Bread Machine (94 page)
ITALIAN SEMOLINA BREAD
Makes 1 round loaf
T
his is such a wonderful bread, but the only way you will know that is to bake it immediately. The crust is crisp and crackly; the interior is moist and close textured. It is perfect. The aroma drives me wild; it smells like a field of fresh grain. This is what country bread was meant to be—a plain bread with gigantic character. So eat it with dinner, with meat and cheese, or just dip it in olive oil and enjoy.
1
1
/
2
- OR 2-POUND-LOAF MACHINES
1 cup warm water
1
/
4
cup
Two-Week Biga
1 teaspoon SAF yeast or 1
1
/
2
teaspoons bread machine yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil
1
1
/
2
cups bread flour
1 cup semolina flour
1 teaspoon gluten with vitamin C added
1
1
/
4
teaspoons salt
1
/
4
cup farina, for sprinkling
Place all the dough ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions, adding the starter and yeast with the water. Program for the Dough cycle; press Start. The dough will be smooth, slightly moist and sticky, and a bit soft. Don’t be tempted to add more flour. When the machine beeps at the end of the cycle, press Stop and unplug the machine. Gently deflate the dough with your finger. Set a kitchen timer and let the dough rest another hour in the warm environment of the machine.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Using your dough card, gently knead into a ball. Cover with a clean tea towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
Knead the risen dough ball once more into a tight round, pressing the air out of it. Sprinkle the work surface with flour and place the loaf on it, seam side down. Cover with the towel and let rise again, for 40 minutes.
Twenty minutes before baking, place a baking stone on the lowest rack of the oven, if desired, and preheat to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle with the farina.
Slide the loaf off the work surface with your dough card and transfer to the baking sheet. With a small sharp knife, make 5 slashes in a radiating pattern, like the rising sun or the fingers of your outstretched hand, into the top, no more than 14 inch deep. The pattern will cover the entire top surface.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is dark brown, very crisp, and sounds hollow when tapped with your finger. The loaf will look done earlier, as the crust browns quickly, but needs the full time to bake the interior. Remove from the oven and place the loaf on a rack. Let cool completely before slicing.
PANE DI CEREALE
Makes 1 round loaf
T
he health craze has hit all developed countries, as this bread containing lots of healthy cracked grains shows. Use any hearty cracked grain cereal. They come in six-grain, seven-grain, nine-grain, and twelve-grain varieties. There’s also hot apple granola that contains cracked wheat, rye, barley, and oats. You can use whatever type you wish, but take note that these raw cracked-grain cereals are different than regular boxed cereals or instant hot breakfast cereals, so you may have to seek them out. This makes a soft whole-grain bread, very different from its crusty cousins in the rest of this chapter, but very tasty.
1
1
/
2
- OR 2-POUND-LOAF MACHINES
1
/
2
cup raw cracked grain cereal
1
1
/
2
cups water
1
/
4
cup
Two-Week Biga
3
/
4
teaspoon SAF yeast or 1
1
/
4
teaspoons bread machine yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1
1
/
2
cups whole wheat or graham flour
1
1
/
2
cups bread flour
1 teaspoon gluten with vitamin C
1
1
/
2
teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal, for sprinkling
Place the cereal and 1 cup of the water in a bowl. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
Place all the dough ingredients in the pan, adding the starter and yeast with the remaining
1
/
2
cup water and the soaked grains. Program for the Dough cycle; press Start. The dough will initially look very wet. The grains will absorb the extra moisture during the kneading. When the machine beeps at the end of the cycle, press Stop and unplug the machine. Gently deflate the dough with your finger. Set a timer and let the dough rest for another hour in the warm environment of the machine.
