Classic Italian Pressed Baguette Food

ITALIAN PRESSED SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Start with a loaf of french bread, french baguettes, italian round bread cut down the center (If you are making it ahead of time and want it to stand up to the pesto or vinaigrette, go for a hearty baguette. If you are eating it that day, you can choose a softer bread).
• Spread it with pesto sauce, an olive oil vinaigrette, mayonnaise, or an Italian dressing. Spread your pesto sauce or mayonnaise over both sides of the bread. If using an Italian vinaigrette, drizzle it over the top of the meats, lettuce, or tomato.
• Top it with your favorite Italian meats and cheese.
• In a small bowl, add tomatoes,olive oil, vinegar, and spices. Another option is to top with sliced tomatoes and drizzle with oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and oregano.
• Top with shredded lettuce and thinly sliced red onion.
• Drizzle with an Italian dressing or olive oil, red wine vinegar, and a sprinkle of oregano.
• If making ahead of time, tightly wrap in Sarah Wrap and place in the refrigerator. If you want a true pressed sandwich, place something heavy on top of the sandwich to allow the flavors to meld together overnight. If you make them ahead of time, you can wait to dress the sandwich with the Italian dressing to make sure the bread doesn't get soggy overnight.
• Another option is to toast your sandwich. Put the meat and cheeses on top of the bread and place under a broiler for 2-3 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Watch it carefully because it can go from perfectly golden to perfectly burned in 2.5 seconds. After you remove it from the oven, you can top it with your tomatoes and lettuce.

CLASSIC BAGUETTE

Steps:

• Make and ferment the poolish: Combine the water and yeast in a medium bowl. Let stand 1 minute, then stir with a wooden spoon until yeast is dissolved. Add the flour and stir until the consistency of a thick batter. Continue stirring for about 100 strokes or until the strands of gluten come off the spoon when you press the back of the spoon against the bowl. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and put in a moderately warm, draft-free place until it doubles in volume.
• Mix and knead the final dough: Measure the remaining ingredients. Measure and transfer 1 cup (9 ounces) of the poolish into a 6-quart bowl. (Discard remaining poolish) Add the water and yeast. Break the poolish up well with a wooden spoon and stir until it loosens and the mixture foams slightly. Add 1 cup of the flour and stir until well combined. Add the salt and only enough of the remaining flour to make a thick mass that is difficult to stir. Turn out onto a well-floured surface. Knead, adding more flour as needed, until the dough is soft and smooth, 15 to 17 minutes total. The dough is ready when a little dough pulled from the mass springs back quickly.
• Ferment the dough: Shape the dough into a ball and let it rest on a lightly floured surface while you scrape, clean, and lightly oil the large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn once to coat with oil. Take the dough's temperature: the ideal is 78 degrees. Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and put in a moderately warm (74 to 80 degrees) draft-free place until doubled in volume, and a slight indentation remains after pressing a finger into the dough.
• Divide the dough and rest: Deflate the dough by pushing down in the center and pulling up on the sides. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly. Cut into 4 equal pieces. Flatten each with the heel of your hand and shape into a tight ball. Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and put in a moderately warm draft-free place for 30 minutes.
• Shape the dough into loaves: Flatten each with the heel of your hand on an unfloured board. Shape each into a 14-inch loaf.
• Proof the loaves: Place the loaves seam side up in a well-floured couche. Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and put in a moderately warm draft-free place until increased in volume about 1 1/2 times, or until a slight indentation remains when the dough is pressed with a fingertip.
• Bake the loaves: 45 minutes to 1 hour before baking, preheat the oven and homemade hearth or baking stone on the center rack of the oven to 450 degrees. The oven rack must be in the center of the oven. Gently roll the loaf onto a lightly floured peel, seam side down. Score the loaf with a sharp razor blade or serrated knife making quick shallow cuts. Using the peel, slide the loaves onto the hearth. Quickly repeat with the next 2 loaves. Quickly spray the inner walls and floor of the oven with cold water until steam has filled the oven. Quickly close the door to trap the steam and bake 3 minutes. Spray again, closing the door quickly so that the steam doesn't escape. Bake until the loaves are a rich caramel color and the crusts are firm, 15 to 20 minutes.
• To test the loaves for doneness, remove from the pans and hold them upside down. Strike the bottom firmly with your finger. If the sound is hollow, the breads are done. If not, bake 5 minutes longer. Cool completely on a wire rack.