Bread

adapted from That Oven Feeling

For the Dough:

• 2 tsp yeast
• 3 oz butter, room temperature
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 – 3 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the Filling:

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tsp cinnamon

Glaze:

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

Warm the milk to about 100°F. Pour into a mixer bowl and add yeast and sugar. Proof about 5 minutes.

Add 2 cups flour, salt,  and softened butter and mix, adding up to another cup of flour. You want a soft dough, so don’t add it all if you don’t need to.

Let rise about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling:

Cream the butter, sugar, and cinnamon together and set aside.

Roll the dough out to a 10″ x 20″ rectangle. Spread the filling on the dough and fold lengthwise into thirds, bringing the top down and the bottom up.

Pat down and roll to about an 8″ x 20″ rectangle.

Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut into 3/4″ strips.

Lightly stretch the strips and twist the ends of each slice in opposite directions a few times. Tuck the ends under and seal. Cover and let rise for another 30 minutes.

Place on parchment-lined sheet pans and let rise another 30 minutes. Brush with lightly beaten egg.

Bake at 375°F about 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

This is the perfect pizza dough. It really develops flavor with the slow refrigerated rise. This is a take on a pizza dough from La Cucina Italiana, but it’s also pretty darn close to the dough I used to make at Pirro’s in San Francisco back in the ’60s and early ’70s.

• 360 ml warm water (105°F/38ºC to 110°F/40ºC)
• 1 g active dry yeast
• 500 g “00” flour or unbleached all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
• 10 g fine sea salt
• Olive oil for the bowl

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in bowl of mixer fitted with dough hook. Let proof about 5 minutes.

Mix together flour and salt. Add to yeast mixture. Mix on low speed about 4 minutes or until dough forms a coarse ball. Stop mixer and cover bowl with a towel. Let dough rest about 5 minutes, then remove towel and continue mixing another 2 minutes or so.

Lightly oil a large bowl. Form dough into a ball, transfer to bowl and turn to lightly coat with oil. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes, then refrigerate overnight.

Punch down dough, re-roll, and return to bowl. Tightly cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

Divide dough into 2 pieces; shape pieces into balls and place on a lightly floured work surface. Loosely cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rise at warm room temperature until doubled, about 2 hours.

Pizza is best cooked on a pizza stone in a VERY hot oven – 500°F+. At Pirro’s, our ovens were set at 650°F.

The starter needs to stand for 12 to 15 hours, so plan accordingly! The dough can also be used to make baguettes or boules.

adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Starter

• 11 ounces all-purpose flour (2 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon), plus more for dusting
• Pinch of active dry yeast
• 5 1/2 ounces cool water (75 degrees to 78 degrees; 2/3 cup)

For the Dough

• 11 ounces all-purpose flour (2 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon)
• 1 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 6 ounces cool water (75 to 78 degrees; 3/4 cup)
• 1 3/4 teaspoons fine sea salt

Directions

1. Make the starter: Stir together flour, yeast, and water with a rubber spatula in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand at cool room temperature until it has risen slightly and bubbles cover entire surface, 12 to 15 hours.

2. Make the dough: Whisk together flour and yeast in a large bowl. Add water and starter, and stir with spatula until mixture comes together in a slightly sticky, loosely formed ball of dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.

3. Gently turn dough onto an unfloured work surface. Sprinkle with salt.

4. To knead: Gather dough, lifting it above work surface. Hold one end of dough close to you while you cast the other end in front of you, onto the surface. Pull the end of dough in your hands toward you, stretching it gently, then fold the dough in half on top of itself. Repeat. Lift, cast, stretch, and fold. Knead the dough until it is smooth, supple, and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Use a dough scraper to clean the surface as needed, adding the scraps to the dough. (Dough will be very sticky, but avoid adding more flour until the end, when it may be necessary to add a very small amount. Add the flour to your fingers, not the dough.) Form into a ball.

5. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with oiled plastic wrap. Let rise at cool room temperature for 45 minutes.

6. Gently turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. (Do not punch down.) Fold into thirds, as you would a business letter. Then fold it in half crosswise. Return to bowl, cover, and let rise at cool room temperature until it has almost doubled, at least 75 minutes.

