It’s raining. On a Tuesday to most people that doesn’t mean much. But I’m a wedding photographer and Saturdays and Sundays are work days for me. I usually take Tuesdays for myself.
So since it is all wet outside, I decided to stay in, and make some bread.
For those of you who know me this isn’t a big thing. Before I was a wedding photographer, I was a biochemist. Following complex protocols and measuring exact amounts of enzymes, buffers, and chemicals used to be just another day at work. Today, I decided to make an Italian Rustic bread. A bit heavier than a Ciabatta, but not quite Tuscan, this is an everyday loaf that really only takes about an hour to make. Problem is, you have to let it ferment once, and rise twice. And that takes time.
First I mixed flour water, yeast a bit of brown sugar, and some salt, and let it sit for 90-minutes. This is a fast way to make a starter, or as the Italians call it, Biga. This is what gives the bread it’s characteristic flavor. Sometimes I add a bit of malt, or molasses, but usually I just make this simple biga. Really, it is best if you prepare this part the night before, and let it sit in the fridge overnight, but that really isn’t necessary.
I mixed more flour, water, a bit of olive oil, and some more yeast, for a couple of minutes, and then added the biga. Instead of adding a big lump of it, I cut up the biga into 12 balls and added each one by one to the new mixture. When it was all incorporated I added a bit more water to make the dough the right texture and kneeded it by hand for 10 minutes. Then I walked away for 3 hours. When I looked at it again, it was 3x the size when I started – Yep the yeast works! I very carefully cut this into two loaves. If you are too aggressive with the dough you can loose all the carbon dioxide gas that is in it, and the loaf will deflate like a souffle. That’s bad. I let the 2 loaves proof, or rise a 2nd time for another hour or so.
It was at this time I prepared the oven – I had to get it nice and hot 500 degrees. I also added a water bath under my baking stone, to create the right texture for the crust. When the loaves were done proofing, I slit the tops, and carefully transferred them to the oven.
20 minutes later, they were ready. Yum fresh bread.
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A piece of cake!