Showing posts with label World Bread Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World Bread Day. Show all posts

Saturday, October 16, 2010

World Bread Day 2010 : Ciambelle al Mosto di Marino






Few days ago while I was thinking about the World Bread Day I spoke with my friend Cinzia and she told me she was trying to reproduce the typical Ciambelle al mosto di Marino, a little town near Rome famous for its wine, that are made during the grape harvest using must.


I searched my books and the net and found a nice recipe on Gennarino an Italian recipes website, if you desire here is the original recipe. Cinzia is always changing the given recipes as a pose to me so here is my Stick to the recipe version.


The ciambelle are really simple as old fashion cooking is : no butter, milk or much else not even olive oil. A very simple bread dough made with must and sweetened with sugar, raisins and anise seeds.


RECIPE
(from Gennarino by tuCoque)

Bread Flour 250 gr
All Purpose Flour 250 gr
Must 250 ml
Yeast 4 gr
Sourdough 120 gr
Sugar 150 gr
Raisins 70 gr
Eggs 2 n°
Anise seeds 4 TBS
Confectioners Sugar 2 TBS
Salt 1 pinch

If you do not have must but have two bunch of grapes smash (!) them with your hands and let them ferment for a couple of days covered with a clean cloth. When you see it bubbling strain it and cook it for 15 minutes on a low flame.

Use a sourdough refreshed two hours before.
Activate dry yeast dissolving it in 40 grams of warm water (26 °). After some minutes, add two teaspoons of sugar and 50 grams of bread flour and let rise for a quarter of an hour.

In a bowl of an electric mixer, pour the must, the yeast, the sourdough, and the remaining bread flour (200 grams). Mix on low speed until it comes together then for about 4 minutes at medium speed, cover and let rise for fifteen minutes, then turn on the mixer for a few seconds and cover again do this three more times.

Meanwhile, soak the raisins in a little liquor and water.
Beat eggs with sugar, add a pinch of salt and aniseed.

At the end of the first rising, add all other ingredients, including remaining flour. Knead until the dough is smooth. Finally add the drained raisins .

If you have time and desire, refrigerate for 12 hours. Otherwise you may let rise at room temperature.

When the dough has doubled, cut from it pieces weighing 100 grams each. With floured hands, form each piece quickly in a tight ball, then drill it with a finger, and gently enlarge the hole without tearing. Place the buns on baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let double in volume.

Meanwhile turn the oven to 180 degrees. Bake the buns for about 12 minutes (even less, depending on the oven). When still warm brush with a thick syrup made with icing sugar and very little must.


Few days ago I went to Amalfi and even if the wheather wasn't the best Costiera Amalfitana is always a great place to visit !


I went there for an estimate on a very precious piece which is kept in Amalfi's Museo del Duomo( in this link there is another picture of the mitre) .
Even from my photo you can see how beautiful this Mitre is !

Friday, October 16, 2009

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 !!!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

World Bread Day : Tassajara Braided Bread

Today is the 3 rd World Bread Day and I decided to join the baker's group led by Zorra on her site 1x umruhren bitte
I 'met' Edward Espe Brown thanks to 'The Green's cookbook' and soon got his 'Tassajara Bread Book' , I really love his style of baking so when I started to think about a bread I got his book out and found this festive recipe ( it is intended for Christmas) . I hope you enjoy it as we've done in the last breakfasts !



BRAIDED CHRISTMAS BREAD (The Tassajara Bread Book page 61)

1/4 cup lukewarm water
3 packages yeast ( next time I'll put less)
1/2 cup sugar or honey
2 cups milk saclded
1/4 cup butter
3 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
3 eggs
1 1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon mace
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans or almonds
1/2- 1 cup candied fruit peel or cherries (optional)
4 cups wheat flour



Dissolve the yeast in the water with a little sugar added.
Combine the remaining sugar with the milk and the butter. When this mixture is cool enough add it to the yeast mixture.
Add the 3 1/2 cups of white flour to make a soft sponge, stirring well with a wooden spoon. Set aside to rise.
While the dough is raising, separate the eggs, and beat the yolks and the whites separately. Fold the yolks into the sponge and then the whites. Let it raise until doubled in bulk, about 40 minutes.
Fold in the salt, mace, vanilla, raisins, nuts, and optional candied fruit. Fold in the wheat flor until a dough is formed, and knead well.
Place in a buttered bowl and let rise until doubled in size- about 50 minutes.
Place the dough on a floured board. Work it into a ball or cylinder and divide into 9 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a lenght of 14 inches. Pinch four lenghts together at one end and intertwine them. Place this braid on a well-greased baking sheet. Then braid three lengths and place them on top of the bottom layer. Finally twist together two lengths and place them on top of the second layer. Press the braided lengths together well, since they tend to topple over.
Straighten befor baking, and perhaps while baking.
Now beat up an extra egg, add a little coolish water, and brush the top of the braids all over. Let raise for about 20 minutes, while the oven is preheating at 300°.
Bake for an hour or a little longer until well browned.
Happy baking!