it down and put 1/4 cup of olive oil in a 12 x 10 baking pan. Put the dough into the pan and spread the dough to the sides and pour a 1/4 cup of olive oil on top.
Push it into the edges of the pan and poke holes in it with your fingers aggressively.
Let it rise again and sprinkle with chopped rosemary.
Bake at high temp 425 degrees for 20 - 22 minutes till internal temperature is 190 - 210 degrees
Turn out of the pan and place on a cooling rack.
Easy recipe, 20 - 30 minutes hands on time.
Labels:
baked,
baking,
bread,
easy,
focaccia,
ingredients,
recipe,
with photos
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