Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2006 12:51:08 GMT -------------- BEGIN bread-bakers.v106.n010 -------------- 001 - Laura Locklin Subject: Cocodrillo Date: Sun, 5 Mar 2006 05:14:27 -0800 (PST) I believe this is the recipe from John in Yorkshire. I met him and his wife in 2004 and he gave me some wonderful bread. Laura Cocodrillo -- Crocodile Bread This bread, named for its shape, was dreamed up by Gianfranco Anelli, a baker in Rome. It is his favorite bread and, judging from the number of people who come from all over the city to buy it, it may be his most popular as well. At the bakery it takes two days to make it; I suggest that you start it in the morning, work at it again for ten minutes in the evening, and finish the next day. I actually prefer to stretch the process over three days because the flavor is even better. Three days may seem formidable, but the working time of the first two days is only 5 to 10 minutes. This is on dough that you will find difficult to make without an electric mixer, for it requires thirty minutes of continuous stirring for the final dough -- of course you could enlist help. The result is an extremely light bread with a crunchy dark-speckled crust and a very chewy interior. The bread stays fresh for an amazing number of days. Makes 2 large loaves First Starter 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast or 1/6 small cake (3 grams) fresh years 1 cup warm water 1/4 cup (35 grams) durum flour 3/4 cup (90 grams) unbleached stone-ground flour The morning of the first day, stir the yeast into the water; let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Add the flours and stir with a wooden spoon about 50 strokes or with the paddle of an electric mixer about 30 seconds. Cover with plastic wrap ad let rise for 12 to 24 hours. The starter should be bubbly. Second Starter 1 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast or 1/2 small cake (9 grams) fresh yeast 1/4 cup warm water 1 1/4 cups water, room temperature 1/2 cup (70 grams) durum flour 1 1/2 cups (180 grams) unbleached stone-ground flour The evening of the same day or the next morning, stir the yeast into the warm water; let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Add the water, flours, and dissolved yeast to the first starter and stir, using a spatula or wooden spoon or the paddle of an electric mixer until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 12 to 24 hours. Dough 1/4 cup (35 grams) durum flour 1 to 1 1/4 cups (120 to 140 grams) unbleached stone-ground flour 1 1/2 tablespoons (25 grams) salt BY MIXER: The next day, add the durum flour and 1 cup unbleached flour to the starter in a mixer bowl; mix with the paddle on the lowest speed for 17 minutes. Add the salt and mix 3 minutes longer, adding the remaining flour if needed for the dough to come together. You may need to turn off the mixer once or twice to keep it from overheating. BY HAND: If you decide to make this dough by hand, place the starter, durum flour, and 1 cup unbleached flour in a widemouthed bowl. Stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon for 25 to 30 minutes; then add the salt and remaining flour if needed and stir 5 minutes longer. The dough is very wet and will not be kneaded. First Rise: Pour the dough into a Hammarplast bowl or a widemouthed large bowl placed on an open trivet on legs or on a wok ring so that air can circulate all around it. Loosely drape a towel over the top and let rise at about 70F, turning the dough over in the bowl every hour, until just about tripled, 4 or 5 hours. Shaping and Second Rise: Pour the wet dough onto a generously floured surface. Have a mound of flour nearby to flour your hands, the top of the oozy dough, and the work surface itself. This will all work fine -- appearances to the contrary -- but be prepared for an unusually wet dough. Make a big round shape of it by just folding and tucking the edges under a bit. Please don't try to shape it precisely; it's a hopeless task and quite unnecessary. Place the dough on a well-floured parchment or brown paper placed on a baking sheet or peel. Cover with a dampened towel and let rise until very blistered and full of air bubbles, about 45 minutes. Baking: Thirty minutes before baking, heat the oven with a baking stone in it to 475F. Just before baking, cut the dough in half down the center using a dough scraper; a knife would just tear the dough. Gently slide the 2 pieces apart and turn so that the cut surfaces face upward. Sprinkle the stone with cornmeal. If you feel brave, slide the paper with the dough on it onto the stone, but the dough can also be baked directly on the baking sheet. When the dough has set, slide the paper out. