Bread Machine (87 page)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons gluten
2 teaspoons salt
1
1
/
2
teaspoons SAF yeast or 2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
To make the
biga
starter, place starter ingredients in the bread pan. Program for the Dough cycle and set a timer for 10 minutes. When the timer rings, press Stop and unplug the machine. Let the starter sit in the machine for 12 to 18 hours.
To make the dough, with a rubber spatula, break up the starter into 6 or 8 pieces and leave in the machine. Place all the dough ingredients in the bread pan. Set crust on dark and program for the French Bread cycle; press Start. The dough will be moist and smooth, but flaccid.
When the baking cycle ends, immediately remove the bread from the pan and place it on a rack. Let cool to room temperature before slicing.
The Right Ingredient: Olive Oil
You will notice that a good many of my breads use olive oil as the fat in the recipe. This is especially true of the country breads, which traditionally use olive oil instead of butter or other oils. I use a variety of olive oils when baking, to match the right kind of olive oil to the character of the bread; an extra-virgin will provide a more assertive flavor than a pure oil like Sasso. I usually have a sweet, mild or light olive oil for all-purpose baking, such as Napa Valley Naturals or a lite Bertolli. Some bakers go so far as to seek out an olive oil from the region in which the bread was traditionally made, for example, using olive oil from the Liguria region of Italy in certain Italian country breads.
Olive oil has long been the companion of the baker in the kitchen. It has a wonderful taste and is good for all types of baking, everything from quick breads to flat breads and yeast breads, and for frying. Olive oil has the added bonus of being low in cholesterol and saturated fat. Along with canola, walnut, macadamia and almond oils, it is among the healthiest oils to consume. It complements the taste of flour and other ingredients, both sweet and savory, in bread.
There are many grades and price ranges to choose from when buying olive oil. Perhaps you favor a domestic olive oil, an imported brand, or an organic olive oil. Each oil has its own unique flavor. This is why many bakers don’t have just one olive oil of choice—they keep a few varieties on the shelf to impart different flavors to different breads. I remember the first Spanish olive oil I bought, Lérida, which was a striking gold color and came in a pretty square bottle. I always have a bottle of Stutz extra-virgin on hand. In most recipes, I do not specify anything about the type of olive oil, but simply call for “olive oil.” You can use any type at all, but I encourage you to explore the many choices available. Domestic brands I use include Sciabica’s, Stutz, Consorzio, B.R. Cohn Sonoma Estate, and McEvoy Ranch. There are imported brands, such as Olio Extra Vergine Buonsapore (used at Chez Panisse restaurant). Bulk oils, readily available in supermarkets, include Sasso, Colavita, and Bertolli.
Store olive oil in a cool, dark place. Do not refrigerate, as it makes the oil cloudy, and do not store the oil next to the stove, where it can be damaged in the presence of heat.
Grades of Olive Oil
The grade of olive oil, usually placed under the brand name, is easily identified on the label. Some artisan oils have the extraction date stamped on the back. Olive oils that are bright to olive green in color are pressed from green, unripe, olives. Yellow and golden oils are pressed from ripe black olives picked at the end of the season.
- Extra-virgin olive oil
is cold-pressed (that is, no heat or chemicals are used to extract the oil), and has a distinctive fruity taste and an acidity of less than 1 percent. Circular stone presses and hydralicpresses are used to extract the oil. It is considered a premium quality oil. Within this category are virgin and fine virgin. - Pure olive oil
is the most available type of olive oil. It has a more subdued flavor than extra-virgin. It also costs less than extra-virgin, and is often a blend of oils from different types of olives. It comes from pressings that occur after the extra-virgin oil has been extracted; some heat and chemical solvents are used. - Lite olive oil
is not lower in calories or fat, but is so named because it is very light in color and has a milder flavor than other olive oils. It has a tad of extra-virgin oil blended in.
ITALIAN WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
Makes 1 round loaf
T
he texture of this light whole wheat bread, known as
pane integrale,
made with a starter that sits for a few hours, is quite moist and soft, just like the dough. It has a delicate, evocative texture and aroma. This is a nice dinner and sandwich bread. You can bake the entire loaf in the machine, but be sure to use the dark crust setting, as this loaf is quite pale even when the center is baked. I like to bake this loaf in the oven to get more of the great crust and a bit less inner crumb. This is a superb homemade-style country bread; I like to serve it spread with cheese.
1
1
/
2
-POUND LOAF
For the sponge starter:
1
1
/
3
cups water
1
1
/
8
cups bread flour
3
/
4
cup whole wheat flour
1
/
4
teaspoon SAF yeast or bread machine yeast
For the dough:
1 cup bread flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon gluten
1
1
/
2
teaspoons salt
1
3
/
4
teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
1
/
4
teaspoons bread machine yeast
Yellow cornmeal, for sprinkling
2-POUND LOAF
For the sponge starter:
1
2
/
3
cups water
1
1
/
2
cups bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1
/
4
teaspoon SAF yeast or bread machine yeast
For the dough:
1
1
/
4
cups bread flour
1
1
/
4
tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon gluten
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
1
/
2
teaspoons bread machine yeast
Yellow cornmeal, for sprinkling
To make the sponge starter, place the starter ingredients in the bread pan. Program for the Dough cycle, and set a timer for 10 minutes. When the timer rings, press Stop and unplug the machine. Let the sponge sit in the machine for 4 hours, or as long as over night. The environment will be nice and warm.
To make the dough, place all the dough ingredients in the bread pan with the sponge. Program for the Dough cycle; press Start. The dough ball will be very moist, tacky, and smooth.