Zorra from 1x umrühren bitte is the creator of the monthly Breadbaking day event, and the theme for this month chosen by Sweet Sins, is shaped bread, so I'm submitting Pane Siciliano from Peter Reinhart's book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice.
This is one of the best tasting breads I've ever made, on par with the Pugliese, and I think it's the high percentage of durum flour that gives it such a unique and beautiful flavour.
The loaves take 3 days to make unfortunately, but they are well worth the effort. Some say that the last overnight retardation in the fridge after they are shaped, is not necessary, but why settle for less flavour?
Shaping loaves can be quite difficult, and lots of practice is sometimes required, however shaping Pane Siciliano is so easy. Divide the dough into three pieces and shape each piece as you would a batard. Then coil each end simultaneously, but in the opposite direction, toward the centre to make an "S" shape. Much easier than trying to say "pane siciliano" after a couple of glasses of wine!
I'd run out of sesame seeds for these loaves and only had nigella seeds to sprinkle on top, which were not as complimentary to the bread as the sesame seeds are.
The bread is chewy, the crust has a slight crunch, and it's superb with a soft cheese such as brie or camembert.
Pane Siciliano recipe can be found here at Google Books.
Posts
8 comments:
Good show Pam, making bread isn't easy as it seems.
Hi Peter, I agree. I have some successes but a lot of flops too. The key is to keep trying.
I still haven't dared to open my one and only package of durum flour but I know for sure that's what I'm going to be making with it! Thanks for participating!
Your bread is always so beautiful Pam!
I think shapping is not always difficult. It depends on the dough. Your pane look great!
Hi Eva, what a mammoth job you had doing the roundup. So many delicious breads to try, in all shapes and flavours. I buy my durum flour at a health food shop, expensive, but the flavour outweighs the cost.
Hi Nic, thanks for stopping by. This has to be one of my favourite breads to bake, when I can get my head organised, which is sadly not very often.
Hi Zorra, I totally agree. I've never made two ciabatta loaves the same, as the dough always defies gravity, sometimes even ending up on the floor!
Post a Comment