Recipe

Italian Bread Recipe

	Sous_chefjohn / All my dishes 2 months, 3 weeks ago good crusty, fluffy soft,and delicious. Prep:180m Cook:3540m Servings:10	Sous_chefjo
	easy to make

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Ingredients

3 pounds 7 ounces bread flour

1 quart warm water 80-85 F

1 ounce fresh cake yeast

2 ounces kosher or sea salt ( no table salt please)

2 Tbl. honey or malt powder

Directions

Preheat oven to 475F

combine water and yeast in mixer fitted with dough hook.

add honey or malt stir with spoon to dissolve.

add salt and flour.

mix on low speed 1.5 minutes

mix on medium 10 minutes.

* check using windowpane test*

* for windowpane: twist off a small piece of dough, spread using fingers ( like a pizza) until it makes a 2 inch membrane without tearing, if it tears before you can do this mix for 3-5 more minutes and test again.*

put dough in oiled bowl cover and rise until doubled

punch down by lifting the sides of the dough and pushing into the middle of the ball. flip over and cover. rise until doubled again.

punch down using same technique as before.

when doubled punch down and divide into two equal pieces.

roll into desired shape( baguette, torpedo, rounds)

rise on a baking pan lined with parchment paper and dusted with semolina or fine cornmeal.

when almost doubled ,slash the bead using a sharp serrated knife or razor blade.

let rise until fully doubled.brush loaves with water or use spray bottle.

put a small pan or dish of water in the oven to provide steam.

put loaves in oven

Bake with the water in the oven for the first 15 minutes* you can also spray the side of the oven three times during the first 15 minutes*

Remove the water dish

Rotate the bread 180 degrees

turn oven down to 425F continue to bake for 25-30 minutes

test for doneness by thumping the bottom , it should sound hollow when done.

I have made this countless times for the restaurants I worked at. but not at home so cooking times may be longer as I used an industrial convection oven.

This bread is also great for wood fired hearth ovens.

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