Saturday, April 29, 2006
I'll admit this bread is not as photogenic as the Pugliese, but that's only because I ignored Rose's voice. She warns that this bread should be slightly under-proofed, because if it's allowed to rise fully it will collapse when slashed. So I tested it by poking my finger in the dough, and it was at the stage where it was not quite fully proofed. I knew I should put it in the oven, but I wanted to let it get just a little bit bigger, so I decided it should rise for another 15 minutes. And, of course, it collapsed after I slashed it. Rose's voice then said, "I told you so."
This bread was served with the coscia di agnello alle erbe con patate rosto (herb-crusted leg of lamb with roasted potatoes) and with a 2002 Uva di Troia. A wonderful combination, by the way. I was a little apprehensive about the bread, seeing as how it had collapsed and all, but I figured people had had enough wine by that time that they wouldn't be hyper-critical. I didn't have to worry though--this turned out to be one of my favorite breads so far, and everyone loved it. It has a beautiful golden color and a rich yet delicate flavor. I'm already longing to taste this bread again.
Today was the first day I've made two breads at one time. It's very confusing. I kept flipping back and forth between recipes and trying to remember which bread was at which stage. (I also baked a ricotta-pine nut tart for dessert, so the oven was on pretty much all day).
Also, this is the first bread that I've kneaded by hand--maybe that's part of the reason I'm so fond of it.
I'm at 27 loaves of bread after four months--right on target to complete all 82 by the end of December. And then I can make another loaf of golden semolina bread.
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