Pizza Napoletana

This week in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge, we made the 25th bread in the challenge: Pizza Napoletana. Wow! Have we really made that many breads? My, how time flies while you're having fun, as the saying goes...

I love making pizza! I've been really psyched about trying this one.  I agree with Peter Reinhart's contention that it is the crust, not the toppings, that make a good pizza.  For some time now, I've been on a quest to find Pizza Nirvana, and I do believe this pizza crust has earned a place on my list of favorites.

Some of my other favorite pizzas are: Bread Machine Deep Dish Pizza prepared in a bread machine and baked in a La Cloche, No Knead Deep Dish Pizza made with a mixture of all-purpose and Semolina flours and baked in a 9" x 13" pan, and Brick Oven-Style Pizza made with a poolish and baked on a baking stone.

According to Peter Reinhart, "the single biggest flaw in most pizza dough recipes is the failure to instruct the maker to allow the dough to rest overnight in the refrigerator.  This gives the enzymes time to go to work, pulling out subtle flavor trapped in the starch.  The long rest also relaxes the gluten, allowing you to shape the dough easily, minimizing the elastic springiness that so often forces you to squeeze out all the gas." 

This Pizza Napoletana is similar to brick oven pizza in that it utilizes a poolish but it seems to have a smoky flavor.  Or, maybe it's because I rolled the dough too thin and it got a little burnt on the bottom. I don't know, but it sure was good!   All I know is that pizzas made with a poolish are so much better that there really is no comparison. I really liked this pizza and so did my taste tester.


Pizza Napoletana
I used the pizza dough from the Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart.

Before we get to the pizza crust, let me tell you about my favorite pizza sauce.  I've also been on a quest to create a homemade pizza sauce that is worthy of all of these wonderful crusts.  I found a combination I like.  It has a little kick to it which my sons and I really enjoy.

Here is my go to pizza sauce recipe. It's a combination of a couple of different recipes. It makes enough to top several medium pizzas.

My Favorite Pizza Sauce Recipe

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (you can add more if you like)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained (or you can use fresh tomatoes if in season).
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (or use dried basil if you prefer)
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (I usually add a little more because I like the flavor)
  
  

Directions:

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to pan. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add garlic to pan; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in wine; cook 30 seconds. Add tomato paste, oregano, black pepper, salt, crushed red pepper flakes, bay leaf and tomatoes and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes or until thick. Then stir in basil and vinegar and cool. It took about 30 minutes for my sauce to thicken. It also cooked down a good bit. This makes a chunky sauce so if you prefer a smooth sauce, you can puree it in the blender. I like it either way but my taste tester prefers the sauce smooth so I usually puree it.  Feel free to experiment.


Now on to the pizza crust....


Making the Pizza

On the day you want to make the pizza, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator 2 hours before making the pizza. 

Dust the counter with flour, and then mist the counter with spray oil.  Place the dough balls on top of the floured counter and sprinkle them with flour; dust your hands with flour.  Gently press the dough into flat disks about 1/2 inch thick and 5 inches in diameter.

Sprinkle the dough again with flour, mist it again with spray oil, and cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap or a food-grade plastic bag.  Let rest for 2 hours.

Baking the Pizza

45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on the lowest rack of the oven.  At least that's where it works best for my oven.  Preheat the oven as hot as possible (500 to 550 degrees).  I baked the first pizza at 550 degrees and it burned a little bit so I lowered the temperature to 500 degrees for the second one and that seemed to work out better.  If you don't have a baking stone, you can use the back of a sheet pan, but don't preheat the pan.

Generously dust a peel or the back of a sheet pan with semolina flour or cornmeal.  I used cornmeal.  Make the pizzas one at a time.  Dip your hands, including the backs of your hands and knuckles, in flour and lift 1 piece of dough by getting under it with a dough scraper.


I'll just let you know right now that I didn't shape the pizza exactly the way the book describes.  I still don't have the hang of stretching the pizza in the air and then tossing it. I did stretch it in the air a little bit, then finished stretching it on the counter.  I didn't need a rolling pin, I just used my fingers to spread the dough out.  