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a rack. Source: Carol Field's "The Italian Baker" --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v106.n010.2 --------------- From: Tarheel_Boy@webtv.net (Skallywagg ...) Subject: A possible substitute for Lorraine Date: Sun, 5 Mar 2006 08:24:02 -0500 Lorraine from PEI asked about a recipe for Veda bread. I wish I could supply one, but alas, I cannot. I do, however, have a very good recipe for Irish Pint-Glass Bread. It makes one 7 1/2" round loaf. If you use a pint glass to measure the ingredients, note that the vessel in question is a 20-ounce imperial pint glass. 1 pint glass (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour 1 pint glass (2 1/2 cups) stone-ground whole wheat flour Enough baking soda to coat the bottom of a pint glass (3/4 tsp.) Enough salt to coat the bottom of a pint glass (3/4 tsp.) Enough butter to coat the bottom of a pint glass (1 tbsp.) 3/4 pint glass (1 3/4 cups) buttermilk 1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Sprinkle 1 tsp. of the all-purpose flour over the center of a baking sheet and set aside. Put 2 tsp. of the all-purpose flour into a small bowl and set aside. Put remaining all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and mix well with your hands to combine. Add butter, breaking it up with your fingers, and mix it into flour mixture until combined. Make a well in the center of the flour-butter mixture and add buttermilk. Slowly incorporate the buttermilk into the flour mixture with your hands until a rough ball forms, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a neat ball (without kneading). 2. Transfer the dough to center of baking sheet and press gently to form a 7 1/2"-wide round. Using a sharp knife, slash a cross 1/2" deep across the entire loaf and dust top of loaf with reserved flour. Bake until bread is light golden and a tap on the bottom sounds hollow, about 70 minutes. Wrap bread in a clean kitchen towel, prop against a window sill, and allow to cool for about 2 hours. Slice and serve at room temperature or toasted, with a slathering of Irish butter, if you like. If you use this recipe, Lorraine, you owe me a lobster supper the next time I'm on your beautiful island. Bob the Tarheel Baker --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v106.n010.3 --------------- From: fredex Subject: Digital Scales Date: Sun, 5 Mar 2006 08:31:29 -0500 Judith Mayberry wrote: >Thanks to all those who responded to my search for scales that show >1-gram increments. Many commented that it is an insignificant amount >and not very usable in baking. >Well, it is when measuring the amount of coffee when you are >scientifically trying to arrive at "the perfect cup." Which was the case here. Judy: Now that we know why you want it, allow me to offer another suggestion. The Upton Tea Company sells a "pocket tea scale" desined for measuring out enough tea to make a cup. It has a capacity of 200g and apparently will read out fractional grams (0.05g). Should you wish to check it out, here's the URL of that item on their web site: http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/information/INFOscaleUse.asp Note I'm not trying to sell anything, I haven't used this particular product of theirs, though I am a happy tea customer! ---- Fred Smith -- fredex@fcshome.stoneham.ma.us --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v106.n010.4 --------------- From: "Mary Fisher" Subject: baker's lame? Date: Sun, 5 Mar 2006 14:38:37 -0000 Please can you explain "with a ... baker's lame score 3 semicircles from center"? I'm feeling inadequate! :-( Mary [[Editor's note: It's similar to a razor blade. For example: , search for 4175 , shop / bakeware / bakers blades ]] --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v106.n010.5 --------------- From: Larry T Subject: digital scales and other measuring devices Date: Sun, 05 Mar 2006 07:04:56 -0800 Digital scales and other measuring devices can be deceptive. Just because a digital device displays, for example, one-gram increments, it doesn't necessarily mean it is accurate to one gram. You need to read the specifications. I have seen digital thermometers that will display, again this is an example off the top of my head, one-degree increments, but the specs state it is only accurate to +/- 2 degrees. I don't have particular knowledge of the scales mentioned, but you should read the specs. You might find some interesting information. You might find that amient temperature affects the scale's reading as well. Larry T --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v106.n010.6 --------------- From: "Allen Cohn" Subject: Re: SF sourdough Date: Sun, 5 Mar 2006 08:31:33 -0800 Hi Diane (and list), The "classic" SF sourdough is Boudin. They retard