Bread

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 pkg yeast dissolved in
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup black olives, chopped
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped

Knead all ingredients until smooth – about 10 minutes. Cover and let rise until doubled.

Punch down dough and spread out on lightly-greased baking sheet. Let rise again, about 30 minutes. Dimple top of dough with knuckles and place into a 425°F oven oven about 20 minutes or until nicely-browned.

• 1n envelope active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tbsp butter
• 3-4 cups all-purpose flour

Proof yeast and 1/2 tsp sugar in warm water.

Combine remaining sugar, milk, butter, and salt in saucepan. Heat just until butter melts. Cool to lukewarm.

Add yeast and 3 cups flour. Mix until smooth. Gradually add more flour, if necessary, to make a soft dough.

Knead until smooth and elastic.

Place into a buttered bowl and cover with a towel. Let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down, knead a few times on a floured board, and then let rest, covered with the towel, about 10 minutes.

Divide dough into 12 pieces and roll into tight balls. Place on a lightly greased or parchment-lined sheet pan, cover with towel, and allow to rise until doubled, another 30-45 minutes.

Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for about 16 minutes.

Brush tops with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven.

Cool on racks.

• 2 package of active dry yeast
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (100-115 degrees)
• 3 to 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 egg white beaten with 1T water
• course salt, sesame seeds, poppy seeds

In a large mixing bowl combine yeast and sugar. Let proof about 5 minutes. Add oil and 1/4 cup water. Mix.

Add salt. Add 1/2 cup of flour and continue mixing.  Slowly add remaining flour.

Knead for several minutes until the dough springs back and is satiny and smooth. It is a fairly wet dough.

Form into a loaf about 20 to 22 inches long, let loaf rest about 20 minutes.

Brush lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with salt or seeds.

Bake in a preheated 300°F oven about 55 minutes.

• 1 package dry yeast
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup warm milk
• 7 to 8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• 2 cups pumpkin
• egg wash made by beating 1 large egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water

In a mixing bowl proof the yeast with 1 teaspoon of the sugar and the milk for 5 minutes.  Combine 7 cups of the flour, nutmeg, salt, and the remaining sugar and blend in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the egg, the pumpkin puree, and the yeast mixture and mix until it is combined well.

Using a dough hook, knead — adding as much of the remaining 1 cup flour as necessary — for about 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Form the dough into a ball, transfer it to a well-buttered large bowl, and turn it to coat it with the butter. Let the dough rise, covered in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until it is doubled.

Turn the dough out onto your counter, divide it into 24 pieces, and form each piece into a ball. Place the balls onto a buttered sheet pan and let rise, covered with a kitchen towel, in a warm place for about 45 minutes or until they are almost double in size.

Brush the rolls with the egg wash and bake them in the middle of a preheated 350° oven for 35 to 45 minutes or until they are golden brown.

This recipe comes from Carol Field’s The Italian Baker. In the notes, she says to resist adding more flour – the dough is going to be on the sticky side.

NOTE: The biga needs to set out for 12 hours, so start the day before you want the bread.

for biga:

• 1/8 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 cup water at room temp
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in water, add the flour and form a sticky dough. Leave it covered at room temperature for 16 to 24 hours.

for the final dough:

• 3 tbsp warm milk
• 1 tsp active dry yeast
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup biga
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tbsp salt

Using a mixer, stir the yeast in the milk and let it stand for a couple of minutes in the bowl. Add the water, oil, the biga, and mix to incorporate, dissolving the biga in the liquid. Add the flour and salt, and mix at low speed for a couple of minutes. Change to the dough hook and knead 2 minutes at low speed, and 2 minutes at medium speed. Finish kneading by hand on a well-floured surface, but adding as little extra flour as possible.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and leave at room temperature for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Divide the dough, which will be very soft and bubbly, in two equal pieces. Place each half on a well floured piece of parchment paper, and shape each as a cylinder, keeping the seam side down. Stretch it gently to give the ciabatta overall shape (a rectangle of 10 x 4 inches), and use the tip of your fingers to make deep dimples all over the dough. Cover with a damp towel and let them rise for about 1 1/2  hours – not quite doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 425°F with a baking stone. Right before placing the dough in, dust the stone with cornmeal. Gently roll the breads from the parchment onto the stone. Bake until the breads are golden brown, about 25 minutes, spraying them with water a few times during the first 10 minutes. Cool on racks.

This bread needs a biga – a starter – so plan accordingly!

adapted from The Italian Baker by Carol Field

Biga

• 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 1/4 cup water (room temperature)
• 3 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Stir the yeast into the warm water and let stand until creamy – about 10 minutes.  Stir in the remaining water and then the flour, one cup at a time.

Mix with the paddle attachment on the mixer at the lowest speed about 2 minutes.

Remove to a slightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise at cool room temperature for 6 to 24 hours.  The starter will triple in volume and still be wet and sticky when ready.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Bread

• 3/4 c biga
• 3/4 cup water; At Room Temperature
• 1/4 cup rye flour
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• Cornmeal

Mix the starter and water with the paddle in a large mixer bowl. Mix in the flours and salt.  Switch to the dough hook and knead until softy and elastic, about 4 minutes. Finish kneading by hand on a lightly floured surface, sprinkling with additional flour, until smooth but still soft.

