Bread Machine (88 page)

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle with cornmeal. When the machine beeps at the end of the cycle, press Stop and unplug the machine. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface; shape into a tight round. Place on the baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature until almost tripled in bulk, 1 to 1
¹
/
₂
hours.

Twenty minutes before baking, place a baking stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 450°F.

Slash the surface of the loaf once down the center, no deeper than
¹
/
₂
inch, using a sharp knife. Place the baking sheet directly on the hot stone in the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 425°F. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown and the top sounds hollow when tapped. The loaf will not be very dark brown due to the wheat flour and small amount of sugar. Cool the loaf directly on a rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

PANE FRANCESE            
Makes 1 oblong loaf

I
adapted this recipe from one in
The Village Baker
by Joe Ortiz (Ten Speed Press, 1996). This was originally developed for the food processor, but I make it in the bread machine instead. What a great recipe—the smell! The texture! It uses a
lievito naturale
for leavening power, a yeasted
biga
sponge that is very soft and looks like a perfect soft vanilla ice cream swirl after mixing.
Pane francese
means French bread in Italian, but this loaf is a bit flatter than true French bread, and is reminiscent of the earthy breads made by early Roman bakers. This bread develops a sturdy, crackly-crisp crust and moist interior filled with uneven holes that will make you feel like one of the most accomplished bakers in the world. It is baked in the oven—if baked in the machine you would miss out on that fabulous crust.

1
¹
/
₂
- OR 2-POUND-LOAF MACHINES

For the biga sponge:

1
¹
/
₈
cups water

1 teaspoon SAF yeast or bread machine yeast

2 cups bread flour (organic, if possible)

For the dough:

¹
/
₄
cup water

1
¹
/
₄
cups bread flour (organic, if possible)

2 teaspoons gluten with vitamin C

1
¹
/
₂
teaspoons salt

To make the starter, place the
biga
ingredients in the bread pan. Program for the Dough cycle and set a kitchen timer for 5 minutes. When the timer rings, press Stop and unplug the machine. Let the starter sit in the machine for 8 to 10 hours.

To make the dough, place all the dough ingredients in the bread pan with the
biga
. Program for the Dough cycle; press Start. The dough will be moist and smooth, but flaccid. Take a deep breath while it is mixing; this is what bread dough is supposed to smell like—fresh and yeasty.

When the machine beeps at the end of the cycle, press Stop and unplug the machine. Set a timer for 1 hour and leave the dough in the machine to continue to rise in the warm atmosphere.

When the timer rings, using a dough card, scrape the dough out of the bread pan onto a floured work surface. Knead a few times and pat into a 12-inch oval. Roll up from a long edge into an oblong-rectangular loaf. Dust the work surface lightly with a bit of flour to prevent sticking and set the loaf on the floured surface. Cover the loaf with a clean tea towel and let rest for 30 minutes.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Carefully pick up the loaf and place it on the baking sheet. As you pick it up from both ends and carry it, it will naturally stretch and extend slightly, which will create a flattish loaf about 14 inches long and 5 inches wide. Dust the top with flour. Cover again and let rest for 20 minutes.

Place a baking stone or tiles on the center rack of the oven if desired, and preheat to 450°F.