Artisan Bread Recipes: Artisan bread recipes for beginner, a complete cookbook to making delicious and simple to baking kneaded breads

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Artisan Bread Recipes

Artisan bread recipes for beginner, a complete cookbook to making delicious and simple to baking kneaded breads

Chloe Wilson

Copyright Disclaimer Copyright © 2021 by Chloe Wilson. All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express writer permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Disclaimer Notice: Please note the knowledge contained inside this document is for academic and recreation functions. No warranties of any kind are declared or indicated. Readers acknowledge that the author in not involving within the rendering of legal, financial, medical or expert recommendations. The content inside this book has been derived from many sources. Please consult a licensed exper before trying any techniques delineated in this book. By reading this document, the reader agrees that beneath no circumstances is the author to blame for any losses, direct or indirect, that are incurred as a result of the usage of knowledge contained inside this document, including, however not restricted to, errors, omissions, or inaccuracies.

A Brief History Bread-Making Bread, considering its different forms, is the most popularly consumed food in the world. Not solely is it a crucial supply of carbohydrates, it’s conjointly manageable and compact, this helps to understand why it has been an integral part of our diet for thousands of years. In fact, recent scholarship suggests humans started baking bread as a minimum 30,000 years ago. Prehistoric man had already been creating porridge from water and grains, therefore it absolutely was a little jump to beginning making this mixture into a solid by baking it on stones. The 2010 a study by the National Academy of Sciences found traces of starch, probably from the roots of cattails and ferns, in prehistoric mortar and pestle like rocks. The roots would have been hulled and dried before they were ground into flour and mixed with water. Finally, the paste would be baked on heated rocks. But however, in what manner did humanity get from this prehistoric flatbread to a soft, foodshop loaf? There have been three main innovations that created “modern” bread. 1. Leavening

Leavening is what makes bread rise into a lightweight and soft loaf. Not leaven bread is called flatbread and is that the most closely connected with mankind’s initial breads. Examples consist of Middle Eastern pita bread, Indian naan and Central American tortillas. The most common leavening for bread is yeast. Yeast floats around in the air, searching for a pleasant place to form a home—like a starchy bowl of flour and water. The primary raised bread was probably the results of some passing yeast creating a range in a bowl of porridge. The yeast began consuming the sugars existing in grain, and emitting carbon dioxide, creating bubbles that resulted in lighter, airier bread. Industrial yeast production dates back to the expert bread creators of Ancient Egypt around 300 B.C. 2. Refined Flour The earliest bread grains would have been ground by hand with rocks, this could have resulted in coarse. The Mesopotamians refined this technique around 800 B.C., utilizing two flat, circular stones, stacked on the summit each other to grind the grain. These stones were constantly revolved by draft animals or slaves. This “milling”—which was the genesis for the way we produce flour today–created plain, finely ground flour that quickly became prized as a standing image. The ambition for the whitest, most refined bread continued through the contemporary era, and later advancements comprehend the sieving of flour to get rid of the bran and the germ and also the bleaching of the flour itself. 3. Mechanized Slicing. For many years, the best white breads were disposed in whole loaves to be cut at home—like a French baguette. The Ney York Public Library’s “Lunch” exhibit notes: “Nineteenth and early 20th-century cookbooks and magazines gave extremely specific recommendation concerning the preparation of a sandwich for lunch. For women and kids, the bread was presumed to be sliced extremely thin and the crusts removed. For employees, thick slices with crusts were deemed suitable.” But in 1917, itinerant jeweler Otto Rohwedder created the primary mechanized bread slicer. Initially, several firms were convinced that housewives wouldn’t have an interest, and his bread-slicing machine wasn’t put in a mill until 1928. However, in 2 years, ninetieth percent of factory-made bread was mill sliced.

Progress caused what was presumed to be the perfect loaf of bread: white, ultra-fluffy and pre-cut into even slices. This excellent bread was dubbed “American.” By this emblem, Wonderbread had to be the last loaf of bread we have ever required. However, contemporary science has uncovered the organic process advantage of whole grains, and an increasing number of customers opt for the delicious texture and nutty flavor of a rural loaf.

Introduction Have you ever baked bread before? It’s a blast. You may have perceived that bread baking is undoubtedly hard and, yes, to become a master baker takes heaps of labor but, honestly, in reality it is an easy procedure that you have down once having tried a few times. From that base you will be able to develop endless variations and have a lovely time baking bread. There are a heaps of aspects i would like to inform you concerning the science and craft of bread baking, however if you have not truly experienced the procedure, what I say might sound like gobbledegook. So, before we dig into any theory or I provide you with any advices, let’s attempt baking a loaf. The formula below is dead easy. I have seen initial time bakers create lovely loaves applying it. That said, I have, as well, seen some run into difficulties. My hope is that this might be a delicious introduction to bread baking for you. If not, try to enjoy and laugh a little out of the procedure. Keep in mind that you are solely out a few bucks for the ingredients used and you might chalk it up as a learning expertise. You will nail it next time, right?

CONTENTS 3

A Brief History Bread-Making 6

Introduction 8

Ingredients

A Basic French Bread

16

Baguette French Stick

24

27

Rustic Bread

Sourdoughs & Other Breads Using Starters

30

French Country-Style Bread With a Sourdough Starter 34

Victorian Milk Bread

36

White Sandwich Bread

38

Honey Whole Wheat Bread 40

Greek Village Bread 42

Scots Baps

44

Kentish Huffkins 45

Cream Buns

47

Ballymaloe Brown Bread

49

Portuguese Corn Bread (Broa) 51

San Francisco Sourdough Landbrot

55 57

Seeded German Rye Bread

58

Rye Bread with Caraway Seeds 59

Pain De Seigle

61

Sweet Potato Rolls Carrot Bread

63 65

Spinach Bread Beet Bread

65

Herb Bread

66

Chili Bread

66 66

Onion and Caraway Bread 67

Pumpkin Bread Cheese Hearth Bread

70

Olive Hearth Bread

72

Walnut Bread

73 75

Prune and Hazelnut Bread Multigrain Bread

77 79

Sunflower and Honey Bread Cracked Grain Bread

80

31

80

Multigrain Rolls

81

Dark Chocolate Bread

83

South African Seed Bread Italian Bread Semolina Bread

85 86 89

Italian Household Bread

92

Traditional Saltless Tuscan Bread

94

Italian Slipper Bread (Ciabatta)

98

Tomato and Red Onion Bread Filled Italian Hearth Bred

101

Focaccia with Tomato, Arugula, and Mozzarella Hearth Bread With Olives (Focaccia con Olive)

104 105

Italian Hearth Bread with Sage (Focaccia alla Salvia) Sicilian Bread (Semolina Bread with Sesame Seeds) Experimentation

108 109

113

Ingredients At its core, bread is simply four ingredients: flour, water, salt and leaven (yeast). That's it. Several recipes involved different ingredients – sweeteners like sugar and honey, nuts and fruits to alter the flavor or texture, fats like oil or butter to make the loaf soft– but these four are the primary pillars of any bread formula. Understanding the role that every of those four plays is vital to strengthen confidence as a baker.

Flour Flour is the body of bread. It provides the substance and the food for your leaven. The flour utilized to create bread is formed of wheat. Wheat seeds (known as berries) are harvested, dried, and ground to prepare the flour. The husk of the berry (called the bran) is removed before grinding most flour, although within the case of whole flour the bran is also ground up. Some proteins, such as gluten, which are necessary for the loaf to carry its shape, are contained in the wheat. Wheat, which has a higher protein content, is recognized as “tough” wheat, whereas “soft” wheat has a lower protein content. Bakers tend to use tough flours in things that contain various wide holes in them like French bread and reserve softer flours for things with tiny holes like cakes and muffins. Standard flour is recognized in North America as All Purpose undyed Flour (AP flour, for short). AP flour is formed of a mix of soft and tough wheat and is, as well as the name suggests, created to be helpful for almost all forms of baking. It definitely is adequate whenever you begin baking bread. Tougher wheat (higher protein) is utilized to make bread flour. You do not necessarily require utilizing bread flour to bake bread. If you do want to use bread flour you probably might finish up with a chewier, holier (meaning “containing larger holes”, not “more divine”) texture. Conversely, Cake Flour is realized by softer wheat. Cake flour (sometimes labeled Pastry Flour) is incredibly soft and produces a friable loaf with various equally sized tiny holes. This can be exactly what you wish while baking a cake, however seldom acceptable for bread. Whole flour is prepared by grinding the bran and the berry of wheat. Classic whole flour is formed of ground tough red winter wheat or tough red spring wheat and produces a dark, earthy tasting flour. Continuously more common is White Whole flour, that is prepared by the bran and also the berry of wheat, however, uses a lighter kind of wheat that holds a milder flavor. A leavening agent and a baking powder are contained, already mixed in, in Self-rising flour, which is known as “all-aim flour”. While this will be handy whenever preparing biscuits or pancakes, this mixed kind of flour is not proper for bread baking. Moreover, Bleached Flour is on the market and may be used for bread

baking but is not recommended. The bleaching procedure strips several vitamins out of the wheat and the flavor beside it. I would solely advise employing bleached flour if you are making an attempt to prepare a very white bread. Flour is often created by grinding alternative grains too. Rye flour is the most popular non-wheat flour. Since Rye grows well in cooler, wetter climates several recipes from Northern and Eastern Europe create utilize rye flour. You can find out flour made from ground emmer wheat, corn, rice, barley, and even lentils. Whereas every of those might add appealing texture and flavor to your loaf, none of those grains contain an equivalent concentration of proteins that wheat does, this lets you prepare a lightweight, airy loaf. Frequently it is necessary to combine these flours with wheat flour to create one thing that might look like what most of the people known as bread.

Yeast Yeasts are minuscule micro-organisms. Whenever you purchase baker’s yeast in the food store the cells are inactive. As soon as warmed, mixed with water, and exposed to a food font (flour) the yeast cells activate and start feeding. This procedure of yeast feeding on sugars and emitting dioxide is fermentation. The two commonest types of yeast one can pick out in grocery stores are active dry yeast and instant yeast. Active dry yeast is the commonest type of yeast. Active dry yeast performs best after its activation before being joined to your dough (a procedure typically denoted as proofing the yeast). Normally, this is made by combining the yeast with some hot water for 5-10 minutes before mixing it into the dough. Any time you bake with active dry yeast, verify the label on your packet and follow the activation guidelines. Instant yeast (also called bread machine yeast or fast rise yeast) comes in smaller granules than active dry yeast. Instant yeast is activated before being incorporated together with your dough although does not need it. Instant yeast is more effective and forgiving to bake with than active dry yeast. One little recommendation concerning purchasing yeast: food stores have tiny pre-measured packets of yeast for a buck roughly every or tiny jars of

yeast for six or seven greenbacks. At that cost, yeast is usually the foremost overpriced ingredient in your bread. If you begin baking frequently, it is advantageous heading to your surrounding bistro provision or warehouse store to get yeast in larger quantities. There you must be able to purchase a pound of instant yeast for underneath five bucks. The unused yeast is often banked in your fridge or in a airtight jar in your refrigerator and may last for one or two of years.

Salt A little bit of salt may be a part of the usual flavor of bread. Salt helps regulate the fermentation. If you, by mistake, forget the salt while preparing a loaf -- one thing I have done continiously -- not solely it might taste “flat” however the loaf might rise faster than you expect it to. Salt comes in many various forms: home salt, sea salt, kosher salt, cracker salt. The most vital aspect to notice is that these salts have totally different densities, table or finely ground salt being the foremost dense. If you are replacing home salt, in a formula that calls for it, with kosher or largegrain ocean salt, you will need to add an additional 30-50% by volume, although you ought to be free to regulate the salt content to your taste.

Water Water brings the ingredients in bread jointly, dissolves the salt and activates the yeast. Only when you add the water fermentation will begin. Any water that is safe enough to drink is alright to bake with. That said, if your water is high in minerals (hard), or has a wrong flavor, or is extremely treated you must think about employing filtered or drinking water. The relation between of water and flour in preparing a dough is called hydration and is one of the foremost necessary characteristics of bread. Breads with tiny holes in it (“tight crumb,” in baker’s lingo) like sandwich breads have adequately low hydration, which means there is significantly less water and different liquids than flour in the formula. High hydration doughs are wetter and harder to handle. High hydration is vital to provide the uneven pattern of holes that we tend to look for in rustic breads like customary French or Italian breads. For these sorts of bread, “the wetter, the better” is the prevailing knowledge. I introduce high and low hydration doughs in this e-book. As you are gain confidence as a baker and begin to experiment with recipes, remember the hydration of your dough. Adding or removing 100% of the water in a

formula might confer to your loaf considerably different characteristics. If you would like to start out experimenting with recipes of your own creation, hydration is the most important variable to start caring of.

Oils, Butter, and Dairy Fats enrich and flavor the bread. They soften the dough and preserve it: whereas a fat free loaf of bread, such as white bread, goes stale just after a number of hours, a loaf of bread with a little quantity of oil or butter (like a sandwich bread) retains wetness and can keep cool for much longer. Fats increase the mass of your bread. Seldom does one get the type of wide, irregular holes in an enriched bread as you do in a very nonfat bread.

Sweeteners Sweeteners add flavor and, in some cases like honey, delay staling. Sugars caramelize while baking, therefore the addition of a little quantity of sweetener to your bread will considerably darken your crust. It is a legend that yeast requires sugar to work the dough. There are present sugars in wheat that are free throughout the fermentation procedure. In fact, in high quantities, sugar might work like” junk food” for yeast and stop a healthy fermentation procedure. Sweeteners should make up no more than 5% to 15% of the flour weight. For doughs sweeter than that, professional bakers use a special strain of yeast called osmotolerant yeast that you do not typically see in the food store however may be ordered on-line.

Additional Ingredients Most of the extra stuff you notice in loaves of bread like seeds, nuts, and dry fruit, considerably modify the flavor and texture of your bread however do not essentially modify the characteristics of your dough. Industrial bakers add preservatives to their doughs since their loaves got to stay cool for seven to ten days, however home bakers should not worry about that. When further ingredients do impact that feel and fermentation of your dough, it is usually by assimilating or freeing wetness. Mashed potatoes, as an example, are often combined more to your dough to make it soften. Potatoes contain and free a good quantity of wetness, thus I perpetually have to recall keeping my dough slightly drier than I set up on, otherwise, as a result of over time, the dough becomes softer instead of becoming

tight. And things like corn meal can absorb a bit of the wetness if it has not been soaked in water previously. With that said, let’s start baking!

A Basic French Bread

This formula makes one loaf. You could double or triple the ingredients if you wish to prepare more loaves, however I hint to begin with one loaf and rescale once you have got a handle thereon.

What you need Ingredients Flour (all purpose or bread, whichever is available) Salt Water Yeast (instant, Rapid Rise, or bread machine recommended) Sugar

How much to time expect it to take Budget 4 hours the first time you try this. It does not take 4 hours of solid work -- there is one 90-minute break and another 60-minute break in there

-- so you can easily sneak out to pick up the kids or run some errands if you need to. But figure you should set aside “a morning”, “an afternoon”, or “an evening” the first time you bake this.

Ready? Let the baking begin! Flour. Start by measure out your flour. Two and a half cups would be necessary. Try to quantify a fairly level cups and do not pack the cups too tight; tightly packed you will be able to adapt nearly double the maximum amount of flour in a cup as you will be able to once it has been sifted and is lightweight and filled with air. It is not necessary to sift it or do something special here. Simply take 2 and a 0.5 common, level scoops of flour and pour them into your bowl. Salt. Add a teaspoon of salt to the bowl containing the flour. Sugar. Add a teaspoon to the bowl. Yeast. You only require a teaspoon of yeast for one loaf. If you have got one of those very little packets of yeast from the food market all contains more than that, thus you will scoop out what you would require and save the remainder for one more day. If you are utilizing instant, rapid rise, or bread machine yeast, combine the yeast in with the remainder of the dry ingredients. If you are utilizing “active dry yeast”, combine the yeast in with ¼ cup of the hot water and let it sit on the counter for five minutes to activate. Activate your dough Stir jointly the dry ingredients. Draw one cup of hot water (minus ¼ cup if you are proofing your active dry yeast in little bit of the water already) and pour it into the bowl with the dry ingredients (add the active dry yeast water too if that's what you're using). Stir everything jointly as best as you will be able to do with your spoon. After some minutes it will get hard to stir with a spoon and you will most likely need to mixture the dough with your hands. Now is the time to take off any watches or jewelry you have got on, roll up your sleeves, and prepare to become gooey! Wetting your hands before you grab the dough helps cut back the quantity it sticks to you, however I would expect to be choosing dough off your fingers soon. Also, it is deserving to note that now that you have united the water and mixed things up your dough is alive. Simply bear in mind that you have got a living, feeding organism on your hands now! If leave the bowl for twenty minutes, it will likely look different once you take it again.

As you combine with your hands, the primary matter that would be necessary to do is to stop having all the ingredients equally mixed together and to assure that any chunks of dry flour get incorporated into the remainder of the dough. Then you will need to begin kneading the dough on your work surface. Kneading Usually I begin kneading by sprinkling a tablespoon, more or less, of flour onto my work surface and putting the ball of dough on that. That said, flour might behave in different ways basing on how recent it is, or how wet the air is, and what type of wheat it is created of, therefore as well as the dough comes united you will get to create a judgement decision. If your dough is tough and dry, not in the slightest degree tacky to the bit, keep wetting your hands and dealing the water off them into the dough till it softens up. If the dough is really wet that it perpetually sticks to your hands and also the work surface, you could sprinkle a tablespoon, approximately, of flour on that or your hands and work that into it as persistently as necessary for it to be in a manageable consistency. Wetter dough truly makes better bread and may become tighter as times goes on, however it will render this step tougher. Do not panic! this could still result fine, simply rub your hands with flour and scrap it off the surface. Knead the dough for as long as you well will, 10-20 minutes. It is not vital specifically how much you knead the dough, simply keep squishing it, folding it, squashing it, pulling it, and beating the dough up for a decent long whereas. Attempt to keep the dough united as one chunk you are working with and minimize tearing it. The dough might begin out somewhat lumpy however ought to get soften and stringier while the kneading goes on. The last time I prepared this, I kneaded it for twenty minutes, wetting my hands each five minutes more or less. When the dough gets perceptibly silkier or you get bored with kneading, mold the dough into a ball and, with wet hands, coat the skin with wetness. Place the ball of dough back in your bowl and use a wrapping, a garbage or plastic paper bag, or a moist room towel to cover the bowl. Set this bowl aside whereas the dough rises. Rising (Primary Fermentation) You want to attend till the dough has perceptibly leaven before moving on

to subsequent step. Most cookbooks say till the dough “doubles in size” however you do not need to estimate it. Simply eyeball it, and once you would say “Yup, that's approximately doubly the scale it started at” you will be able to proceed. If it is hot in your house it might get there in 60 minutes. On cold days in a cool place it will take some hours. Ninety minutes may be a fine program for this formula, however, trust your instinct concerning whether or not to displace it sooner or leave it longer. And if you get pledged doing one thing else and do not check on it for a little bit, relax: dough is pretty forgiving. Shaping Sprinkle a tablespoon of flour on your surface. Tip your bowl over and dump or scrape your ball of leaven dough onto your surface. Mold the dough by utilizing your hands to stretch and flatten it a small amount on a work surface. You do not wish to form it pancake slim or squeeze all of the air out of it, you simply wish to stretch it out a bit, thus it makes a rectangle-ish form that is one to two inches thick. Fold the dough in thirds as you are folding up a missive. Roll the ensuing rectangle up into a log. Wherever the seam from the tip of the roll is, pinch the dough a couple times in order to close the seam tight. You will roll the whole creation back and forth a couple times with the palms of your hands until you have got a log one or two inches across and ten to fifteen inches long. Place the formed loaf on a baking sheet with the seam flank facing down toward the pan. Thus, it will keep damp, use a plastic or a moist material to cover your loaf -- I favor to place the full sheet during a clean room trash bag -- and set it aside to rise for some hours. Final Rise After about forty-five minutes once this rise started, position your kitchen oven shelves and heat up your kitchen oven beforehand to 465. I rather baking on the second shelf from the base of my kitchen oven, thus I place my shelves on the base and second from bottom position. Each kitchen oven is completely different, thus use whichever position you always use to bake. Baking When the kitchen oven is hot and your loaf seems to be nearly doubled in size, take away the plastic or towel covering the loaf. Take your sharp

knife and quickly create a slash down the length of the loaf roughly ½ an inch deep, attempting to not drag the knife or deflate the up dough an excessive amount of. Now place the pan with your loaf on that in your kitchen oven. After five minutes of baking at 465 degrees, decrease the temperature of the kitchen oven to 425 degrees. Wait five more minutes (around the tenth minute of baking) before rotating the pan one-hundred-eighty degrees, so the loaf bakes equally, and leave it in the kitchen oven for 10-15 minutes. The total baking time must be between 20-25 minutes. By that time the loaf must have a pleasant tan to brown exterior and be baked through to the middle. Take away the pan from the fifteen minutes before attempting to slice it.

Well, how did it turn out? Hopefully something like this:

Maybe not award winning, however hopefully delicious and undoubtedly recognizable as bread. If you finished up with one thing that is similar to a pancake or brick: well, we have all baked many of these. With a small amount of training you will get a suspend of it, therefore do not quit!

Baguette French Stick

The name of this long, slim loaf with a crisp, golden crust and lightweight, chewy interior can be translated precisely as “little rod” and, in French, is translated as a fairy’s wand or a conductor’s baton. The French say that it is constantly best to purchase two Baguettes because most people have eaten half of it by the time it arrives home. INGREDIENTS 2½ tsp dry yeast 1¼ cups water 3¾ cups bread flour 1½ tsp salt 1)

Sprinkle the yeast into 1¼ cups of the water in a bowl. Let rest for five minutes; stir to dissolve. Combine the flour and salt in a big bowl. Create a well in the center and pour in the dissolved yeast.

2)

Use a wood spoon to draw enough of the flour into the dissolved yeast to create a soft paste. Use a towel to cover the bowl and let “sponge” until frothy and leaven, 20 minutes.

3)

Mix within the flour and add the remaining water, as needed, one tablespoon at a time, to create a soft, sticky dough.

4)

Turn out onto a gently floured surface. Knead till soft, smooth, and supple, ten minutes or so. Try not to add extra flour whereas kneading the dough.

5)

Take a clean bowl, put the dough inside it and use a towel to cover it. Let rise until doubled in size, more or less 1½ hours.

6)

Punch down, re-cover, and let rise for forty-five minutes longer. Punch down once more, re-cover, and let rise until doubled in size, forty-five minutes or so.

7)

Divide the dough into 2 equal parts and mold into two baguettes, each twelve inches long. Place on a floured baking sheet or in a floured baguette tray; use a towel to cover. Proof until doubled in size, fifty minutes or so.

8)

Cut many diagonal slashes across the tip. Bake in the preheated kitchen oven for 20–25 minutes, until golden and hollow sounding once touched beneath. Cool on a wire rack.

Rustic Bread

Makes 2 large loaves INGREDIENTS Preferment 3½ cups (1 lb) bread flour 1¼ cups (9.5 oz) water ⅛ teaspoon instant yeast Final dough 2½ cups (10 oz) bread flour 1½ cups (6 oz) whole wheat or rye flour or a mixture of them 1½ cups (12.5 oz) water 1 tablespoon salt ½ teaspoon instant yeast all of the preferment

1) Put the yeast in the water and stir. Combine the flour and salt in a big bowl and pour in the yeasted water. Combine until the flour is hydrous, adding some water if necessary. Use a wrapping to cover the bowl and leave the pre-ferment out at temperature all night. 2) To prepare the ultimate dough, mix all of the ingredients except the preferment in a bowl. Chop the preferment up into tiny parts and blend or knead it into the ultimate dough until they are totally combined. 3) Place the dough back in a oiled bowl and ferment for 2½ hours, punching down or folding the dough two times throughout that point 4) When the fermentation is finished, divide the dough into 2 parts and pre-shape each one into a ball. Use a clean towel to cover it and let each part rest for five to ten minutes before shaping into the ultimate form. Once molded, use a clean towel to cover the loaves and put aside for a final rise, roughly 1¼ to 1½ hours. 5) Halfway for the ultimate rise, begin preheating the kitchen oven to 450 degrees. If you are utilizing a baking stone, heat up it beforehand as well. 6) Score the loaves right before putting them in the kitchen oven. Place them in the kitchen oven and if you are utilizing steam, use it here to encourage correct crust development. 7) After twenty minutes of baking, rotate the loaves a hundred and eighty degrees so they will bake equally. Bake until a thermometer reads around two hundred degrees, that took roughly thirty-five minutes for my “football” formed loaves.

Sourdoughs & Other Breads Using Starters ASTARTER ADDS TO the flavour and the texture of a loaf. It is made up of a little quantity of flour, water, and ready yeast that is left to ferment at ambient temperature. The distinction between starter breads and basic breads is only one: the time needed to prepare them. The strategies are equivalent. Rustic-style sourdough breads are prepared with starters that need an initial fermentation of a minimum of forty-eight hours. This produces a bread with a pleasantly bitter aroma, hearty texture, and chewy crust. The longer a starter is left to ferment, the more pronounced these qualities become in the finished loaf. All starters ought to be cold after 5 days and might keep for up to 2 weeks. They should be replenished with equal amounts of flour and water after utilizing them. In Italy, a starter, or biga, historically ferments for a minimum of twelve hours. This produces a bread with a gently risen flavor, a Champagne-like aroma, and an open, porous texture. In France, a starter, or poolish, historically ferments for a minimum of 2 hours. This shorter fermentation produces a bread with a less yeasty flavor, nutty aroma, and whippy texture; it possesses some of the chewiness of a sourdough loaf balanced with the lightness of a basic bread.

French Country-Style Bread with a Sourdough Starter

A classic French loaf, this bread has all the signature qualities of the popular rustic-style sourdough breads—tangy flavor, whippy texture, and chewy crust. French bakers historically proof the molded dough in a basket. The basket supports the dough, permitting it to retain its form before baking. Place the dough in a basket, which is eight inches in diameter, lined with a wellfloured towel. INGREDIENTS: for the starter 2 tsp dry yeast 1¼ cups water 2 cups bread flour for the dough 1 tsp dry yeast 1 cup water ½ cup rye flour

2 ⅓ cups bread flour 1½ tsp salt 1) To prepare the starter, sprinkle the yeast into the water in a giant jar. Let rest for five minutes; stir to dissolve. Stir in the flour employing a wood spoon. Use a towel to cover the jar and let ferment at ambient temperature for a minimum of a pair of days or, at most, 3 days. Stir the mixture two times a day; it will be bubbly and pleasantly sour smelling. 2) To create the dough, sprinkle the yeast into the water in a little bowl. Let rest for five minutes; stir to dissolve. Combine the flours and also the salt in a giant bowl and create a well in the center. 3) Spoon one cup of the starter into a liquid cup. Add it to the flour well and pour in the dissolved yeast. Reserve and fill again the remaining starter in the same jar for the following time you prepare bread. 4) Mix in the flour from the edges of the well to create a stiff, sticky dough. Add a lot of water, one tablespoon at a time, if the mixture is too dry. 5) Turn the dough out onto a gently floured surface. Knead till soft and elastic, ten minutes or so. 6) Put the dough in a clean bowl and use a towel to cover. Let rise for two hours. Punch down; let rest for ten minutes. 7) Shape the dough into a spherical. Place on a floured baking sheet. Use a towel to cover and proof until doubled in size, more or less 1½ hours. 8) Dust the loaf with flour. Cut three parallel slashes, ¼ inch deep, across the top of the loaf, then three in the opposite way. Bake in the preheated kitchen oven for one hour, until golden brown and hollow sounding once tapped beneath. Cool on a wire rack.

Victorian Milk Bread

This is a bread with a soft crust and crumb that keeps well and makes crisp, nutty toast. The elegant, S-formed loaf is simple to prepare. This can be a really fine dough for preparing an ornamental braid. INGREDIENTS 2 tsp dry yeast 1 tsp sugar 1½ cups lukewarm milk 3¾ cups bread flour 1½ tsp salt egg glaze, made with 1 egg and 1 tbsp milk. 1) Sprinkle the yeast and sugar into ½ cup of milk in a bowl. Let rest for five minutes; stir to dissolve. Stir in 1/2 the remaining milk. 2) Mix the flour and salt in a big bowl. Create a well in the center and pour in the dissolved yeast. Combine in the flour. Stir within the

reserved milk to make a sticky dough. 3) Turn the dough out onto a gently floured surface. Knead the dough until soft and elastic, ten minutes or so. 4) Put the dough in a clean bowl and use a towel to cover. Let rise for forty-five minutes. Punch down, cover, and let the dough rise once more until doubled in size, more or less forty-five minutes. 5) Grease an eight x four x 2½-inch loaf pan. Mold the dough into a Sshape. Use a towel to cover. Proof until the dough is one inch above the top of the pan, one hour or so. 6) Brush the tip of the loaf with the egg glaze. Bake in the preheated kitchen oven for forty-five minutes, until golden and hollow sounding once tapped beneath. End up onto a wire rack to chill.

White Sandwich Bread

This is your common bread, perfect for slicing and cooking, and marvelous straight out of the kitchen oven. INGREDIENTS 3 cups flour 1 cup warm milk 1 tablespoon melted butter 2 teaspoons instant yeast 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons honey 1) Mix the dry ingredients. Liquefy the butter and heat the milk -- I rather do each one by placing them in the microwave for one minute -- and blend them and the honey into the dry ingredients. Knead by hand for roughly ten minutes or with a stand mixer for five. Then place the dough back to an oiled bowl, wrapped the bowl with wrap or a humid towel, and let it rise until it had nearly doubled in size, more or less 60-90 minutes. 2) Shape the loaf and place it in an oiled loaf pan. Enclose the bread pan in a clean bag and permit it to rise for one more hour. 3) While your dough is rising, heat your kitchen oven to 425. Place the loaf pan into the kitchen oven and, straight off, decrease the kitchen oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for roughly forty-five to fiftyfive minutes, rotating the pans once so they brown equally, until the inner temperature of the loaves is around a hundred ninety degrees and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow once tapped.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

INGREDIENTS 3½ cups (1 lb) whole wheat flour 1½ cups (12 oz) hot water 1½ cups (8 oz) bread or all-purpose flour 1 can (5 oz) evaporated milk, milk, or water ⅓ cup honey 2 teaspoons salt 3 teaspoons instant yeast an additional ½-1 cup flour, as necessary, to achieve a desirable consistency 1) Mix the hot water and whole wheat flour together in a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic and set aside for roughly an hour until the mixture is approaching room temperature. 2) Add the milk, honey, salt, yeast, and bread flour to the original mixture and mix until well combined. Add additional flour and knead by hand or in a stand mixer until a tacky but not completely sticky dough is formed. Place the ball of dough in a well-oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to rise for 60 to 90 minutes.

3) Divide the dough in two and shape the loaves into the pans. Place the loaves in greased bread pans, cover the pans loosely with plastic and set aside to rise again for 90 minutes. 4) During the final 30 minutes of rising, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. After the rise, place the pans into the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for approximately 45 to 55 minutes, rotating the pans once so that they brown evenly, until the internal temperature of the loaves is around 190 degrees and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Greek Village Bread The bread is historically prepared with “yellow” or “country” flour, a mix of white and whole meal flour mixed with finely ground Indian meal. Otherwise, it is prepared with only bread flour. In Greece, the bread is usually called Daktyla, that means “fingers,” because it is broken into fingers of bread to eat. INGREDIENTS 2 tsp dry yeast 1¼ cups water 2½ cups bread flour ⅔ cup whole-wheat flour ½ cup fine cornmeal 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp milk, plus extra to glaze sesame seeds, to decorate 1) Sprinkle the yeast into ½ cup of the water in a bowl. Let sit for five minutes; stir to dissolve. Combine the flours, cornmeal, and salt completely in a big bowl. Create a well in the center and pour in the dissolved yeast. 2) Use a wood spoon to draw enough of the flour into the dissolved yeast to create a soft paste. Use a towel to cover the bowl and let “sponge” until frothy and leaven, 20 minutes. Add the oil, honey, and milk to the sponge. 3) Pour concerning 1/2 the remaining water into the well. Combine in the flour. Stir in the reserved water, as needed, to create a firm, damp dough. 4) Turn the dough out onto a gently floured surface. Knead until soft, shiny, and elastic, ten minutes or so. 5) Put the dough in a clean bowl and use a towel to cover. Let rise until doubled in size, more or less 1½ hours. Punch down, then let rest for ten minutes. 6) Divide the dough into six equal parts. Mold each part into an oblong; organize them in a very row, only touching, on a floured baking sheet. Use a towel to cover and proof until doubled in size, one hour or so. 7) Brush the tip of the loaf with milk and sprinkle with the benny seeds. Bake in the preheated kitchen oven for forty-five minutes, until hollow sounding once touched beneath. Cool on a wire rack.

Scots Baps Scots Baps are best consumed hot straight from the kitchen oven. They are a special treat at breakfast after being filled with grilled bacon and eggs. The mixture of milk and water makes the rolls have a soft crumb, and the

dusting of flour makes them have a soft crust. INGREDIENTS ¾ cup lukewarm milk ¾ cup water 2 tsp dry yeast 1 tsp sugar 3¾ cups bread flour 1½ tsp salt 1 tbsp milk, to glaze 1) Combine the milk and water in a liquid cup. Sprinkle the yeast and sugar into ½ cup of the milk and water mixture in an exceedingly separate bowl. Let rest for five minutes; stir to dissolve. Stir in 1/2 the remaining milk and water mixture. 2) Mix the flour and salt in a big bowl. Create a well in the center and pour in the dissolved yeast. Combine in the flour. Stir in the reserved milk and water, as needed, to prepare a sticky dough. 3) Turn the dough out onto a gently floured surface. Knead the dough until soft and elastic, ten minutes or so. 4) Put the dough in a clean bowl and use a towel to cover. Let rise until doubled in size, one hour or so. Punch down, then let rest for ten minutes. 5) Divide the dough into eight equal parts. Mold each part of dough into a flat oval, more or less ½ inch thick. Place on a floured baking sheet. Brush each part with milk and sift a significant dusting of flour over each one. 6) Proof, uncovered, until doubled in size, 30–45 minutes. 7) Sift a significant dusting of flour over each bread. Use your thumb to create an effect in the center of every bread, more or less ½ in. deep.

8) Bake in the preheated kitchen oven for 15–20 minutes, until leaven and golden. Use a towel to cover for ten minutes and chill on a wire rack.

Variation Kentish Huffkins • Create one amount Scots Baps dough up to step four. • Divide the dough into twelve equal parts. Mold each part of dough into soft ball. Place on a floured baking sheet. • Use a floured finger to make a deep indentation in the center of every roll. Proof until doubled in size, 30–45 minutes. Heat beforehand the oven to 400°F. • Bake as directed in step eight. Cool on a wire rack. Fill the indentation with jam and thick cream to serve.

Cream Buns INGREDIENTS 3 cups bread flour

⅓ cup sugar ½ cup warm milk ¾ cups warm heavy cream 1½ teaspoon salt 2 heaping teaspoons instant yeast ½ cup dried currents 1) Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast, then blend the milk and cream. 2) Knead the dough with wet hands until it is manageable, adding extra flour or liquid, if necessary, to regulate the consistency. 3) Mix in the dried currents and knead the dough by hand for 10-15 minutes or in a stand mixer for 8-10 minutes. Let the dough rise in a covered bowl for about ninety minutes until it has leaven. Cut the dough into twelve even parts, mold them into rolls, place them on a baking sheet. Use plastic or a moist towel to cover the rolls and let them rise for an extra hour. 4) Bake the rolls on the center shelf for twenty-five minutes at 375, turning them once halfway through. 5) While still hot, brush the tip of the rolls with liquid sugar and sprinkle them with granulated sugar. Serve with jam or fresh cream.

Ballymaloe Brown Bread This no-knead, one-rise bread was introduced by Doris Grant in her book Your Daily Bread. This instruction is an improved version devised by Myrtle Allen, father of the currently legendary Ballymaloe House hotel and school of cooking in County Cork, Ireland. INGREDIENTS 3½ tsp dry yeast 1¾ cups water 1 tsp molasses 3¾ cups whole-wheat flour 2 tsp salt 1) Grease an eight x four x 2½-inch loaf pan and heat it in a preheated kitchen oven, 250ºF, for ten minutes. 2) Sprinkle the yeast into ¾ cup of the water in a bowl. Let rest for five minutes; stir to dissolve. Add the molasses syrup. Let rest for ten minutes, until frothy. Add the remaining water and stir. 3) Mix the flour and salt in a big bowl. Create a well in the center and pour in the dissolved yeast. Stir in the flour to make a thick batter. 4) Use your hands to combine the batter gently contained in the bowl for one minute, until it begins to depart the edges of the bowl clean and forms a soft, sticky dough. 5) Place the dough in the ready pan and use a towel to cover. Proof until the dough is ½inch above of the tip of the pan, 25–30 minutes or so. 6) Bake in the preheated kitchen oven at 425ºF for half-hour, then lower the kitchen oven to 400ºF and bake for quarter-hour. 7) Turn the loaf out of the pan and onto a baking sheet. Take back the bread, bottom facet up, to the kitchen oven. Bake an extra ten

minutes, until golden and hollow sounding once tapped beneath. Let cool on a wire rack.

Portuguese Corn Bread (Broa) This yellow bread originated within the province of Beira Alta in northern Portugal, however is currently found everywhere. The proportion of wheat to meal varies from store to store and region to region. Broa may be an ancient accompaniment to Caldoverde, the northern region’s renowned kale and sausage soup. INGREDIENTS 2 tsp dry yeast ½ cup plus 2 tbsp lukewarm milk ¾ cup water 1¼ cup yellow cornmeal 2¼ cups bread flour, sifted 1½ tsp salt 1 tbsp olive oil 1) Sprinkle the yeast into the milk in a bowl. Let rest for five minutes; stir with a wood spoon. Add the water to the milk. Combine the Indian meal, flour, and salt in a big bowl. Create a well in the center and pour in the dissolved yeast and oil.

2) Mix in the flour to prepare a firm and wet, however not sticky dough that leaves the edges of the bowl. 3) Turn the dough out onto a gently floured surface. Knead the dough till soft and elastic, ten minutes or so. 4) Put the dough in a clean bowl and use a towel to cover. Let rise until doubled in size, more or less 1½hours. Punch down, then let rest for ten minutes. 5) Shape into a spherical loaf. Place on a baking sheet floured with corn meal and use a towel to cover. Proof until doubled in size, one hour or so. 6) Dust the loaf with corn meal. Bake in the preheated kitchen oven for forty-five minutes, until golden and hollow sounding once touched beneath. Cool on a wire rack.

San Francisco Sourdough Throughout the American gold rush, prospectors usually carried a mix of flour and water in a package strapped to their waists. The warmth from their bodies make the mixture ferment and created a natural leaven. This gave them the nickname “sourbellies.” This tradition of sourdough baking has continued. San Franciscans claim that their town is the sourdough capital of North America.

INGREDIENTS for the starter 3 tsp dry yeast 2 cups water 2¾ cups bread flour, sifted for the dough 1¼ cups bread flour ⅔ cup whole-wheat flour 2 tsp salt 2½-inch ball “old” dough (one piece from recipe below) 1) To prepare the starter, Sprinkle yeast into the water in a giant jar. Let rest for five minutes; stir to dissolve. 2) Stir the flour into the jar of dissolved yeast utilizing a wood spoon. Use a towel to cover and ferment at ambient temperature for a minimum of three days and at most five days before freezing it. Stir the mixture two times in a day; it will be bubbly and pleasantly sour smelling. 3) To prepare the dough combine the flours and salt in a giant bowl. Create a well in the center. Spoon two cups of the starter into a liquid cup. Fill the remaining starter for future time you create bread. Tear the “old” dough into little parts, then add the starter and also the “old” dough parts to the flour well. 4) Mix in the flour to create a firm and wet dough. Add extra water as required, one tablespoon at a time, if the dough is too dry. 5) Turn the dough out onto a gently floured surface. Knead until soft and elastic, more or less ten minutes. 6) Put the dough in a clean bowl and use a towel to cover. Let rise until doubled in size, two hours or so. Punch down, then let rest for ten

minutes. 7) Pinch off a 2½ oz piece of the dough for your next breadmaking. Wrap the piece of dough loosely in waxed paper and foil, and refrigerate or freeze the dough until future time you create bread. 8) Shape the remaining dough into a spherical loaf. Place on a floured baking sheet. Use a towel to cover and proof until doubled in size, more or less 1½ hours. 9) Cut 3 parallel slashes, more or less ¼ inch deep, across the tip of the loaf, then 3 additional slashes in the opposite way to form a crisscross pattern. Sprinkle with flour and bake in the preheated kitchen oven for one hour, until golden and hollow sounding once touched beneath. Let cool on a wire rack.