When you've stretched the dough enough (about 9 to 12 inches in diameter), lay it on the peel, making sure there is enough semolina flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide.  Or, you can do what I did and place the dough on parchment sprinkled with cornmeal then transfer the whole thing to the peel.  I find that much easier to manage.

I parbaked the first pizza crust for a few minutes before adding the toppings.  I didn't parbake the second pizza and we could definitely tell the difference.  We like it parbaked much better!

Lightly top the pizza with sauce and then with your favorite toppings.  In addition to the yummy pizza sauce, I topped my pizza with onions, green peppers and mozzarella cheese.

Slide the pizza onto the stone and close the door.  Wait 2 minutes, then take a peak to make sure it is baking evenly.  If necessary, you can rotate the pizza for even baking. The pizza should take about 5 to 8 minutes to bake.

 

Cooling and Serving the Pizza

Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board.  Wait 3 to 5 minutes before slicing and serving, to allow the cheese to set slightly.  This was the hard part!  But we managed.

 

Now it's time to enjoy some of this yummy pizza!

Thanks for joining us this week in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge!  And, a big thanks to Nicole at Pinch My Salt for getting us started on this journey.  We're learning a lot and having loads of fun!

The next bread in Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge, is Poolish Baguettes. 

 

Happy Baking!
Cathy

 

French Baguettes: BBA Challenge

The 14th bread in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge is French Baguettes. This French bread utilizes a Pâte Fermentée or pre-ferment to bring out the flavor and improve the structure of the bread.

You can use the pre-ferment on the same day you make it, but according to Peter Reinhart, giving it an overnight treatment brings out more flavor. I made the Pâte Fermentée Saturday morning and let it rest in the refrigerator until Sunday afternoon when I was ready to bake.

"The baguette was said to have been invented during Napoleon's Russian campaign when he ordered a new shape of bread that could be carried down his troops' trouser legs. In fact, it was introduced in the 1920s after a new law banned bakers from working before 4am. They did not have enough time to bake a fresh boule for breakfast, so they created the baguette."

---"Marching on its stomach," Sam Coates, The Times (London), August 19, 2004, Home news; 6. Source: http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodbreads.html#baguette

You might also enjoy these other French Bread Recipes


French Baguettes

Makes: 3 small baguettes
From The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart

 

Ingredients:

Pâte Fermentée

• 1 1/8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/8 cups unbleached bread flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
• 3/4 cup to 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water, at room temperature

Final Dough:

• 3 cups Pâte Fermentée
• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups unbleached bread flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
• 3/4 cup to 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water, lukewarm
• Semolina or cornmeal for dusting

Directions:

Making the Pâte Fermentée

Stir together the all-purpose and bread flours, salt, and yeast in a large bowl or you can use your stand mixer if you prefer. I decided to do this bread by hand to get the Artisan experience.  Add 3/4 cup of the water

Stir until everything comes together and makes a coarse ball. Adjust the flour or water as necessary to ensure the dough is neither too sticky nor too stiff.

 

Transfer the dough to a work surface sprinkled with flour. Knead the dough until it is soft and pliable; it should be tacky but not sticky. This will take about 4 to 6 minutes by hand or 4 minutes using the stand mixer.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and roll it around to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it ferment at room temperature for an hour or until it swells to 1 1/2 times its original size.

 

Remove the dough from the bowl, knead it lightly to degas it, then return it to the bowl and recover with plastic wrap.

Place the bowl in the refrigerator overnight. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days, or you can freeze it in an airtight plastic bag for up to 3 months. I kept mine in the refrigerator for a couple of days until it was time to bake.

Making the Dough

Remove the Pâte Fermentée from the refrigerator 1 hour before making the dough.

Cut it into about 10 small pieces with a pastry scraper.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter for an hour to take off the chill.

 

Stir together the flours, salt, yeast, and Pâte Fermentée pieces.  Add the water and stir until everything comes together and makes a coarse ball. I used the Danish dough whisk and it worked really well.

Adjust the flour or water if necessary so that the dough is neither too sticky nor too stiff.  Transfer the dough to a counter sprinkled with flour.  Knead for about 10 minutes or until the dough is soft and pliable, tacky but not sticky, and all the pre-ferment is evenly incorporated. I love this part. The dough feels so good!

Fermenting the Dough

Transfer the dough to a lightly oil large bowl and roll it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap to begin the fermentation.  Let the dough ferment at room temperature for 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

 

If it doubles in size before 2 hours, knead it lightly to degas. Then let it rise again, covered, until it doubles from the original size.

 

 

Shaping the Loaves

Gently remove the dough from the bowl and transfer it to a lightly floured counter. Cut the dough into 3 equal pieces with a pastry scraper taking care to degas the dough as little as possible.

 

Form the pieces into baguettes

First, we'll form the loaves into a batard shape. From there, we'll form the baguettes. According to Peter Reinhart, that the batard shape is a good intermediary shape for making other forms. Once you make the batard, you are part of the way there and will need less effort to finish the extension after a short resting period.

Gently pat the dough into a rough triangle.

 

Being careful not to degas the dough, fold the bottom third of dough, letter style, up to the center and press to seal, creating surface tension on the outer edge.

 

Fold the remaining dough over the top and use the edge of your hand to seal the seam closed and to increase the surface tension all over.

 

Set the batards aside to rest to relax the gluten.

 

After the batards have rested, lift the dough and gently pull it out from the ends.

 

Crease the dough down the middle and fold it like a letter.

 

Seal the crease against the counter to create surface tension.

 

Working from the center of the loaf and moving to the outside edges, gently but firmly rock and roll out the dough to extend it to the desired length.

 

Set aside the loaves for proofing.

 

Proofing the Loaves

Prepare the loaves for proofing.  I decided to use the parchment method rather than making a couche.

 

Proof at room temperature for 45 to 75 minutes, or until the loaves have grown to about 1 1/2 times their original size. The loaves should be slightly springy if you poke them with a finger.

 

 

Prepare the oven for hearth baking

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Score the baguettes. I painted the loaves with water first so that the lame wouldn't get stuck in the dough.

 

I scored them a little differently than what the book describes. It ended up deflating the loaves a little bit.

 

 

Baking the Loaves

Dust a baker's peel or the back of a sheet pan with semolina flour or cornmeal and very gently transfer the baguettes to the peel or pan. I used a baking pan without sides and sprinkled it with cornmeal. I have semolina but it's in the freezer in the garage so the cornmeal was easier to get.

Transfer the baguettes to the baking stone. Pour one cup of hot water into the steam pan and close the oven door. After 30 seconds, spray the oven walls with water and close the door. Repeat 2 more times at 30 second intervals. Then lower the oven setting to 450 degrees F. and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the loaves for even baking and continue baking another 10 to 20 minutes, or until the loaves are a rich golden brown.

 

If the loaves are getting too dark but are not hot enough internally, lower the oven setting to 350 degrees F. (or turn it off) and continue baking for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.

I turned my oven down because the bottom of the loaves were burning but they never really did brown on top. It's probably due to the flour. Peter Reinhart recommends using diastatic malt powder to help it brown.

Cooling and Serving the Bread

Remove the loaves from the oven and cool on a rack for at least 40 minutes before slicing or serving.

The texture and flavor of these baguettes were good even though they didn't brown as much as I would've liked.

Storing the Bread

Store the loaves in a paper bag to keep them crisp. They should last a few days.

Happy Baking!
Cathy

Cornbread: BBA Challenge

This week in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge, we made Corn Bread. This particular corn bread is very moist, very sweet and very filling. Peter Reinhart created this version as an accompaniment to Thanksgiving dinner or to help recreate Thanksgiving flavor memories throughout the year. That sounded like a pretty good idea to me. I love holiday meals and I love corn bread...but not necessarily in July.

What is corn bread?

Corn bread is the generic name for quick breads made with cornmeal. We take corn for granted these days, but bread made from cornmeal was a mainstay of colonial diets, in both the North and the South, for almost two centuries.

Southern cooks prefer to use white cornmeal, while Northern cooks tend to use yellow cornmeal and add sweetening to their breads. You can decide which type of cornmeal and method you prefer.

If you're baking along with us, turn to page 151 in the Bread Baker's Apprentice to locate the recipe and list of ingredients.