First Rise:

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The dough is ready when it has numerous bubbles and blisters under the skin.

Shaping and Second Rise:

Divide the dough in half on a lightly floured surface without kneading it. Shape into a round loaf. Let it relax under a cloth for 20 minutes. Line baking sheet or peel with parchment paper and flour the paper generously. Roll ball into a fat cylinder and place seam side down on the paper. Dimple the loaf all over with your fingertips or knuckles, as for focaccia, to keep the dough from springing up. The dough should feel delicate but extremely springy.

Cover the loaf and let rise until doubled, with many visible air bubbles, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.

Baking:

Thirty minutes before baking, heat the oven with a baking stone in it to 425° . Sprinkle the baking stone with cornmeal. Very gently invert the dough onto the stone. Gently remove the parchment paper. Immediately reduce the heat to 400° and bake until golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

adapted from James Beard

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 cup warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1/2 cup rye flour
• 3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
• 1 egg white, mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water

Combine the yeast with sugar and warm water in a large bowl and allow to proof. Mix the salt with the flour and add to the yeast mixture, a cup at a time, until you have a stiff dough. Remove to a lightly floured board and knead until no longer sticky, about 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary. Place in a buttered bowl and turn to coat the surface with butter. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1½ to 2 hours.

Punch down the dough. Turn out on a floured board and shape into a long, French bread-style loaf. Place on a baking sheet that has been sprinkled with the cornmeal but not buttered. Slash the tops of the loaf diagonally in two or three places, and brush with the egg wash. Place in a cold oven, set the temperature at 400°, and bake 35 minutes, or until well browned and hollow sounding when the top is rapped.

This recipe can be used for loaves or rolls. Bake rolls for about 18-20 minutes.

• 2 pgk yeast
• 6 cups flour, divided
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup neutral oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 egg

Stir together 2 cups flour and 2 packages dry yeast.

Heat over low heat, 1 cup milk, 1 cup water, the oil, honey, and salt until warm – about 125°F.

Cool slightly and stir into flour/yeast mixture and mix until smooth – about three minutes.

Beat in 1 egg.

Slowly add remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough.

Let rest about 10 minutes.

Knead until smooth and satiny – about 10 minutes.

Cover and let rest about 20 minutes.

Divide dough in two and form loaves. Place into greased loaf pans and brush tops with oil.

Let rise until doubled – 60 to 75 minutes.

Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes.

Immediately remove from pans and brush tops with melted butter. Cool on racks.

Poolish needs to sit out overnight, so plan accordingly.

Herb Bread Rolls
adapted from La Cucina Italiana Magazine

Ingredients

Poolish

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup tepid water
• 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

Dough

• 3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
• 3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons warm water
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 3/4 teaspoons finely chopped mixed herbs, such as oregano, rosemary and thyme

Instructions

Poolish: In a bowl, stir together flour, water and yeast. Let mixture stand at room temperature at least 10 hours or overnight.

Dough: Add flour, water, oil and salt to poolish; mix together to form dough. Turn out dough onto a clean surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

Stretch and pat out dough into a 10-inch square and sprinkle with herbs. Knead, 1 minute, to incorporate herbs. Form dough into a ball, then transfer to a large bowl. Cover bowl with a clean, damp dishtowel and let dough rise, in a draft-free place at warm room temperature, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Spread a clean, dry dishtowel on work surface. Dust work surface and dishtowel with flour. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces; roll each piece into a ball. Cover balls with a clean damp dishtowel and let rest, 10 minutes. On work surface, stretch one ball into a 2- x 8-inch rectangle. With short side of rectangle facing you, fold bottom edge to center, then fold top edge to center. Press firmly with fingertips to seal seams, then fold in half, folding bottom edge over top. Pinch together all seams, then gently roll dough to create a 5-inch-long loaf.

With the edge of your hand, firmly press center of loaf to create a deep indentation. Transfer loaf to prepared  dishtowel. Repeat with remaining dough. Sprinkle flour over indentations, then cover loaves with a second clean, dry dishtowel. Let rise, in a draft-free place at warm room temperature, 25 minutes.

Heat oven to 450° with rack in middle. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange loaves on baking sheets. One batch at a time, bake rolls until deep golden, about 20 minutes. Let rolls cool on a wire rack at least 10 minutes before serving.

ngredients

• 3 cups  all-purpose flour
• 1  pkg.  active dry yeast
• 1/2  tsp.  salt
• 1  cup  warm water (110°)
• 2  Tbsp.  olive oil

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, the yeast, and salt; add warm water and oil. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly.
2. With dough hook in place, knead  to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6 to 8 minutes total). Lightly grease a large bowl; place dough in bowl and cover with a towel. Let dough rise in a warm place until double in size (30 minutes).
3. Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 16×12-inch rectangle. Place in a greased 16x12x1-inch baking pan.  Let rise 20 minutes.
4. Top with toppings of choice and bake at 375° about 25 minutes.