There has been many requests for this recipe due to the recent bread thread on the main board, so I figured I'd post it here as I never expected so many requests.
While there are a number of different 'Italian' breads, 'Filoncino' is considered by many to be a classic Italian bread... and it's drop dead simple:
'Filoncino'
3 1/2 Cups unbleached bread flour
1 1/2 Cups water
1 Tsp. instant yeast
2 Tsp. sea salt
1/4 Cup yellow cornmeal
Combine the flour with the yeast, sea salt & 1 1/2 cups of warm water. The dough should come together, forming a somewhat sticky, smooth ball. Add a little more flour if the dough is wet or a little more water if it is dry. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto the counter & knead it for about 5 minutes, then shape it into a ball & transfer it to a floured bowl; sprinkle it with a little flour & turn it to coat with the flour on all sides. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 2 hours or until the dough doubles in bulk. (Or let the dough rise in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, remembering to bring it to room temperature before shaping it & letting it rise a second time.)
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Cut it into 2 equal pieces & shape each into a ball, making sure you don't press out all the air bubbles that have developed (leaving air bubbles intact ensures larger air holes once the bread is baked). Cover with a towel & let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven with a baking stone in it to 475 degrees.
Pat 1 ball of dough into a flat 1-inch high rectangle measuring about 4 inches x 5 inches. Fold the side furthest from you over toward you & seal the seam using the heel of your hand. Turn the rectangle 180 degrees & fold the side furthest from you over toward you; seal the seam using the heel of your hand. Fold the resulting log in half lengthwise, sealing the edges with your fingertips. Roll into a 14-inch-long cylinder with slightly tapering ends. Repeat with the ball of dough. Cover with a towel & set aside to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes; the cylinders should increase by half their size.
Slash each cylinder diagonally at 3-inch intervals with a sharp knife or a razor blade. Sprinkle lightly with flour. Place on a baking peel that has been sprinkled with the cornmeal & dust with flour. Slide onto the baking stone.
Lower the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Bake the bread for 25 minutes or until it is golden brown & crisp, misting with water from a spray bottle 3 times during the first 10 minutes of baking. (Close the oven door quickly each time to prevent the steam/heat from escaping & the bread from deflating).
Cool the bread on a rack & serve at room temperature. Enjoy!!!
While there are a number of different 'Italian' breads, 'Filoncino' is considered by many to be a classic Italian bread... and it's drop dead simple:
'Filoncino'
3 1/2 Cups unbleached bread flour
1 1/2 Cups water
1 Tsp. instant yeast
2 Tsp. sea salt
1/4 Cup yellow cornmeal
Combine the flour with the yeast, sea salt & 1 1/2 cups of warm water. The dough should come together, forming a somewhat sticky, smooth ball. Add a little more flour if the dough is wet or a little more water if it is dry. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto the counter & knead it for about 5 minutes, then shape it into a ball & transfer it to a floured bowl; sprinkle it with a little flour & turn it to coat with the flour on all sides. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 2 hours or until the dough doubles in bulk. (Or let the dough rise in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, remembering to bring it to room temperature before shaping it & letting it rise a second time.)
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Cut it into 2 equal pieces & shape each into a ball, making sure you don't press out all the air bubbles that have developed (leaving air bubbles intact ensures larger air holes once the bread is baked). Cover with a towel & let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven with a baking stone in it to 475 degrees.
Pat 1 ball of dough into a flat 1-inch high rectangle measuring about 4 inches x 5 inches. Fold the side furthest from you over toward you & seal the seam using the heel of your hand. Turn the rectangle 180 degrees & fold the side furthest from you over toward you; seal the seam using the heel of your hand. Fold the resulting log in half lengthwise, sealing the edges with your fingertips. Roll into a 14-inch-long cylinder with slightly tapering ends. Repeat with the ball of dough. Cover with a towel & set aside to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes; the cylinders should increase by half their size.
Slash each cylinder diagonally at 3-inch intervals with a sharp knife or a razor blade. Sprinkle lightly with flour. Place on a baking peel that has been sprinkled with the cornmeal & dust with flour. Slide onto the baking stone.
Lower the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Bake the bread for 25 minutes or until it is golden brown & crisp, misting with water from a spray bottle 3 times during the first 10 minutes of baking. (Close the oven door quickly each time to prevent the steam/heat from escaping & the bread from deflating).
Cool the bread on a rack & serve at room temperature. Enjoy!!!
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire