Bread Machine (92 page)

Authors: Beth Hensperger

Tags: #ebook

Twenty minutes before baking, place a baking stone on the lowest rack of the oven, if desired. Place a clean baking sheet in the oven to heat it up, and preheat the oven to 425°F.

Carefully remove the hot baking sheet from the oven and place on a rack or on top of the stove. Sprinkle with flour. Using a flat surface such as the underside of a sauté pan lid and your dough card, gently slide the loaf off the work surface and turn it over onto the lid so that the bottom is now on top. This is easier than it sounds. Slide the loaf onto the hot baking sheet; it will appear to deflate slightly. This is okay. The rough side of the loaf will be facing up. Immediately place in the oven.

Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F and bake for an additional 30 to 35 minutes, or until the crust is deep brown, very crisp, and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped with your finger. I insert an instant-read thermometer into a soft crease on the side; it should read about 200°F. Remove the bread from the oven and place on a rack. Let cool completely before slicing.

Technique: How to Shape and Bake Italian Dinner Rolls

Makes 1 dozen little rolls

I love the way these rolls are shaped, into little squares.

1 recipe
Pagnotta
dough

Brush a small 5- to 7-inch square or rectangular dish with olive oil. Turn the dough out into the dish. Press the dough into an even layer with your fingertips. Cover with a clean tea towel and let rest at room temperature for 1
¹/
₂hours.

Invert the dish to turn the dough out onto a heavily floured work surface. With a knife, pastry wheel, or metal bench knife, divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. With your fingers, deflate until flat, and begin rolling up a rectangle of dough by folding it over in
¹/
₂-inch increments, which will create surface tension. The dough roll will be about 1
³/
₄inches in diameter. Press down to flatten slightly into a square log and be sure the seam side is down. The roll will be completely covered with flour. Repeat with the second piece. Cover with the clean tea towel and let rest on the work surface until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Twenty minutes before baking, place a baking stone on the lowest rack, if desired, and preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

With your metal bench knife or a sharp knife, cut each log into 6 equal pieces. Dust with more flour, if necessary. These look nice when made really floury. You will have a little square with an expanding open area, called “the wound,” at the cut edge. This is desirable. Transfer the rolls to the baking sheet placing them about 1 inch apart.

Bake until golden brown and crusty, 22 to 28 minutes. The rolls will expand and puff up considerably. Cool on the sheet for 10 minutes and serve immediately, or cool completely and reheat before serving.

PANE BIGIO
Makes 2 round loaves

B
igio
translates to “gray,” and this loaf with a small percentage of whole wheat flour and bran does have a grayish-brown cast when baked.
Pane bigio,
the Italian counterpart to the French
pain de campagne,
is a nice, simple country bread, best eaten fresh, within a few hours of baking.