the dough for *ages* to get a super sour taste. It's worth a try...and their new bread museum/bakery is fun to visit and the *only* thing you should bother with on Fisherman's Wharf (which is otherwise a useless tourist trap). My favorite baugettes come from across the Golden Gate Bridge at Bouchon Bakery. If you're doing a full bakery tour in SF, I also recommend visiting Tartine great pastries and one excellent bread which comes out of the oven at 4 PM each day and quickly sells out) and Bay Bread. If you would like other SF bread, dining, tourism advice, feel free to contact me. Allen --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v106.n010.7 --------------- From: Roxanne Rieske Subject: European Easter breads Date: Sun, 05 Mar 2006 10:40:12 -0700 I'm looking for some recipes for traditional European Easter breads, does anyone have any family favorites they wouldn't mind sharing? Thanks Roxanne --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v106.n010.8 --------------- From: bbnspike Subject: seeking sourdough with crunchy crust Date: Sun, 5 Mar 2006 10:29:01 -0800 (PST) Hello, I just joined bread bakers and would like to know if anyone has a good recipe for sourdough bread? Preferably one that has a crunchy crust to it. Barb in Ocala, Florida --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v106.n010.9 --------------- From: Mike Avery Subject: Balance Pan Date: Sun, 05 Mar 2006 12:55:24 -0700 Steven Leof wrote: >I use a Weylux which is old-fashioned English balance scale, cast >iron with removable brass pans. I have two sets of weights ranging >from 1/4 oz to 2 lbs and 5 grams to 1 kilo. The scale is reliable, >shouldn't wear out and should be available at most good kitchen >shops. In London it can be found at David Mellor and Divertimenti. One of the things I like about bakers balance scales is that they are very rugged, and they are designed so you can scale dough on them. With digital scales, I would not want to cut a ball of dough in half on the scales.... they wouldn't survive that very often. With a balance pan, there is no problem doing this. Also, while I use digital scales a lot, I find many bakers become digitally obsessed. Yes, your scales are accurate to 2 grams. But, when your recipe calls for 1,800 grams of flour and 1,200 grams of water, even being within 25 to 50 grams is probably close enough for the home baker. The bread will come out fine. But.... the digits are there... glowing at you.... demanding you be precise. When I weigh yeast, I want to be right on as a small error there can be pretty significant. But for the larger quantity ingredients, no, you don't need to be within .1 grams, or even 10 or 20 grams. And the bread will still be fine. When I was teaching my part time employees to scale dough, I always had to spend a lot of time telling them, "When you use the digital scales, being within 10 grams on a loaf of bread is good enough. You don't have to be spot on." It took them time to accept this. Usually we had to weigh a number of finished loaves to show them that we were always at, or above, the state weight, and being 10 grams under on the dough was OK. And that it was a LOT faster to get within 10 grams than to try to be right on every time. With balance pans, we made our own counter weights. We used a lot of 5lb bottles of honey, and we were annoyed at the thought of throwing them away (they were a kind of plastic that we can't recycle locally). We cut some up into scoops to measure ingredients. And still had a lot. None of us went fishing, so we couldn't use them to float lines. And then... we realized we could fill them with salt to the weights of our loaves. So, we peeled off the labels, put masking tape on the bottles, and put the bottles and caps on the digital scales. Then we added salt until they weighed what we needed, capped the bottles, and wrote the sort of loaf it was for on the tape. "Kaiser roll 125 grams" "1.5lb loaf" "1.75 lb loaf" and so on. Mike --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v106.n010.10 --------------- From: Mike Avery Subject: Proofing Yeast Date: Sun, 05 Mar 2006 12:58:48 -0700 When I started baking in the early 1970's, I bought "James Beard on Bread" and he suggested that active dry yeast was so reliable there was no reason to proof it. Just mix it in with the dry ingredients and make your bread. I have found his instructions to be correct. Just skip this error prone step and use your yeast directly, whether it is active dry or instant yeast. I don't think you'll regret it. Mike --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v106.n010.11 --------------- From: "Tom" Subject: Re: Digital Scales - Metric Accuracy Date: Sun, 5 Mar 2006 18:21:25 -0700 One gram is, in fact, a very