Learning Bread -
Can you smell those little yeasties? If I had a virtual magic wand, as you read these words you’d be smelling those little yeasties’ sweetness! It really does smell sweet and just a little sweetly sour. And when you’d finished reading this you’d have one of these loaves sitting warm on your cutting board.
I baked my first loaf of bread over 30 years ago. There were very few cooking magazines back then and I didn’t have any bread cookbooks. I was working full time and had two little boys running wild. Where ever did I get it into my head I should bake bread? I’d come across a recipe entitled “Sicilian Bread” in one of the “ladies” journals - Woman’s Day or Red Book probably. That sounds so strange today, are they even published today?
I baked the recipe several times and then discovered a neighbor who baked. We tried not to bake on the same day and then got ourselves on a loose schedule where when we baked we’d give the other one the extra loaf. She made a great oat meal bread and I made this. We had lots of fresh bread; it was really very lovely.
So, this is the loaf I taught myself to bake bread with. For a very long time this was the only recipe I used for baking bread.
This uses a starter that sits out for 24 hours. It gives the bread a very delicate and beautiful sour dough-like quality. It’s very basic and simple and gets only one rise. The original recipe called for all-purpose white flour but I have since changed it to a combination of unbleached bread and whole wheat flours.
I haven’t made this in a very long time. Why? It’s really excellent bread. I think it’s one of those things that just got dropped for newer things. I thought about it when I got several comments from folks who said they were afraid of yeast. I think this is an excellent learner bread.
Everything that follows is based on yeast that is alive. Start with good yeast whose expiration date is a long way off and you didn’t let it sit in your hot car or in the window in the sun.
Peter Reinhart and several other bread books really can be off putting with their formulas and temperature measurement. And I know there really is an art and science to baking. But do you really think there was any farm house cook 100 or 200 years ago fiddling around like that? There wasn’t even packaged yeast! They went by feel and you can learn.
**If you are new to bread making, try this with all unbleached white flour or just 1 cup whole wheat and the rest unbleached white flour. If your comfortable with bread making, I’ve been successful using up to 3 cups whole wheat here.
We have to have a bit of an understanding. Except for those of you living in the southern hemisphere like Bron or Neil, it’s hot. If it’s 90° F (32° C) in your house, it’s to hot for this starter. Room temperature means you should feel comfortable. It’s not that the yeast won’t work, it’s that it would work to fast. One thing I have learned from Peter Reinhart and the others is that the best bread flavors develop only with slow rising times. You’ll simply have to wait for a cooler day or be prepared to know what it should look and feel like and how to slow things down.
You’ll have the best tasting bread if you use only 1 T of yeast on the second day. But it you want to speed things up you can use 2 T. I will tell you the original recipe called for 3 T. If you use 3 T, your bread will over rise before the oven is warmed and all you’ll taste is yeast. The smaller amount of yeast will result in a longer rise and better taste, no extra work for you. Let time and yeast do the work for you.
Sicilian Bread
STARTER
1 T yeast
1 c water room temp
2 c unbleached white flour
Mix all together. Cover with plastic. (I use a motel shower cap.) Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours. The above picture shows what mine looked like at the end of 24 hours at about 78 - 79 °F in the house.
1 - 2 T yeast
6 - 7 c flours **
2 T flaxseed meal (optional)
2 c water room temperature
2 t salt
2 T seeds - poppy &/or sesame
cornmeal
Add water, yeast, flaxseed and a cup of flour. Mix well, adding 2 t salt and 1/2 c flour at a time up to about 5 of the 6 - 7 cups.
Left picture is at this point. I use a Kitchen Aid mixer up to this point but I used to do it all by hand. Let the dough rest about 10 - 15 minutes. 
Right picture is after resting 20 minutes.
Left picture is at this point. I use a Kitchen Aid mixer up to this point but I used to do it all by hand. Let the dough rest about 10 - 15 minutes. Right picture is after resting 20 minutes. Knead in the remaining flour a 1/4 cup at a time until you have a smooth silky dough. Shape into loaves. 
The original recipe divides the dough into thirds and shapes the bread into baguettes. That’s the way I’ve always done it.
The original recipe divides the dough into thirds and shapes the bread into baguettes. That’s the way I’ve always done it.French bread pans are helpful for this but are not mandatory. Dust the cookie sheet or bread pan with corn meal. Slash diagonally, brush with an egg white wash (1 egg white & 1 T water) and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds. Allow the dough to about double.
Bake at 350° F for 35 - 40 minutes.
I’d be willing to bet you, your worst failure will be better than any white store bought bread you can find.
Even if it’s really bad, the house will smell great! And you will have learned something about baking bread for the next time.
I’m going to dedicate this bread to Baking Soda who should be getting back soon from a wonderful trip with her family. If I could, I’d have snuck it in and baked it just an hour before her arrival back home.
With my magic wand, you’re my neighbor, have a warm loaf.
Happy Baking Day!
Welcome Home Baking...
Thursday, July 27, 2006
