Thursday, January 9, 2014

Pane Toscana - Italian Peasant Bread with


When I think of Italian bread, or even Italian-style bread a very specific picture comes to mind. Bread with a crispy crust, not too thick, and with a soft, almost silky interior. Something perfect for sopping up the rich tomato-ey sauces from pasta dishes, or even the last few drops of a good minestrone. Ans so this bread fits all of that but with a twist. The bread from Tuscany is famous for having no salt, or, horrors, a very little salt. I know, I know, salt is one of the four basic ingredients of any bread (flour, water, yeast and SALT). So why? Well it seems in Tuscany, they like their food with more salt than other areas, or so goes the story and so they bake bread without, or with very little. Because it is invariably eaten with soup, or sauce and it all balances out in the end. Either way, this bread is VERY Italian but with just a little salt added. I have added it to accommodate my not-Italian palette. Leave it out if you wish, just make sure you eat it with a nice thick and chunky winter soup. Minestrone would be perfect.

Here's What You'll Need:
1 1/3 cups water
2 2/3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbs. gluten
2 1/4 tsp. instant dry yeast
2/3 cups corn meal (optional - I used it, to make it more 'Roman')
pinch of sugar
pinch of salt  - up to 1 1/2 tsp. (optional)

Here's What You'll Need To Do:

1) Start with  a sponge:
Place the water, 1 cup of the bread flour, the whole wheat flour and the yeast in a bowl and stir to combine. It will be like a very thick batter. Cover with a towel, and let it stand in a warm place for about an hour.

Then...

2) Add the remaining flour (you may need a little more because the whole wheat absorbs more liquid), the sugar and the salt (if using), the cornmeal (if using) and the gluten. Mix it to form a rough dough, adding flour or water a little at a time as needed.

3) Remove the dough to a lightly floured work surface, and knead for at least 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and shiny, and just barely sticky.

4) Place it in a lightly greased bowl, turn to coat, then let it rise until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

5) Remove the dough to a smooth surface and form into a long, oval loaf, like Italian bread! without removing too much of the air. Place the shaped loaf on a parchment-lined baking tray and cover to proof. It should double in volume in about 45 minutes.

6) About 20 minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C) for about 30 minutes. For a more authentic loaf try baking on a stone with steam.*

* You can approximate the effect of steam in a professional oven by placing a small aluminum tray in the oven under the baking tray (or baking stone). Just before placing the loaf in the oven, pour about a cup of boiling water into the tray, place the loaf in the oven and close the door quickly. The steam will fill the oven and create a wonderfully, crispy crust on your loaf.

7 comments:

  1. זה לחם מעניין, תוספת קמח התירס מוצאת חן בעיני. האם הלחם הטוסקני אינו חסר מלח? הלחם שאניי אכלתי בטוסקנה בכלל לא דמה ללחם הזה, הוא היה לא מעניין ולא טעים, למרות שלטענתם הוא אמור לספוג רוטב שיש בו מלח, כך שאין צןרך במלח בלחם.

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    Replies
    1. את צודקת שהוא לא לחם טוסקני טיפוסי. התוספת של מעט מלח מרמז על כך. והתוספת של הקמח תירס למעשה ממקם אותו יותר קרוב לרומה. יכול להיות ששם יותר מתאים היה לחם רומי "Pane Romano". בכל מקרה הוא כן סופג את הרטבים היותר מלוחים כהלכה. לדעתי הלחם הטוסקני שאין מלח הוא היחידי בסגנון ולמען הטעם שלי הוספתי קצת מלח. תהני!

      Delete
  2. Hi David,
    It looks wonderful and I'd like to make it but I need to know how long to bake it. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What a thing to leave out! I have updated the post to say, bake at 180 C (350 ) for about 30 minutes. Enjoy!

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  3. The story I've heard many times is that a tax was placed on salt sometime in the middle ages and in protest the people stopped using salt.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have also heard that. Makes sense but the only area I know of where it has remained is Tuscany. This is NOT a typical Tuscan bread because I have added a little salt, and also the cornmeal, which really places it closer to Rome. Maybe a better name wold have been Pane Romano.

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