 

Making the Cornmeal Soaker

Soak the polenta (coarse cornmeal) in buttermilk the night before you plan to make the cornbread. Cover and leave at room temperature overnight. I made the soaker in the morning and let it sit all day. Then, I decided not to bake the cornbread that night so I refrigerated it until the next day. I took the soaker out of the refrigerator a couple of hours before I baked the bread to take the chill off.

Preparing the Bacon

The next day (or night) when you're ready to make the cornbread, prepare the bacon by baking it in the oven until it is crisp. Once the bacon has cooled, crumble it into coarse pieces. Drain off the bacon fat and save for greasing the corn bread pan (or just use vegetable oil to grease the pan). I decided to use the bacon fat this time, but I think next time, I'll forgo the bacon fat and just grease it with vegetable oil. I don't like the thought of all that fat!

Making the batter

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir in the sugars.

Lightly beat the eggs. Dissolve the honey in the melted butter. Then stir the warm honey-butter mixture into the eggs.  Add this mixture to the cornmeal soaker.

 

Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon or whisk until all ingredients are thoroughly blended and the batter is smooth.

Stir in the corn kernels until they are evenly distributed.

Baking the Corn Bread

Grease a 10-inch round cake pan (or a 9 by 13-inch baking pan or a 12-inch square pan) with the rendered bacon fat or vegetable oil. I love to make corn bread in my trusty 10-inch iron skillet so that is what I used. Place the pan in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes until the grease gets hot. Then remove the pan carefully (with heavy oven mitts or potholders).


Tilt the pan to grease all the corners and sides, then pour the batter and spread it evenly in the pan. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon pieces evenly over the top and gently press them into the batter.

Bake the corn bread for about 30 minutes or until it is firm and springy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

The top of the bread should be a medium golden brown.



Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before slicing it into squares or wedges. Serve warm.

I love cornbread, but I decided it's too hot for such a rich version. I enjoyed the first bite because it was very flavorful and the texture was wonderful! However, I had a very hard time finishing even one piece because it was really heavy!

It was really hot in Atlanta this past week so that's probably the reason I didn't enjoy this bread very much. I decided to freeze it and save it for later. I think it would taste good with a bowl of soup or chili in the Fall. I'll let you know...

Thanks for joining us in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge.  Next time, we'll be making Cranberry-Walnut Celebration Bread. I made this bread for Thanksgiving last year and it is wonderful!

Happy Baking!
Cathy

Casatiello: BBA Challenge

It's Day 5 of the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge! Five breads down...only 38 more to go! Woohoo!

Today we're making Casatiello! Casatiello is an Italian bread similar in shape to Pannetone, but it's filled with savory meat (usually salami) and cheese rather than candied fruit and nuts. It can also be made with bacon bits, different types of fresh or cured sausage, or with nonmeat substitutes. A few of the other bakers in the challenge are vegetarians so they used non meat substitutes.

I have to say that I really wasn't too keen on making this bread. I usually like to put meat and cheese on bread or between slices of bread, not in it! However, in the spirit of the challenge, I vowed to make it, albeit with a few substitutes. I'm not partial to salami so I decided to substitute pepperoni. I also decided to use an Italian blend of shredded cheeses (mozzarella, smoke-flavored provolone, Romano, Parmesan, Fontina and Asiago) rather than just provolone. Mostly because this is what they had at the grocery store. I'm trying to be as true to the recipes in the challenge as possible but still be practical about the whole thing. I've already got a freezer full of bread in my garage so I didn't want to make anything we wouldn't eat!

Now, after saying all that, I really had fun with this recipe. Funny how that works! Since I didn't think I would like it anyway, I was a little more creative with the ingredients. I thought my sons would be the ones that liked it, but I was wrong. I liked it and they didn't...Go figure!

Here's what my Casatiello looks like!

The casatiello can be baked in 1 large or two small loaf pans, or a no. 10 can or a coffee can (with paper lunch bags inserted), or you can use paper or metal pannetone molds, or even an 8-inch cake pan. Since I've gotten into baking in coffee cans recently, I decided to use that method for this recipe.

Here are photos of the step-by-step process for making the Casatiello in coffee cans:

Now that the loaves are finally cooled completely, I can eat some. Would you like a slice? It's pretty good actually.




Thanks for joining us this week in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge. 


Stay tuned for Day 6 of the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge. We'll be making Challah.


Happy Baking!
Cathy