BBD # 29 Bread in Pots: Jamie Oliver's way

This month our host is The Bread Experience and she chose this very nice and appropriate theme.

Few days later I found this great recipe in The Return of the Naked Chef by Jamie Oliver

and it was already baked in a pot !

This is the original recipe I halved it and used only 1 sachet of yeast, didn't use the sugar and salt and used only feta (today is Labor Day and every store is closed )

Ingredients

30g/1oz fresh yeast or 3x 7g sachets dried yeast

30g honey

625ml (just over a pint) tepid water

1kg (just over 2lb) strong bread flour

30g/1oz salt

400g mixed cheeses , grated or torn up

4 large egg yolks

10 slices prosciutto

1 handful of basil, torn up.

Firstly, prepare all your ingredients so they are ready to add to the flour: grate and crumble all your cheese and tear up your prosciutto and basil.

Then, dissolve the yeast and honey in half the tepid water.

In a very large bowl (or on a clean surface) make a pile of the flour, salt, cheese, prosciutto, and basil. Make a well in the centre and pour in all the dissolved yeast mixture. With four fingers of one hand, make circular movements from the centre outwards, slowing bringing in more and more of the flour until all the yeast mixture is soaked up. Then pour in the other half of the tepid water and the egg yolks into the centre and gradually incorporate all the flour to make a moist dough. (Certain flours may need a little more flour, so adjust until you have the right consistency).

Then comes the kneading! This is fun, but it don’t half get tiring. However you mustn’t stop! Roll, push and fold the dough over and over for at least 5 minutes. This develops the gluten and structure of the dough. If the dough sticks to your hands (which it will), just rub them together with a little extra flour.

Flour your hands well, and lightly flour the top of the dough. Make it into a roundish shape and place on a baking tray. Deeply score a cross into the dough with a knife – this will allow it to relax and prove with ease. Leave it to prove in a warm, moist, draught-free place until it’s doubled in size. If you want to speed things up then cover it with cling-film. This will take around 40 minutes or so.

When the dough has doubled in size you need to knock the air out of it by bashing it around for a minute. Now you can shape it into whatever shape is required. I divided my dogh in 12 rolls and put six of them in the pots (9 cm diameter) I rolled the rest in buns. Proof until doubled in size.

Bake in a preheated oven (220°C, 425° F) for about 30 minutes.

Mellow Bakers : Hot Cross Buns

I know I'm crazy but I've joined a new baking group ! It's brand new, it's called Mellow Bakers and the March recipe was Hot Cross Buns . The recipes are from Jeffrey Hamelman's Bread .

I hope I'll be forgiven for being late but my computer luckily started to work again this morning !I still do not own the book but Susan of Wild Yeast has played with this recipe a bit and has it posted here.

We loved them a lot so as there are still a few days before Easter try them !!!

Bread Baking Day # 28 : Buns in italiano a seguire

This is a crazy post: I'm writing it from my neighbour/friend Cristina's computer because my ADSL is not working and probably won't be working for a few days ! I can hear my kids and Cristina's running on my head so I have to write fast !
This month our BBD's host is Rachel of Tangerine's Kitchen and she chose buns.
Tomorrow is the last day so hurry up !!
I baked some very simple and delicious buns from an italian book written by two sisters :The Simili. They are quite famous in Italy for their classes and books on bread and fresh pasta.
Now the problem is I do not have pictures for them ( they are upstairs).
As is the recipe I've used which uses a biga but for now I'll give you the 'normal' recipe.

EDIT finally the line came back !!!

Panini semidolci delle Sorelle simili

250 gr flour
250gr bread flour
200gr water
70 gr butter
25 gr lard
100 gr sugar
7 gr salt
25 gr yeast (fresh)
an egg for the glaze

Mix all the ingredients (I did it in the bread machine) and let rise until doubled.
Divide the dough in 25 pieces and form rounded buns, glaze with the egg and let rise for an hour. Glaze again and bake in a preheated oven for about 10/15 minutes depending on their size.

ITALIANO

Mi dispiace ma la linea Adsl è KO così non posso postare le foto dei panini spero di poterlo fare presto è una ricetta semplice ma i panini sono deliziosi !


I panini semidolci delle Simili

250 gr farina 00
250 gr manitoba
200 gr acqua
75 gr burro (in origine 70)
25 gr strutto
100 gr zucchero
7 gr sale
25 gr lievito di birra (o meno, se si aumentano i tempi di lievitazione)
1 uovo+ un goccio di latte per lucidare

Mescolare tutti gli ingredienti* e impastare energicamente per 10'.
Formare una palla e metterla a lievitare in una ciotola, coperta, fino al raddoppio (circa un'ora).
Dividere l'impasto in porzioni da 25 o 50 gr e formare delle palline lisce.
Disporle su una teglia rivestita di carta forno, lucidarle con il latte e l'uovo e mettere a lievitare per un'altra oretta.
Scaldare il forno a 200-220°, lucidare nuovamente i panini e cuocerli per 10-15'.

BBA Slow and Steady: English Muffins

As I mentioned before when I was 21 I spent a year in the U.S., mostly in Santa Barbara, working as a house, dogs and hen sitter (more or less) for a very wealthy lady who didn't like 'people' too much. I took some classes at the University, some others at the City College and others at the Adult Education but I spent lots of time by myself so I missed many typical 'american' foods but I met and loved bagels and english muffins ! This is why I am already satisfied with my apprenticeship : I finally got to eat them again !!

I 'm happy too because my children loved this muffins too, so now that they are all gone I'll have to bake another batch ! Please go here to know more about this group.

Some of us are slowly and steadily making it too ( Kayte, Nancy, Cathy,Audrey, Jessica, Melissa, Sarah,Di, Karen, Natalia, Tracey, and Leslie) !

World Bread Day '09: Sourdough Cornetti

Today is the World Bread Day and I thought to post about these sweet buns shaped like croissants or cornetti as we call them in Rome (brioche in Milan and so on) I don't want to sound as Marie Antoinette though ! I wish in the future having a daily meal will not be a problem for anyone.

In Rome the typical breakfast you get in a Bar (coffe shop) is 'cappuccino e cornetto' the latter being a sweet croissant that obviously has as many versions as the Bars.

I found this great recipe using sourdough in the blog la buona cucina. You shouldn't expect a french style croissant because this recipe is much leaner, but I really liked them plain or with some filling.

I bake an entire batch and freeze the 'leftovers' so that even a monday morning can start with a smile !!

Recipe

350 sourdough

150 gr milk

100 gr sugar (I doubled it)

1 large egg ( I doubled it)

1 Tbs barley malt

400 to 450 gr flour

50 gr butter (I doubled it)

1/2 tsp salt

I worked all the ingredients together let it rise until doubled, cut the dough in half, rolled each half in a circle, cut eight triangles , rolled them up from the large end ( I filled some with chocolate or jam) let them rise again and baked them in a warm oven (350°) until ready, about 15, 20 minutes. Easy, light and yummy !!!

BBA Slow & Steady Cinnamon Buns

I finally reached my Slow and Steady friends and finally I made these Cinnamon Buns !! They are good but not too rich so you (I really shouldn't!) can indulge without feeling guilty !

I made them in the afternoon and photographed on the terrace table and left out to cool (if this word still exists) . That evening some friends gathered at our home for a simple dinner and when they saw them they just ate the buns as a dessert !! Andrea more traditionally had to hide one for breakfast ! Please visit the BBA page

Sourdough Hot Cross Buns

In my search for sourdough recipes I'm finding numerous sites rich of great recipes one of them was this nice one for Hot Cross Buns, my son Carlo had learned about them at school so I tried them even if I doubted he would dare to try them !
The buns were a success in taste (not with Carlo !) even if they raised too much and their round look wasn't there at all, but I'll definitely make them again maybe smaller !
I am sending this recipe to Yeast Spotting event created by Susan from Wild Yeast. This week's event will be hosted by ZORRA, visit her to see the round-ups. To join this event is very easy, here is how:

• Bake with yeast (wild or baker's) or make a dish starring bread.
  
• Post about it. Please include a recipe/formula, or a link to one, or some indication of how the bread was made. Also please include the word "YeastSpotting", with a link to this page.
• Submit your post here. Please submit it during the same week it was posted