I made three loaves of Pugliese bread using the big oven.com recipe http://www.bigoven.com/9353-Pugliese-Bread-recipe.html referenced to:
Geminis MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini
After having used the recipe for at least 3 months now, I am still a little baffled. what does it mean by:
Roll each part into long strand. Roll up along length, stretching slightly. Turn dough sideways and roll to long string again. Roll up into tight ball, tucking to ends under. Let rise 1 hour, covered with towel. Pre-heat oven to 450, with pan of water in the oven, about 20 minutes before baking.
Does it mean manipulating the dough wet? Or on a floured surface with a rolling stick/pin?
I used 2 1/3 cups biga (http://www.bigoven.com/38243-Biga-(Italian-Bread-Starter)-recipe.html) though the recipe calls for 13/16 cup biga. I don't know how anybody measures 13/16 cups, that's really stupid. I added an extra cup of water to the bread recipe--7.5 cups would have left the dough too dry, weighing a total of 2600 grams. I stirred it all together by hand with a wooden spoon, which is for me the best considering I don't want to own a stand mixer for just one task. I let the dough rise for 3-4 hours then, I made two 650 gm loaves to rise in 4x8 glass loaf pans, & one 1300 gm loaf to proof in a pyrex casserole 8.5" x 3.5" high.. I rolled one small loaf wet, the other on a floured surface. The big loaf went on a floured board where I used the stretch and fold method, per instructions for Ciabatta bread in Baking Artisan Bread by Ciril Hitz.
9.15 p.m. the loaves have risen just past the tops of the bread pans and the large casserole dish. they'll go into the oven which is steamy from the water in pans on the bottom elements.
10 p.m. I baked the bread loaves at ~425 deg F for 35 min., spraying the bread w water every 3 min during the first 15 min. Just looking at them, I cannot tell the difference between the two little loaves--they are almost exactly the same height. I'll have a chance to see in about 30 minutes. And tomorrow I shall bring one to Westport for lunch during the fiberglassing of the splashguards on Vern's big canoe--the large loaf, I think I'll share with Lydia.
Oh ya, saw some bread making videos, um you didn't know people video every thing but to me this takes the loaf!
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