RECIPE FOR “OLD” DOUGH INGREDIENTS ½ tsp dry yeast or ⅛ of a cake (0.6oz-sized) yeast 4 tbsp lukewarm water ¾ cup bread flour 1) Sprinkle the yeast into the water in a giant bowl. Let rest for five minutes, then stir with a wood spoon to dissolve. 2) Mix the flour into the dissolved yeast to make a stiff, sticky dough. Flip the dough out onto a gently floured surface. Knead until soft and elastic, ten minutes or so. 3) Put the dough in a gently oiled bowl and use a towel to cover. Let rise for three hours. Punch down. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Wrap one part for future use and add the other part to the flour well in step three of the formula. 4) “Old” dough can be ready previously and frozen or chilled in a refrigerator. Wrap loosely in waxed paper and foil, letting an area for

the dough to expand slightly. De-ice or take away from the refrigerator 1½ hours before use.

Landbrot

Rye is the most significant of all grain crops in Germany, and German

bakers are undisputed masters of rye breads. The name Landbrot can be translated as “bread of the land,” and it's the German equivalent of Pain de Campagne. It is baked throughout Germany, and despite the regional variations in color and texture, because the proportions of rye to wheat vary, it's typically dusted with flour. INGREDIENTS for the starter ½ tsp dry yeast 3 tbsp water ⅓ cup bread flour 1 tbsp milk for the dough 1½ tsp dry yeast 1½ cups water 3½ cups rye flour ¾ cup bread flour 2 tsp salt 1) To prepare the starter, sprinkle the yeast into the water in a bowl. Let rest for five minutes; stir to dissolve. Combine within the flour and milk. Use a towel to cover and ferment at ambient temperature for 12–18 hours. The mixture might be bubbly and pleasantly sour smelling. 2) To create the dough, sprinkle the yeast into one cup of the water in a bowl. Let rest for five minutes; stir to dissolve. Combine the flours in a giant bowl. Create a well in the center and add the dissolved yeast and starter. 3) Use a wood spoon to draw enough of the flour into the starter mixture to create a thick batter. Use a towel to cover the bowl and let “sponge” until frothy and up, 12–18 hours.

4) Add the salt to the risen batter. Combine in the flour. Stir in the reserved water, as needed, to create a stiff, sticky dough. 5) Turn the dough out onto a gently floured surface. Knead till soft and elastic, more or less ten minutes. Let rest for ten minutes. 6) Shape the dough into a spherical loaf. Place on a floured baking sheet. Mud with flour. Cut one slash, ½ inch deep, across the tip of the loaf, then another in the other way to create an “X”. 7) Cover with a towel and proof until doubled in size, 1½ hours or so. 8) Bake in the preheated kitchen oven for 1¼ hours, until hollow sounding once tapped. Cool on a wire rack.

VARIATIONS Seeded German Rye Bread • Mix two tablespoons every flaxseeds, herb seeds, and pumpkin seeds in an electric kitchen appliance. Pressing the pulse button, keep going until roughly cut. As an alternative, grind by hand utilizing a mortar and pestle. • Prepare one amount Landbrot dough up to step four. • Add the seed mixture with the salt to the soured batter. Continue as directed in steps four and five. • Mold the dough for an oiled nine x five x 3-inch loaf pan. • Proof as directed in step seven. Heat beforehand the kitchen oven to 400°F. • Brush with milk and sprinkle with whole flaxseeds, seeds such as sesame, and pumpkin seeds. • Bake as directed in step eight. Rye Bread with Caraway Seeds • Preapre one amount Landbrot dough, adding ½ teaspoon caraway seeds to the starter in step one.

• Mold the dough for a oiled nine x five x 3-inch loaf pan. • Proof as directed in step seven. Heat beforehand the kitchen oven to 400°F. • Brush with milk and sprinkle a pair of tablespoons rye flakes on the tip. • Bake as directed in step eight.

Pain De Seigle In France, bread of rye was born in mountainous regions, for instance the Alps, the Pyrenees, and Vosges, where it absolutely was the principal, everyday bread. Today, rye bread is consumed only sometimes, however, in every occasion it's served thinly sliced and thickly buttered, as accompaniment to oysters or the gargantuan plateau de fruits de mer, that is a specialty of the brasseries of Paris. INGREDIENTS for the starter 2 tsp dry yeast ⅔ cup water 1 cup bread flour for the dough ½ cup bread flour 3 cups rye flour 2 tsp salt 1 cup water 1) To prepare the starter, sprinkle the yeast into the water in a bowl. Let rest for five minutes; stir to dissolve. Add the flour and blend to make a thick batter. Use a towel to cover and leave for two hours.

2) To prepare the dough, combine the flours and the salt in a big bowl. Create a well in the center and pour in the starter and 1/2 the water. 3) Mix in the flour. Stir in the remaining water to make a reasonably damp, sticky dough. 4) Turn the dough out onto a gently floured surface. Knead the dough until soft and elastic, ten minutes or so. 5) Put the dough in a clean bowl and use a towel to cover. Let rise until doubled in size, more or less one hour. Punch down, then let rest for ten minutes. 6) Divide the dough into 2 equal parts and mold every part into a long loaf, more or less twelve inches long. Place the loaves on a floured baking sheet and let rest for five minutes. 7) Dust the loaves gently with flour. Cut six or seven short, parallel slashes, ¼ inch deep, at ½-inch intervals, down either side of the loaves. Use a towel to cover and proof until doubled in size, more or less 1½ hours.

8) Bake in the preheated kitchen oven for forty-five minutes, until hollow sounding once touched beneath. Cool on a wire rack.

Sweet Potato Rolls The sweet potatoes provide these rolls a good-looking orange color and provides off a stunning earthy smell. Their impact on the flavor is minor, however they save the rolls soft and supple if they last long enough to store. INGREDIENTS 1 average sized sweet potato, baked 1 cup milk ½ cup white or brown sugar 3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons instant yeast 2 teaspoons salt ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg 1) Bake the sweet potato for roughly forty-five minutes at 375. Take away the kitchen oven and let cool. 2) Combine the sweet potato, sugar, and milk and stir to create a paste. Combine in a pair of cups of the flour, the salt, the yeast, and also the spices until completely combined. Add a lot of flour 1 / 4 cup at a time. Combine in after every new addition until you have a dough that is tacky but manageable with wet hands. Whenever you hit the right consistency, take away from the bowl and knead by hand for five to ten minutes. 3) Set the dough aside to leaven in a covered bowl for forty-five minutes to an hour. Divide into a dozen or more parts, shape, and after it, let it rise until they need roughly doubled in size, another hour or so. 4) Bake at 375 for roughly twenty to twenty-five minutes until they are starting turn into brown.

Carrot Bread

Adding chopped raw vegetables to a basic dough can enhance a bread’s color, texture, and flavor. We discover that grated carrots create a most tasty savory loaf, however grated raw beets contribute the most dramatic coloring. This wonderful crusty loaf with an orange-flecked, spongy crumb is universally common. Each grated raw vegetables and toasted vegetable purées may be worked into this dough with huge success. INGREDIENTS 2 tsp dry yeast 1½ cups water 3¾ cups bread flour 2 tsp salt 2¼ cups grated carrots 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted 1) Sprinkle the yeast into ½ cup of the water. Let rest for five minutes; stir to dissolve.

2) Mix the flour and salt in a big bowl. Create a well in the center and pour in the dissolved yeast. Add the carrots and butter to the well. Combine in the flour. Stir in the remaining water, as needed, to create a damp, breakable dough. 3) Turn the dough out onto a gently floured surface. Knead the dough until soft but still sticky, more or less ten minutes. 4) Put the dough in a clean bowl and use a towel to cover. Let rise until doubled in size, more or less 1–1½ hours. Punch down, then let rest for ten minutes. 5) Shape the dough into a spherical loaf. Place on a floured baking sheet and use a towel to cover. Proof until doubled in size, more or less forty-five minutes. 6) Bake in the preheated kitchen oven for forty-five minutes, until golden and hollow sounding once touched beneath. Cool on a wire rack.

Variations Spinach Bread • Immerse five cups spinach in a quickly boiling water. • Once the water returns to a boil, drain and rinse the spinach in cold water; squeeze dry. • Use an electric kitchen appliance or mixer, purée the spinach, one minute. • Place the purée in a cup and pour in enough water to make up a volume of one cup. • Prepare one amount Carrot bread dough up to step four, replacing the grated carrot and remaining water with the spinach purée liquid in step two. Pour the spinach purée liquid into the flour well to prepare a damp, breakable dough. • Continue as directed in steps four- six.

Beet Bread • Prepare one amount Carrot bread dough up to step four, exchanging the grated carrot with grated raw beets in step two. • Continue as directed in steps four-six. Herb Bread • Prepare one amount Carrot bread dough up to step four, replacing the grated carrot with some finely cut herbs in step two. opt for parsley for color, and use it together with either rosemary and thyme, or chives and marjoram. • Continue as directed in steps 4–6. Chili Bread • Prepare one amount Carrot bread dough up to step four, exchanging the carrots with three teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes. combine with flour and salt in step two. • Continue as directed in steps 4–6. Onion and Caraway Bread • Liquefy four tablespoons butter in a pan over medium heat. Add one onion, chopped. Cook for ten minutes, until soft and golden. • Prepare one amount Carrot bread dough up to step four, use onion and one tablespoon caraway seeds to replace carrots.

Pumpkin Bread This slightly sweet, light-textured bread have a soft crust and an intense, golden crumb. Whenever you are unable to buy fresh pumpkins at the food

market, canned pumpkin purée might work as well. To replace the reserved cooking liquid use water. A corn or butternut squash may be used as a substitute for pumpkin. INGREDIENTS 1½ lbs pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cut into pieces, or 1¾ cups canned pumpkin purée 2 tsp dry yeast 2 tsp honey 4 cups bread flour 2 tsp salt egg glaze, made with 1 egg yolk and 1 tbsp milk 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds, to decorate 1) Bring a pan of salted water to a boil. Add the pumpkin and simmer steady till soft and cooked through, more or less twenty minutes. Drain the pumpkin well and reserve the cooking liquid. 2) Mash the pumpkin entirely and strain or purée in an electric kitchen appliance or mixer, more or less a pair of minutes. Let the pumpkin purée and reserved cooking liquid cool until lukewarm. 3) Sprinkle the yeast into ¼ cup of the reserved cooking liquid (or water, if utilizing canned pumpkin purée). Let rest for five minutes. 4) Mix the flour and salt in a big bowl. Create a well in the center and pour in the dissolved yeast and honey, then add the pumpkin purée. 5) Mix in the flour slowly to prepare a reasonably firm, coarse, sticky dough. If the mixture is just too dry, add some tablespoons of the pumpkin cooking liquid (or water, if utilizing a can of pumpkin purée). 6) Turn the dough out onto a gently floured surface. Knead until terribly

soft, silky, and elastic, ten minutes or so. 7) Put the dough in a clean bowl and use a towel to cover. Let rise until doubled in size, more or less 1½ hours. Punch down, then let rest for ten minutes. 8) Shape the dough into a spherical loaf. Place on an oiled baking sheet and use a towel to cover. Proof until doubled in size, one hour or so. 9) Brush the dough with the egg glaze and sprinkle pumpkin seeds over the tip. Bake in the preheated kitchen oven for forty minutes, until golden colored and hollow sounding once tapped beneath. Cool on a wire rack.

Cheese Hearth Bread This cheese-enriched, crusty bread from southern France was historically baked in a hearth on the dying embers of a fire.

It is casse-croute (which means “snack,” or “break-crust”), served with some black olives, a slice of jambon DE pays (country ham), and a glass of wine, preferably red. Use Roquefort or crumbled goat cheese to replace Gruyere. INGREDIENTS 2 tsp dry yeast 1¼ cups water 3¾ cups bread flour 1½ tsp salt 1 tbsp olive oil 2¼ cups grated Gruyère plus extra for topping, optional 1) Sprinkle the yeast into ½ cup of the water in a bowl. Let rest for five minutes; stir to dissolve. Combine the flour and salt in a big bowl. Create a well in the center of the flour and pour in the dissolved yeast and oil. 2) Use a wood spoon to draw enough of the flour into the dissolved yeast to make a thick paste. Use a towel to cover the bowl; let “sponge” until frothy and up, twenty minutes or so. 3) Pour more or less 1/2 of the remaining water into the well. Combine in the flour. Stir in the reserved water, as needed, to make a firm, dampish dough. 4) Turn the dough out onto a gently floured surface. Knead until soft and elastic, more or less ten minutes. Knead in the cheese. 5) Put the dough in a clean bowl and use a towel to cover. Let rise until doubled in size, more or less 1½hours. Punch down, then let rest for ten minutes. 6) Divide the dough into four equal parts by flattening it into a spherical and cutting it into triangular quarters; let rest for ten minutes.

7) Roll out each part of dough into a flat, oval shape, more or less ¼inch thick. If the dough resists rolling out, let it rest for 1–2 minutes. Transfer the dough onto 2 oiled baking sheets. 8) With a edgy knife, cut 5 slashes through each part of dough, starting and ending every cut one inch from the side of the dough. Open up every slash by gently pull the sides apart slightly. Use a towel to cover and proof for forty-five minutes. 9) Sprinkle with extra cheese, if desired. Bake in the preheated kitchen oven for 25–30 minutes, until crisp, golden, and hollow sounding once touched beneath. Cool on a wire rack.

Variation Olive Hearth Bread • Prepare one amount Pain au Fromage dough, to substitute Gruyere, use1 ⅓ cups roughly shredded, pitted olives in step four. • Adorn the molded dough with extra sliced olives rather than the cheese before baking in step nine.

Walnut Bread

Walnut bread goes particularly well with goat cheese as well as Roquefort. Any leftovers might be cooked to form Croutes for a hot goat cheese. INGREDIENTS 2 tsp dry yeast 1½ cups water 2 cups bread flour 1 cup rye flour 1cup whole-wheat flour 2 tsp salt 1½ cups walnuts, roughly chopped 1) Sprinkle the yeast into ½ cup of the water in a bowl. Let rest for five minutes; stir to dissolve. Combine the flours and the salt in a bowl. Create a well in the center and pour in the dissolved yeast. 2) Use a wood spoon to draw enough of the flour into the dissolved

yeast to create a thick paste. Use a towel to cover the bowl and let “sponge” until frothy and up, twenty minutes or so. 3) Pour more or less 1/2 of the remaining water into the well. Combine in the flour. Stir in the reserved water, as needed, to prepare a firm, dampish dough. 4) Turn out onto a floured surface. Knead until soft and elastic, more or less ten minutes. Add the walnuts at the end of kneading: let the dough rest for five minutes, therefore it will be easier to knead. Gently press the dough into a rectangle, one inch thick. Sprinkle the walnuts over the surface. Fold the dough in 0.5. Then gently knead the dough to equally distribute the ingredients, 2–4 minutes or so. The dough might separate and seem breakable before it comes together to prepare a soft mass. 5) Put the dough in a clean bowl and use a towel to cover. Let rise until doubled in size, more or less 1½–2 hours. Punch down, then let rest for ten minutes. 6) Shape the dough into a rectangular loaf, ten inches long. Place the molded dough on a floured baking sheet; use a towel to cover. Proof until doubled in size, more or less forty-five minutes. 7) Bake in the preheated kitchen oven for forty-five minutes–1 hour, until the loaf is hollow sounding once touched beneath. Cool on a wire rack.

Variation Prune and Hazelnut Bread • Prepare one amount Walnut dough up to step five, utilize ½ cup every whole hazelnut and quartered dried prunes to replace the walnuts. • Let the dough rise until doubled in size, more or less 1½–2 hours. Punch down. • Mold the dough as directed in step six, then gently press three whole prunes in a row on the tip of the loaf as an ornament.

• Proof until doubled in size, more or less forty-five minutes. Heat beforehand the kitchen oven to 400°F. • Bake as directed in step seven.

Multigrain Bread

This healthy fashionable American classic is characterized by a nutty flavor and a firm texture as a results of the addition of seven ground and whole grains. Varied brands of multigrain cereal are avaible at health-food stores, however you will combine your own. The eight whole grains used here are oats, brown rice, triticale (a hybrid of wheat and rye), rye, wheat, buckwheat, barley, and sesame seeds, but millet, soybean seeds, and flaxseeds are other possible options.

INGREDIENTS 2 tsp dry yeast 1¼ cups water 2¼ cups bread flour ⅔ cup whole-wheat flour ⅔ cup multigrain cereal, ground 2 tsp salt

2 tbsp sunflower oil 2 tbsp honey 1 ⅓ cups cooked multigrain cereal, cooled oat flakes or rolled oats, for topping 1) Grease a nine x five x 3-inch loaf pan with oil. Sprinkle the yeast into the water in a bowl. Let rest for five minutes; stir to dissolve. 2) Mix the flours, ground grains, and salt in a big bowl. Create a well in the center and pour in the dissolved yeast, oil, honey, and boiled grains. Stir in the flour to prepare a stiff dough. 3) Turn the dough out onto a gently floured surface. Knead the dough until sleek and elastic, ten minutes or so. 4) Put the dough in a giant, gently oiled bowl. Flip the dough to coat with the oil and use a towel to cover. Let rise until doubled in size, regarding one hour. Punch down the dough, then let rest for ten minutes. 5) Shape the dough for a loaf pan and place within the pan, seam side down. Use a towel to cover. Proof until doubled in size, half-hour or so. 6) Brush the tip of the loaf with water and sprinkle with the oat flakes or oatmeal. 7) Bake in the preheated kitchen oven for forty minutes. Flip the loaf out of the pan, and take back it to the kitchen oven, bottom side up, for five minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Variations Sunflower and Honey Bread • Prepare one amount Multigrain dough, substitute the bottom and cooked multigrain cereals with one cup helianthus seeds and a pair of tablespoons

wheat germ. Add the well as directed in step 2 and increase the quantity of honey from a pair of to three tablespoons. • Continue as directed up to step six. Sprinkle the loaf with helianthus seeds, rather than the oat flakes. • Bake as directed in step seven. Cracked Grain Bread • Place ½ cup every cracked buckwheat, cracked wheat, and cracked rye in a bowl; pour boiling water over to cover. Let rest for half-hour till swollen, then drain. • Prepare one amount Multigrain dough, use the cracked grains and 2 tablespoons flaxseeds to replace the multigrain cereals. • Continue as directed up to step six. Sprinkle the tip of the loaf with a pair of tablespoons sesame seeds, rather than the oat flakes or meal. • Bake as directed in step seven. Multigrain Rolls • Prepare one amount Multigrain dough to step five. • Divide it into eight equal parts and mold into spherical rolls. • Place on an oiled baking sheet; use a towel to cover. Proof until doubled in size, forty minutes or so. • Heat beforehand the kitchen oven to 400°F. Use scissors to cut an in Nursing “X” in every roll. Top the rolls as directed in step six, then bake for half-hour.

