A Loaf of Focaccia

My second attempt at making bread produced a simple dough called Focaccia.  Once again it came from the book, “No Need to Knead.”

During the process I wasn't sure the dough was headed in the right direction.  To give it a chance to rise I let the dough sit on the counter for about forty minutes.  When that time was up it appeared to me the dough hadn't risen enough .  I continued to follow the instructions, although somewhat hesitantly, and prepared the skillet it was about to be put into.

Transferring the dough was also a bit worrisome because of how sticky it was.  It stretched to the max while being torn from it's death grip on the bowl.  At that moment my mind flashed back to the directions, advising to add more flour if it was too clingy.  I assumed that advice meant it would be ruined if I let the dough stay that sticky.  Unfortunately it was to late to fix it.  You can see I'm not that confident yet about my dough making abilities, nor do I have vast knowledge on the subject.  I put the dough in the oven and hoped for the best. 

I was not disappointed with the end result, and I think my family agreed it turned out fine.  The crumb was incredibly moist, and the flavor was perfect.  I loved the smell of the rosemary that was sprinkled on the bread coming from the oven.  Suzanne Dunaway, the author of “No Need to Knead,”  wrote that this dough was what inspired her bakery, and everyone loves it.  It's not hard to believe after trying a bite.

If you would like to do just that here is the recipe....from “No Need To Knead”

2 cups lukewarm water
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
4 cups unbleached bread flour
2 to 3 teaspoons salt
2 to 3 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Measure the water into a large bowl.  Sprinkle the yeast over the water and stir until dissolved. Stir in two cups of flour and the salt and stir until smooth.  Stir in the remaining 2 cups of flour just until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and the flour is incorporated.  The dough should be fairly wet and tacky, but if you think it's to sticky add one-fourth to one-half cup of flour.

Same day method- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, 30 to 40 minutes. 

Overnight method-Cover the bowl and refrigerate over night.  Remove the dough two hours before shaping  and let stand, covered, in a warm place.

When the dough is ready to shape, pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees.  Oil a seasoned nonstick, oven proof 9-inch skillet or two 5-inch skillets.

Pour the dough into the skillet or divide it equally among the two smaller skillets.  Scrape it gently from the sides of the bowl with a spatula, and try to keep the dough as inflated as possible during the transfer.  If you are using two skillets, cut the dough off at the edge of the bowl with the spatula as it falls into each pan.  Brush the tops of the loaves with olive oil, sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt, set aside to rise until doubled, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Place the bread in the pre-heated oven and reduce the temperature to 400 degrees.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until it's nicely browned. 

My First Baguette

Easter turned out to be a very enjoyable day, accompanied by to much good food. Because we were having a big early dinner, my mom and I made snacks around noon to replace lunch. My baguette was one of those snacks, and I'm proud to say it was a success!

I picked out the recipe from the book, “No Need to Knead.”

It has an abundance of easy bread recipes, each with a different than normal, but easier, approach to making bread. Suzanne Dunaway, the author, believes in simplicity. If you practice her method you can bake bread no matter how short of time you are. She also believes fancy equipment is unnecessary, so don't bother spending the extra money.
Here is the recipe.

2 cups of water
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
5 cups all-purpose or unbleached bread flour
2 to 3 teaspoons salt

Mix the water and the yeast. Put 2 cups of the flour in and stir. Once it's mixed, add the rest of the flour and the salt. Stir until the dough is completely mixed and the sides pull away from the bowl. You may need to add one-fourth to one-half a cup of flour if it's to wet. The dough should be smooth and shiny.

You have two options. You can either cover the bowl that holds the dough and let it sit in the fridge overnight. Or you can cover the bowl and let it sit in a warm place for thirty to forty minutes. It should double in volume by the end of forty minutes. Then, fold the dough over a couple of times and let it sit for the same amount of time. Repeat once more before shaping it.

If you choose to leave the dough in the fridge overnight then it will have to sit out for two hours before you can shape it.

Once it's ready to shape, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray a two- or three-loaf baguette pan. If you don't have one of these a baking sheet will work just as well.

Put the dough on a floured surface and divide it into two or three pieces. Leave it be for fifteen minutes. Then lengthen each piece of dough to fit the baguette pan. Let the dough rise for thirty minutes on the baguette pan. Cut three slashes on top of each loaf and spritz with water.

Now the bread goes in the oven. Reduce the temperature to 400 degrees and bake for thirty to thirty-five minutes. After taking them out let the loaves cool on a wire rack. If you have trouble getting them out of the baguette pan just tap the pan to loosen the loaves.

I Have a Confession....

I've been accused of being a bread fanatic by my younger sister.  I might as well admit to my problem.  I can't resist the texture, the taste, the smell.  Everything about it is heaven.  
I also enjoy baking.  The relaxation of being in the kitchen, looking out to the backyard and seeing the bunnies and birds that reside out there, and playing piano music from my ipod offers a bliss that's hard to beat.
There is a slight problem though, and this problem is sugar.  When people think of baking they think of cupcakes, cookies, and cakes galore.  All full of sugar.  I can't have this pesky ingredient for various reasons.  One I'm a ballet dancer, and eating right keeps me doing my best in the studio.  Sugar tends to make me feel lethargic, so its pretty much off limits.  I still bake, but some joy is taken out of it when I smell the aroma of the delicious concoction in the oven, floating through the house.  I can't take a bite when everyone else will  get to taste my work. It may sound like I'm bitter but I'm not.  I like knowing I can make people happy with what I make.  I only wish I could try some.  But forget about having one bite.  Sweets are my potato chips, once I start I can't stop.  Its best to just let my taste buds wonder.
My mom suggested I try baking bread.  I could have the baking experience and get the reward at the end.  I thought it was a great idea. 
It's also healthier to make your own bread, and everyone that knows me is aware of my constant strive to eat well.  I was under the impression that as long as I had whole grain bread from the store I was doing all right.  I wasn't falling for the trap of multi-grain, or whole wheat, which so many people think is okay.  I was one step ahead of their game, they couldn't outsmart me with misleading labels.  But today my mom informed me that there is high fructose corn syrup in the ingredient list on some of the whole grain breads!  I was disappointed when I heard that.  It's just another good reason to make my own bread. 
I'm starting out by making a French Baguette for my family's Easter celebration tomorrow.  I will post how it turned out and how I accomplished making what will hopefully be a very tasty baguette.