7. Gently turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using a dough scraper or a knife, divide dough into equal portions (3 if making baguettes, 2 if making boules or rolls). Cover with oiled plastic wrap, and let rest for 20 minutes.

8. On a lightly floured surface, spread each portion of dough into a rectangle that’s roughly 10 by 6 inches. Fold dough into thirds again, as you would a business letter, pressing seams with your fingers. Shape portions into baguettes, rolls, or boules.

To Make French Rolls

1. Working with 1 portion of dough at a time, keeping remaining dough covered, fold dough in half lengthwise to form a tight, narrow log. Gently press edges with lightly floured fingertips to seal. Using a dough scraper or a knife, cut into 8 pieces.

2. Gather edges, and gently pull and tuck them underneath the dough to create a round shape, pinching to seal.

3. Place dough on the work surface. Cup one hand around dough, and rotate it in circles until a smooth, taut ball forms.

4. Place rolls on a generously floured linen towel or a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap, and let rise at cool room temperature until rolls have almost doubled and a floured finger pressed into side leaves a slight indentation, 30 to 40 minutes.

5. Place a skillet on oven rack adjusted to lowest position and a baking stone on middle oven rack. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. If using a linen towel, gently transfer rolls to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Just before baking, use a lame or a razor blade to slash the surface of each roll, forming an X. Pour 1/2 cup hot water into skillet in oven. Slide rolls and parchment onto baking stone.

6. Immediately reduce oven to 450 degrees. Bake until rolls are deep golden brown, sound hollow when bottoms are thumped, and interiors register 205 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool on racks.

Pogaca rolls – pronounced po-ah-cha – hail from Turkey. Pogaca rolls are extremely versatile and can be eaten with any meal. The fillings can be as varied and exotic – or simple and plain – as you wish. They can also be sweet or savory, depending upon your mood or time of day for eating them.

 

adapted from Fine Cooking magazine

Dough:

• 1 cup whole milk, warmed to 105°F
• 1 tbsp active dry yeast
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup neutral oil
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Filling:

• 4 oz chevre
• 4 oz queso fresco
• 1 tbsp chives
• 1 tbsp parsley

Combine warm milk with yeast and sugar in a mixer bowl. Proof about 5 minutes.

Add egg and oil and mix.

Add flour and mix on medium low speed about 10 minutes or until silky smooth.

Turn dough out onto a lightly-floured board and shape into a ball. Place in a lightly-oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rise until doubled – about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

 

Shaping and Forming:

Lightly flour a work surface, and turn the dough onto it. Deflate the dough, and divide into 13 – 15 pieces, about 2 oz. each.

Roll each piece into a ball, cover, and let rise again for about 30 minutes.

 

Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Lightly flour a work surface.

Roll or press a dough ball into a 5-inch circle.

 

Starting from the edge and heading toward the center, cut four evenly spaced slits, each about 1-1/2 inches long, into the circle.

 

Place about 1-1/2 tablespoons of the filling in the center. Wrap one quarter of the dough around the filling; the dough will partially cover but not fully enclose the filling. As you wrap, fold ¼ inch of the top of the dough edge back to form an open petal.

 

Fold the dough quarter opposite the first quarter around the filling and fold back the top to form an open petal. Secure the dough on the bottom with a pinch.

 

Wrap and fold a third quarter in the same manner.

 

Then, when folding the final quarter over, tuck the edges underneath the rose, and pinch to secure.

 

Place on the prepared baking sheet leaving at least 2 inches between the rolls. Let rise at room temperature, until almost doubled, 30 to 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Whisk the egg and milk. Lightly brush the dough with the egg wash.

 

Bake, swapping and rotating the pans about halfway through, until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

 

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note:

One thing I noted was I wasn’t careful enough in pinching the ends of the petals. You really do need to be firm with this step – some of the rolls really did come apart. It’s not changing the flavor, but esthetically, they could be more flower-like.

The recipe called for 2 teaspoons of salt. I made it that way but think they would be better with just one.

But they are light, really flavorful, and with just enough cheese filling to flavor but not overwhelm.

This is an interesting recipe because the first rise is two hours in the refrigerator. I make it with beer, but water will work.

Makes two standard 9×4 loaves.