Dark Chocolate Bread A portion of the flour is replaced with cocoa to provide this deeply savory, bittersweet bread. This chocolate bread is the excellent accompaniment to an upscale winter stew of beef or game. INGREDIENTS

2 tsp dry yeast 1 ⅔ cups water 4 tbsp sugar 2 ⅔ cups bread flour 1¼ cups cocoa powder 1½ tsp salt 1) Sprinkle the yeast into ½cup of the water in a bowl. Let rest for five minutes, then add the sugar; stir to dissolve. Sift the flour, cocoa, and salt into an oversized bowl. Create a well in the center and pour in the dissolved yeast. 2) Pour concerning 1/2 the remaining water into the well. Combine in the flour from the edges of the well. Stir in the reserved water, as needed, to create a stiff dough. 3) Turn the dough out onto a gently floured surface. Knead until soft, silky, and elastic, ten minutes or so. 4) Put the dough in a clean bowl; use a towel to cover. Let rise until doubled in size, more or less one hour. Punch down the dough, then let rest for ten minutes. 5) Shape the dough into a spherical loaf. Place on a gently floured baking sheet and use a towel to cover. Proof until doubled in size, forty-five minutes or so. 6) Dust the loaf with chocolate. Use a series of slashes, ½ inch deep, across the tip of the loaf to form a pattern. Bake in the preheated kitchen oven for forty-five minutes, until hollow sounding once touched beneath. Cool on a wire rack.

South African Seed Bread This seed-packed, super-healthy bread with a nutty, cakey crumb and a soft, golden crust is exclusive to Republic of South Africa. it's a quite fast yeast bread to prepare since it needs no kneading and only 1 rise when the dough has been molded. INGREDIENTS unsalted butter, melted, to grease pan 3 tsp dry yeast 1 ⅔ cups water 4 tsp honey 3 cups whole-wheat flour 1 cup bread flour 3 tbsp each sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, poppy seeds, chopped mixed nuts 1½ tsp salt 1 tbsp milk 1) Grease an eight x four x four loaf pan with the butter. Sprinkle the yeast into 1¼ cups of the water in a bowl; add the honey. Let rest for five minutes; stir to dissolve. Combine the flours, seeds, nuts, and salt in a bowl. 2) Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the dissolved yeast. Combine in the flour from the edges of the well. Stir in the remaining water, as needed, to prepare a soft, sticky dough that simply begins to go away the edges of the bowl clean. 3) Spoon the dough into the oiled pan utilizing the spoon to soft it level. Proof until the dough has leaven above the rim of the pan, one hour or so. 4) Bake in the preheated kitchen oven for half-hour, then decrease the

kitchen oven’s temperature to 350°F and bake for half-hour. The tip of the bread can stay flat. Turn onto a wire rack to chill. Instantly brush the tip and sides of the loaf with milk.

Italian Bread Rarely is there an Italian meal that does not contain bread. Ancient tools and ovens offer proof that man has been creating breads for thousands of years. Like many alternative foods, ancient Romans took the art of breadtaking it to the next level. In addition to enhancing the milling techniques of wheat, the Romans additionally were the first to provide flour, that can be baked into bread. Rome even opened a baking college in the first century AD. Italians have high standards for bread. They are famouse to let the yeast to entirely rise over the course of many hours, keeping a thin crust. Italians judge the scale of their loaves of bread because of each member of the family has to be properly nourished. Italians would rather their bread to possess a soft and wet interior, which is perfect for absorbing vegetable oil, vinegar, tomatoes, and alternative chosen toppings.

Semolina Bread This open-textured bread comes from Puglia, a region of southern Italy, and is commonly known as Pugliese. Its open texture is good for absorbing oil – making it especially popular to use for Bruschetta. Fields of semolina grow profusely in the scorching sun of the region. The semolina flour gives this bread a distinctive golden color and a crisp crust. INGREDIENTS for the starter ¼ tsp dry yeast ⅔ cup water 1 cup bread flour for the dough 1½ tsp dry yeast ¾ cup water 1 cup bread flour 1 ⅔ cups semolina or durum wheat flour, plus extra to dust 2 tsp salt 2 tbsp olive oil 1) To make the starter, sprinkle the yeast into the water in a bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes; stir to dissolve. Add the flour and mix to form a thick batter. Cover with a dish towel and let ferment at room temperature for 12–24 hours. 2) To make the dough, sprinkle the yeast into ½ cup of the water in a small bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes; stir to dissolve. Mix the flours and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the dissolved yeast, the oil, and the starter. 3) Mix in the flour. Pour in the remaining water, as needed, to form a soft, sticky dough.

4) Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. 5) Put the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1½–2 hours. Punch down the dough and chafe for 5 minutes, then let rest for 10 minutes. 6) Divide the dough into two pieces. Shape each piece into a round loaf. Place the loaves on an oiled baking sheet dusted with semolina flour. 7) Flatten each loaf with the palm of your hand and sprinkle with semolina flour. Cover with a dish towel and proof until both loaves are doubled in size, about 1½ hours. 8) Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until lightly golden and hollow sounding when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack.

Italian Household Bread

In Italy, casalingo describes the very best of family cooking, passed down from one generation to the next. Pane Casalingo literally means “homebaked bread” and one that is never found in bakeries. It is common all over Italy, from north to south, which is very unusual in the fiercely proud regional cooking of Italy. We like to think of it as a bread without boundaries. The starter is uniquely made with malt and milk. This combination speeds up the fermentation of the yeast, which gives the bread a slightly yeasty flavor. INGREDIENTS for the starter 1¼ tsp dry yeast ¼ cup water ½ cup lukewarm milk 1 tsp malt extract 1½ cups bread flour for the dough

1¼ tsp dry yeast ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp water 2¼ cups bread flour 2 tsp salt 1) To make the starter, sprinkle the yeast into the water and milk in a bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes, then add the malt extract and stir to dissolve. Add the flour and mix to form a thick paste. Cover with a dish towel and let ferment for 12 hours. 2) To make the dough, sprinkle the yeast into ½ cup of the water in a bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes; stir to dissolve. Mix the flour and the salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add the dissolved yeast and the starter. 3) Pour half of the remaining water into the well. Mix in the flour. Stir in the reserved water, as needed, to form a soft dough. 4) Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface. Knead for 5 minutes. Cover with a dish towel, let rest for 10 minutes, then knead for 5 minutes longer. 5) Put the dough in an exceedingly clean bowl and canopy with a towel. Let rise till tripled in size, concerning two hours. Punch down and chafe for five minutes, then let rest for ten minutes. 6) Shape the dough into a round loaf. Place on an oiled baking sheet. Cover with a dish towel and proof until doubled in size, about 1½ hours. 7) Dust with flour. Cut three parallel slashes ¼ inch deep, across the top of the loaf, then three more in the opposite direction to make a crisscross pattern. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes, until hollow sounding when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack.

Traditional Saltless Tuscan Bread This typical Tuscan bread, also known as Pane Toscano, is made without salt. The absence of salt has a historical explanation. During the Middle Ages, Tuscany’s neighboring provinces controlled the Italian salt market, levying a heavy salt tax. Unwilling to submit to their rivals, the Tuscans created breads made without salt. Such breads have a yeasty flavor, but quickly become stale. Tuscan cooks have developed a tradition of dishes using stale bread. INGREDIENTS for the starter 3½ tsp dry yeast ⅔ cup water 1 cup plus 2 tbsp bread flour for the dough 2¾ cups bread flour 1¼ cups water 1) To make the starter, sprinkle the yeast into the water in a bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes; stir to dissolve. Add the flour and mix to form a thick paste. Cover with a dish towel and let ferment at room temperature for at least 12 hours. 2) To make the dough, put the flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the starter. Pour in about half of the water. Mix in the flour from the sides of the well, then stir in the reserved water to form a wet, batterlike dough. 3) Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let rise until doubled in size, about 40 minutes. 4) Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Use floured hands and a plastic dough hand tool to knead the dough until soft and elastic, more or less ten minutes. Add extra flour only if it is

necessary to achieve a manageable, however still very damp dough. 5) Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Handle the dough carefully so as not to deflate it. Shape each piece into an oval loaf. Place on an oiled baking sheet and cover with a dish towel. Proof until doubled in size, about 15–20 minutes. 6) Strain a light dusting of flour over the two loaves. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, until lightly golden and hollow sounding when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack.

Italian Slipper Bread (Ciabatta)

Ciabatta was given its name because the bread resembles a well-worn slipper. It is the prolonged rising and high liquid content that make this mild bread, with its unique open and porous texture. An authentic Ciabatta needs a really wet dough that may be difficult to handle and must be

prepared a day earlier. Do not be tempted to add more flour to let the dough be a little bit more manageable, and avoid overhandling the dough. Once its risen, the dough should be handled with a really light touching (“like a baby,” as they assert in Italy), in order that all the valuable air bubbles aren't broken. INGREDIENTS for the starter ½ tsp dry yeast ⅔ cup water 3 tbsp milk ¼ tsp honey or sugar 1 cup plus 2 tbsp bread flour for the dough ½ tsp dry yeast 1 cup water ½ tbsp olive oil 2½ cups bread flour 1½ tsp salt 1) To prepare the starter, sprinkle the yeast into the water and milk in a big bowl. Let rest for five minutes, then add the honey or sugar and stir to dissolve. 2) Mix in the flour to create a loose batter. Use a towel to cover the bowl and let rise for twelve hours or all night. 3) To prepare the dough, sprinkle the yeast into the water in a little bowl. Let rest for five minutes, then stir to dissolve. Add the dissolved yeast and oil to the starter and blend well. 4) Mix in the flour and salt to prepare a wet, sticky dough. Beat steady with a wood spoon for five minutes; the dough might become elastic

and begin to pull away from the edges of the bowl, however, can stay too soft to knead. 5) Cover the dough with a towel. Let rise until tripled in size and full of air bubbles, three hours or so. Do not punch down the dough. Richly flour 2 baking sheets and prepare extra flour to dip your hands in. 6) Use a dough scraper to divide the dough in 0.5 whereas in the bowl. Scoop 0.5 the dough out of the bowl onto one of the heavily floured baking sheets. 7) Use well-floured hands to pull and stretch the dough to mold a roughly rectangular loaf, more or less twelve inches long. Dust the loaf and your hands once more with flour. Neaten and fluff up the loaf by running your fingers down both sides and gently tucking underneath the sides of the dough. 8) Repeat step seven with the other half of the dough. Leave the 2 loaves uncovered to proof for twenty minutes or so; the loaves can unfolded as well as rise. 9) Bake in the preheated kitchen oven for half-hour, until up, golden, and hollow sounding once tapped beneath. Cool on a wire rack.