tiny amount and I suspect that it would be of no consequence.... One other thing, a gram is very hard thing to visualize. How much is a gram? A teaspon or a tablespoon, on the other hand, is something for which we all have a working knowlege. Everyone finds a system for measuring items that works best for them. Dave is comfortable with volume based measurements. I on the other hand, get much more consistent results when I use weight (or mass) based measurements. It is well documented that the weight of one cup of flour will vary from person to person to person (and can vary by cup to cup for the same person). These variation can range from 1/4 oz to 1/2 oz. When measuring 4 cups of flour the error can be as much as 1 cup or 25% from the stated recipe. This is because of how the flour is put in the measuring cup - i.e., how you scoop up the flour, how much force one uses. Think of flour as brown sugar and consider the difference between a packed and an unpacked unit (tbp, cup, etc.) - the weight of brown sugar in an unpacked vs a packed unit will vary with the amount of force used to fill it. Dave is not thinking of a gram with the right frame of mind - it is a mass based unit and should not be thought of in terms of volume. As a massed based unit you cannot visualize an equivalent volume unless you know the density of the material you are measuring. The best analogy I can think of, is everyone knows how much they weight but nobody knows how much volume they take up! A cup is a volume based measurement and a gram is a weight based measurement. A gram of feathers or air takes up a lot more volume than a gram of lead, just as a gram of yeast takes up a lot more volume than does a gram of water. If you really want to visualize a gram you must know the density of the material. Water for example has a density of 1 g/cm3, therefore 1 gram of water takes up the volume of one cubic centimeter. Flour and instant yeast have densities less than water so 1 gram of each has a volume greater than 1 cubic centimeter. For comparison the volume of a cube 1 inch by 1 inch by 1 inch is about equal to the volume or a cube 2.5 cm by 2.5 cm by 2.5 cm. By measuring all your ingredients by weight you will avoid the errors and inconsistencies that are inherent in volume based measurements of dry ingredients. Another member wrote: The only warning is to avoid direct contact between salt and yeast as it will kill the yeast. This advice is not really accurate. You can safely measure all your dry ingredients together. If salt and instant yeast make contact, salt will not kill the yeast. The yeast cells are dormant in this freeze dried state, for salt to kill a cell like yeast the yeast must be in an active state (i.e. hydrated) and the salt concentration must be much, much higher than in bread recipes. Obviously the salt in dough does not kill yeast or your bread would never rise. What happens when you are making dough is that once you add the liquid ingredients the salt eventually dissolves in the "wet" hydrated flour. It is questionable whether the small amount of salt in bread has any measurable effect on the yeast cells. Some book authors out there claim that the salt regulates yeast, which is true in laboratory settings - however, all the documentation I have seen, the salt concentrations are much higher than that found in bread recipes. There is also some data to suggest that salt contributes in a very small way and by some unclear mechanism to the crumb structure of bread. However, the main function of salt is as a flavor enhancer - it makes things taste better. Tom --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v106.n010.12 --------------- From: "bryancar" Subject: A very soft, fluffy hamburger bun Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2006 12:57:07 -0600 After testing hamburger roll recipes for several months, I finally came up with a hamburger roll that is soft, fluffy and tasty. 4 tsp Instant Yeast 2 1/2 TBS Sugar 1 1/3 Cups of Warm Bottled Water 4 tsp Vegetable Oil 1 1/2 Cups AP Flour 1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour 2 Cups High Gluten Bread Flour 1 1/4 tsp Sea Salt 4 tsp Bottled water Beaten Egg White In a large stand mixer bowl, dissolve yeast, sugar, and warm water. Mix well with beaters, and let stand until foamy and/or creamy - about 8-12 minutes. Add oil, 1-cup flour - a 1/2 cup at a time - and the other cup of bread flour and knead until dough comes together. Add additional flour (AP) if necessary to form a smooth, cohesive, elastic ball of dough. Flour your counter, and knead further as necessary to get a smooth, elastic ball of dough. Should not be too sticky. Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough in bowl and turn so dough is coated on all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double in bulk - about 40-minutes. Weigh dough, and divide into eight equal pieces. Roll and form the dough in balls/rounds. Cover and let sit for 10-minutes to relax the dough. Flatten slightly, then place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet, or on a cookie sheet lined with oiled, floured parchment paper. Let rise for another 20-30 minutes until doubled in size. Beat the egg white and water, Carefully brush the egg white onto rolls. Sprinkle roll tops with additional REHYDRATED onion flakes, sesame seeds, or poppy seeds. Bake rolls in preheated 350F. oven for 15-minutes or until the rolls are golden brown. If you want onion hamburger rolls, add 1 tsp onion powder, and 1-TBS dehydrated onion flakes when you add the flour. NOTES 1. If using dehydrated onion flakes, you will need additional water - 1 to 2 TBS 2. I've made these in an ABM by adding all dry ingredients then wet ingredients; and a stand mixer with dough hooks. The stand mixer seems to produce a fluffier, more consistent roll. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v106.n010.13 --------------- From: bvh at oddpost dot com Subject: San Francisco sourdough Date: Tue, 7 Mar 2006 08:02:42 -0800 (PST) Hello, Two of my favorites for San Francisco sourdough are Arizmendi (see their website at ) and Grace Bakery. Arizmendi is available only at their location, but it's easily accessible by public transportation and the neighborhood is fun to visit. Near by is The Beanery, a small coffee roaster w/ GREAT coffee. The bread from Grace is available at most grocery stores, etc. Have fun! Regards, Bruce --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v106.n010.14 --------------- From: francinemorin@netscape.net Subject: Rosette recipe translation Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2006 20:39:43 -0500 ROSETTE SOFFIATE (soffiare: to blow like a balloon) Recipe from Professor Fausto Rivola THE BIGA Ingredients Metric U.S. Flour w360 * 5.0 kg 11 lbs Water 2.25 kg 5 lbs Yeast 0.05 kg 1.76 ounces Total 7.3 kg 16 lbs Procedure in the evening Combine and knead all the ingredients on the table. Dough temperature: 20C or 68F. Kneading time: 10 to 12 minutes. Put the dough in a big bowl and let it rise at 18/20C or 64/68F for 20 hours. THE DOUGH Ingredients Metric U.S. Biga 7.3 kg 16 lbs Flour w360 * 1.0 kg 2.2 lbs Natural improvers ** 0.06 kg 2.1 oz Malt extract 0.03 kg 1.06 oz Yeast 0.04 kg 1.41 oz Water 0.87 kg 1.92 lbs Salt 0.09 kg 3.2 oz Total 9.39 kg 20.7 lbs Procedure for the final dough Put all the ingredients, except the salt, into the mixer bowl. Add the salt 4 minutes before the end of the mixing (kneading). Mixing 5 minutes at first speed + 6 minutes at second speed. Dough temperature: 25C or 77F. Let the dough rest on the table 10 minutes. Split the dough in the desire size (circles of 25- 30 cm or 10 - 12 inches, will be cut in a bun press in small rolls) and coat them with olive oil. Rest 30 minutes. Split, then stamp with the rosette stamp (stampa per rosette) and turn the rosettes upside down, the stamp impression will be under the dough. For proofing, put the dough at 30C or 86F for 60 to 70 minutes. Turn the dough so the stamp mark is up again and bake at 240C or 475F with plenty of steam for 22 to 25 minutes. Put more steam 5 minutes before the end. This recipe make more sense when you look at the following pictures Pictures of the process and an other recipe in Italian: http://www.pianetapane.it/ricette-virtuali/ricetta_4.htm *"00 FLOUR: "In Italy, flour is classified either as 1, 0, or 00, and refers to how finely ground the flour is and how much of the bran and germ have been removed. 00 flour is the most highly refined and is talcum-powder soft. Italian 00 flour is made from Italian grains and/or blends of Italian and imported grains (including Manitoba flour from Canada) to achieve a range of protein of about 10-12.5%. Common brands of 00 flour available at the retail level in the U.S. include Caputo, Bel Aria and Delverde. The Vermont-based King Arthur Flour Company produces a "clone" of the 00 flour (called Italian-Style flour) with a protein level of 8.5% which is quite a bit lower than the imported Italian 00 flours, therefore it is not an authentic 00 flour and will have different behavioral characteristics". Italian flours description at the following web site: ** Natural improvers: I think this similar to what Joe Ortiz (The Village Baker) calls "Levit" composed of wheat flour, salt, dry yeast, ascorbic acid, and amylase. Here is the web site of the supplier in the recipe: --------------- END bread-bakers.v106.n010 --------------- Copyright (c) 1996-2006 Regina Dwork and Jeffrey Dwork All Rights Reserved