 

• 2 envelopes active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water – 105°F/40°C
• 1 12 oz beer
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/2 cup dark molasses
• 3 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 6 cups all-purpose flour

Sprinkle yeast and sugar into mixing bowl with warm water. Allow to proof.

Bring beer (or water) to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in oats, molasses, and butter. Stir until butter melts and then cool to lukewarm.

Add to yeast mixture and beat in 2 eggs. Add 3 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Continue adding flour until a soft dough is formed. Knead in mixer about 5 minutes or 10 minutes by hand.

Form into a ball and place in a buttered bowl – turning to coat dough.

Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.

Remove from refrigerator, punch down, and knead a few times. Cover with the bowl and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Divide dough in half and form each half into a loaf.

Place seam-side down in buttered 9×4 bread pans. (You can also free-form rounds and place them on buttered sheet pans.)

Let rise again for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Bake at 400°F/200°C for about 25 minutes.

Immediately remove from pans and cool completely.

This bread uses a yeast-activated starter – the more common of the home sourdough breads. It’s the style my mom made when I was a kid.

Starter:

• 1 pkg active dry yeast
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups water

In 2 qt container, add water and yeast. Stir, and then add flour and mix well. Cover container with a kitchen towel or cheesecloth and leave in a warm room for 48 to 72 hours. Stir 2 or 3 times.

It should ferment, bubble, and take on a slightly sour smell.

To use, stir, and then pour off required amount for recipe.

Replenish by adding equal amounts of flour and water.. Stir and allow to stand a few hours until it begins to bubble.

Cover and refrigerate.

San Francisco-Style Sourdough

• 1 pkg active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 cups sourdough starter
• 5 cups flour
• 2 tsp salt

In large bowl, mix yeast with water. Add sugar.

Stir in starter and mix well. Add 4 cups flour and mix well.

Cover bowl with a towel and let rise 1 1/2 hours.

Turn dough onto a floured board and work in one more cup of flour into dough. Knead until satiny and no longer sticky – about 5 minutes.

Form into a large round and place on a sheet pan sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover with a towel and let rise about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400°F with shallow pan of water on bottom rack.

Make slashes in bread and bake for 40-50 minutes or until crust is a medium-dark brown.

adapted from Lidia’s Commonsense Italian Cooking.

For the focaccia:

• 1 pkt yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 6 cups flour
• 2 tsp kosher salt

For the topping:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped basil
• 3 tbsp grana padano, grated

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in ½ cup warm water (90 to 110 degrees F). Let the mixture sit a few minutes, until the yeast is bubbly.

Put the proofed yeast in a mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Pour in another 1½ cups warm water and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the flour, holding back about ½ cup of the total measured amount. Add the salt. Mix on low speed to combine into a wet dough. If the dough is still dry or seems tight, add up to ½ cup more warm water, a little at a time. If it seems too wet, add up to the remaining ½ cup flour, a little at a time. Knead the dough on medium speed until it is soft and springy and leaves the sides of the bowl clean, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Dump the dough on a floured counter, and knead a few times by hand to bring together into a ball. Oil a large bowl, and toss the dough to coat. Cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about

1 to 1½ hours, depending on the temperature of your room.

Punch down the dough. Oil a half sheet pan with olive oil, and dump the dough into the sheet pan. Press with your fingers to fit dough to the edges of the pan. Let rise another 30 minutes, uncovered. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Once the dough has risen, gently press indentations in the dough with your fingertips, about 1 inch apart. Bake until set, about 10 to 15 minutes, pull out of oven, and brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Finish baking until the focaccia is golden brown on the top and bottom, about 25 minutes in all.

While the dough finishes baking, in a bowl stir together the basil, grated cheese, and the remaining olive oil. As soon as you remove focaccia from oven, spread with the basil mixture.

The recipe makes 2 loaves of bread, 12 rolls, or 1 loaf and 6 rolls.

Bake at 375°F – 40 minutes for bread, 25 minutes for rolls.

 

• 6 slices bacon
• 1 can tomatoes
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 4-4 1/2 cups white flour
• 2 envelopes active dry yeast
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 egg (reserving 1 tbsp to brush on top of loaves)
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• sesame seeds

Cook bacon until crisp. remove from pan and crumble. Set aside.