Tomato and Red Onion Bread This robustly flavored loaf originated in Tropea in the southern Italian region of Calabria, where tomatoes and onions flourish, and strong, peppery dishes are favored. Ripe, full-flavored tomatoes are essential to the success of this recipe. Choose firm, red tomatoes or leave them stem side down on a window sill to ripen. Store ripe tomatoes in a dark, cool place. Never refrigerate tomatoes—cold temperatures create the flesh nonwoody and destroy the tomato flavor. INGREDIENTS 3½ tsp dry yeast ⅔ cup water 4 cups bread flour 2 tsp salt 1lb ripe tomatoes 1 tbsp olive oil 2 red onions, halved and finely sliced 3 tsp chopped fresh oregano 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 1) Sprinkle the yeast into the water in a bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes; stir to dissolve. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the dissolved yeast. 2) Use a wood spoon to draw enough of the flour into the dissolved yeast to make a thick paste. Use a towel to cover the bowl and let “sponge” until frothy and leaven, one hour or so. 3) To skin the tomatoes, immerse them in boiling water for one minute. Score the skin with a knife and peel it away. Cut the tomatoes in 0.5, take away the cores, scoop out the seeds, and roughly chop the flesh. Reserve the flesh solely.

4) Heat the olive oil in a pan, then add the tomatoes, sliced onions, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cover the pan and cook gently for 10 minutes. Transfer the tomato mixture to a bowl and let cool. 5) Stir the cooled tomato mixture into the fermented sponge. Mix in the flour to make a soft, sticky dough. The moisture content of the tomatoes will affect the consistency. Add flour if the dough is too wet. 6) Turn the dough out onto a gently floured surface. Knead till smooth and supple, ten minutes or so. 7) Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a dish towel. Let rise till doubled in size, one hour or so. Punch down and chafe, 5 minutes, then let rest for regarding ten minutes. 8) Shape the dough into a round loaf. Place on an oiled baking sheet and cover with a dish towel. Proof until doubled in size, about 35–45 minutes. 9) Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, until golden and hollow sounding when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack.

Filled Italian Hearth Bred

This Italian bread got its name from the Latin word focus, which means “hearth.” The embers of the hearth are where Focaccia was traditionally baked. Fillings and toppings for Focaccia are very much a movable feast. Generally speaking, Italian-style ingredients such as roasted peppers, sundried tomatoes, salty olives, capers, fragrant fresh herbs, grilled eggplants, or vine-ripened plum tomatoes will complement this bread dough to perfection. Keep in mind that any topping or filling must be cooked in the same time that it takes the bread to bake. Therefore, vegetables ought to be cut or sliced and portions cooked by roasting or parboiling before their use. INGREDIENTS 2 tsp dry yeast 1¼ cups water 3¾ cups bread flour 1½ tsp salt 3 tbsp olive oil

for the filling and topping ½ cup crumbled Gorgonzola 7oz mozzarella, sliced 1 handful of basil leaves ½ tsp coarse salt 2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves 4 tbsp olive oil 1) Sprinkle the yeast into one cup of the water in a bowl. Let rest for five minutes; stir to dissolve. Combine the flour and salt in a big bowl. Create a well in the center of the flour and pour in the dissolved yeast and the oil. 2) Mix in the flour. Stir in the remaining water to create a soft, sticky dough. Add extra water, one tablespoon at a time, if needed. 3) Turn the dough out onto a gently floured surface. Knead until soft, silky, and elastic, ten minutes or so. 4) Put the dough in a oiled bowl and use a towel to cover. Let rise until doubled in size, more or less 1½–2 hours. Punch down and divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Chafe for five minutes, then let rest for ten minutes. 5) To prepare the filling Roll out each part of dough into a 9½-inch spherical. Place one spherical on an oiled baking sheet. Prepare the two cheeses and basil over the tip, then lock in the filling exploitation the second spherical. 6) Cover the dough loosely with a towel. Proof until doubled in size, half-hour or so. 7) Use your fingertips to carefully press into the surface of the dough to create dimples more or less ½ inch deep. Sprinkle with the coarse salt, rosemary leaves, and one tablespoon of the oil.

8) Bake in the preheated kitchen oven for 30–45 minutes, until golden. Drizzle at once with the remaining oil, and serve hot.

Variation Focaccia with Tomato, Arugula, and Mozzarella • Heat beforehand the kitchen oven to 400ºF. Place 1lb cherry tomatoes on a baking sheet and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake for twenty minutes. • Cut 5oz cheese into cherry tomato-size parts. Wash and dry 6½ cups herb leaves. • Prepare one amount Focaccia Farcita dough, take tomatoes, mozzarella and herbs to replace the filling of step five. • Continue as directed in steps 6–8.

Hearth Bread With Olives (Focaccia con Olive)

Focaccia originated in Genoa, but numerous variations on the classic salt and olive oil Genoese hearth bread are found all over Liguria. This recipe calls for the famous olives, olive oil, and white wine of the region – the wine, in particular, adds another flavor dimension. This bread is best eaten while still warm.

INGREDIENTS 2 tsp dry yeast ¾ cup water 3¾ cups bread flour 1½ tsp salt ⅓ cup olive oil, plus additional olive oil to finish

⅓ cup dry white wine 1½ cups pitted black olives, coarsely chopped 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano 1) Sprinkle the yeast into ½ cup of the water in a bowl. Let rest for five minutes; stir to dissolve. Combine the flour and salt in a big bowl. Create a well in the center and pour in the dissolved yeast. 2) Use a wood spoon to draw enough of the flour into the dissolved yeast to create a soft paste. Use a towel to cover and let “sponge” until frothy and up, regarding twenty minutes. 3) Add the vegetable oil and also the wine to the well. Combine in the flour. Stir in the remaining water, as needed, to prepare a soft, sticky dough. 4) Turn the dough out onto a gently floured surface. Knead until soft and elastic, ten minutes or so. Work ¾ cup of the olives and one tablespoon of the thyme into the dough toward the tip of kneading. 5) Put the dough in an oiled bowl and use a towel to cover. Let rise until doubled in size, 1½–2 hours. Punch down and chafe for five minutes, then let rest for ten minutes. 6) Roll out the dough on a gently floured surface to create a 9½-inch spherical, ½ inch thick. Place on an oiled baking sheet and use a towel to cover. Proof until doubled in size, one hour or so. 7) Use your fingertips to press into the surface of the dough to create dimples regarding ½ inch deep. Sprinkle with the oregano and also the remaining olives and thyme. 8) Bake in the preheated kitchen oven for half-hour, until golden brown and hollow sounding once tapped beneath. Sprinkle with further oil forthwith. Cool on a wire rack.

Variation

Italian Hearth Bread with Sage (Focaccia alla Salvia) • Prepare one amount Focaccia con Olive dough up to step three. • Add twenty cut fresh sage leaves to the sponge with the oil and therefore the wine in step three. Combine in the flour and stir in the water as directed. • Continue as directed in steps 4–6. • Dimple the dough as directed in step seven and replace the olives, thyme, and oregano with 1½ teaspoons coarse salt, two tablespoons oil, and ten recent sage leaves. • Bake as directed in step eight.

Sicilian Bread (Semolina Bread with Sesame Seeds)

Semolina bread with Sesamum seeds is sort of typical of Sicily. This bread contains a crusty exterior, a pale interior because of the employment of semolina flour and in its top there are Sesamum seeds giving it an exquisite crunch and nutty flavor! Semolina bread with Sesamum seeds is usually found in Sicily. In recent visits there, I enjoyed this rustic, hearty country style bread. Created with principally semolina flour, this bread contains a crumb that is more dense than your typical loaf. It undoubtedly provides you one thing to sink your teeth into!

INGREDIENTS 1 envelope dry yeast 1 ⅓ cups water 2 tsp honey 1¾ cups durum semolina flour ¾ cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt 2 tbsp sesame seeds 1) Begin by proofing your yeast: heat water until warm and place in a tiny bowl. Stir in honey until it dissolves. Add an envelope of instant yeast, stir gently and let sit until foamy, ten minutes or so. 2) Meanwhile, add the semolina flour, all-purpose flour and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer. Blend until combined. Pour in the yeast mixture and on gently speed mix until combined and a dough begins to create. The dough might be wet initially, this is often common. Blend on medium speed for eight minutes until the dough is soft and elastic. When 4-5 minutes of kneading the dough might wrap itself round the hook and pull away from the edges of the bowl. Transfer to a oiled bowl, use a wrapper to cover and place in a hot space, free from draft until it doubles in bulk, 2 hours or so.

3) If you do not have a stand mixer: stir the flour and salt in a giant bowl. Create a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture. Use a wood spoon to incorporate the flour into the yeast mixture. Stir until a raggedy dough is made. Transfer to a gently floured clean surface and knead for 10 minutes until the dough is soft and elastic. Transfer to an oiled bowl as above. 4) After 2 hours has passed, transfer the dough to a gently floured surface. Punch down the dough and utilizing your fingertips, flatten the dough into a parallelogram, more or less thirteen x nine inches. 5) Fold the long edges of the dough of of the way toward the middle of the parallelogram. Fold the opposite long edge over the first fold… tuck in the ends by creating tiny fold toward the inside of the bread so as to seal the ends. 6) Turn the dough over and carefully elevate onto a parchment paper covered baking sheet, seam side down. 7) Lightly brush the surface with water and top with sesame seeds. Use

a thin knife to create three or four horizontal cuts on the dough. Use a towel to cover and let rest for thirty minutes. 8) Meanwhile, heat beforehand kitchen oven to 425F and place a pan of water on the bottom rack of your kitchen oven. Bake for twenty minutes, then decrease kitchen oven’s temperature to 375F and continue baking for ten to fifteen extra minutes, until the bread is golden and sounds hollow once touched. Transfer to a wire rack and let it to chill entirely before slicing it.

Experimentation How regarding adding seeds or nuts to the doughs? I like adding more or less 0.5 a cup of a mix of bend of sesame, poppy, and flax seeds to the country Bread. I only knead them in once the dough begins to come together. In the fall I like to combine walnut and sliced apples. Or olives and cheese. Or herbs like fresh rosemary or dried Herbes de Provence. Or if you prefer things spicy, attempt adding some Tabasco or Sri Rachi. Not just the country dough: the white and wheat sandwich breads are

tremendous with raisins and cinnamon mixed in. Use your imagination and you will be able to come up with every kind of creative sweet and savory creations.

Happy Baking!