Add canned tomatoes to bacon pan. Stir to break up and loosen browned bits from pan. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Measure whole wheat  flour, 1 cup white flour, yeast, sugar, salt, oregano, and onion into mixer bowl. Add tomato mixture and all but 1 tbsp of the egg. Mix to blend and then mix 2 minutes. Add 1 cup flour, mix about 1 minute, and then add another, mixing in just enough to make a soft dough.

Turn out onto a floured board and knead until it is smooth and elastic – about 10 minutes – adding only enough flour to keep it from sticking.

Place dough into a large greased bowl, cover, and  let rise until doubled – about 45 minutes.

Divide dough in half. Roll into 16×8-inch rectangle. Brush with 1 tbsp melted butter. Sprinkle with half the bacon and parsley. Roll up from short end, form into loaf, and place in buttered loaf pan.

Repeat with second piece of dough.

• for rolls, cut roll into six equal slices and place on a greased cookie sheet.

Cover with a towel and allow to rise until doubled.

Place in a 375°F oven 40 minutes for loaves and 25 minutes for rolls. Remove from pans or cookie sheets to cool on racks.

 

 

 

Semelle are little rolls from Florence.

 

Adapted from The Italian Baker by Carol Field

• 2 1/4 tsp (1 packet) active 
dry yeast
• 1 1/4 cups warm water
• 3-3 1/2 cups white flour
• 2 tsp salt
• Olive oil for brushing

Stir the yeast into the water and let stand until creamy. Add 3 cups flour. Mix until the dough is solid and elastic – 6-8 minutes – adding additional flour, if needed.

First Rise.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Shaping and Second Rise.

Cut the dough into ten equal pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Brush a little oil over each and let rest 10 minutes under a towel.

With the edge of your hand, make a deep indentation down the center of each ball – be sure to press down firmly.

Place the rolls, cleft side down, on floured parchment paper. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Baking.

Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Just before baking, turn each roll over and reemphasize the cleft. Place the rolls – cleft side up – on a baking sheet dusted with corn meal.

Bake 15 to 18 minutes, spraying the rolls three times with water in the first 10 minutes.

adapted from Cooks Country

 

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH

• 1 cup whole milk
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg plus 2 large yolks
• 3 1/2 cups (17 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (2 ounces) sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

CHEESE FILLING

• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 6 ounces (3/4 cup) whole-milk or part-skim ricotta cheese

STREUSEL

• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and chilled
• 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk

INSTRUCTIONS

1. FOR THE DOUGH: Grease large bowl. Whisk milk, melted butter, and egg and yolks together in 2-cup liquid measuring cup (butter will form clumps). Whisk flour, sugar, yeast, and salt together in bowl of stand mixer. Fit stand mixer with dough hook, add milk mixture to flour mixture, and knead on low speed until no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium and knead until dough clears sides of bowl but still sticks to bottom, 8 to 12 minutes.

2. Transfer dough to greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Place dough on lower-middle rack and place loaf pan on bottom of oven. Pour 3 cups boiling water into loaf pan, close oven door, and let dough rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

3. FOR THE CHEESE FILLING: Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, and lemon zest on low speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add ricotta and beat until just combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl, cover with plastic, and refrigerate until ready to use.

4. FOR THE STREUSEL: Combine flour, sugar, and butter in bowl and rub between fingers until mixture resembles wet sand. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until ready to use.

5. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Punch down dough and place on lightly floured counter. Divide into quarters and cut each quarter into 4 equal pieces. Form each piece into rough ball by pulling dough edges underneath so top is smooth. On unfloured counter, cup each ball in your palm and roll into smooth, tight ball. Arrange 8 balls on each prepared sheet and cover loosely with plastic. Place sheets on oven racks. Replace water in loaf pan with 3 cups boiling water, close oven door, and let dough rise until doubled, about 90 minutes.

6. Remove sheets and loaf pan from oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour bottom of 1/3-cup measure (or 2 1/4-inch-diameter drinking glass). Make deep indentation in center of each dough ball by slowly pressing until cup touches sheet. (Perimeter of balls may deflate slightly.)

7. Gently brush kolaches all over with egg-milk mixture. Divide filling evenly among kolaches (about 1½ tablespoons per kolache) and smooth with back of spoon. Sprinkle streusel over kolaches, avoiding filling. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let kolaches cool on pans for 20 minutes. Serve warm.