Herbed Peasant Bread Food

NO-KNEAD PEASANT BREAD

Steps:

• Combine the bread flour, whole-wheat flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees F) and mix with your hands or a spoon until the dough comes together (it will be wet and sticky). Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap. If you have extra time, refrigerate 12 to 24 hours; this is not necessary but will improve the flavor of the bread.
• Let the dough rise, covered, at room temperature for about 18 hours; this rise is necessary whether you refrigerate the dough first or not. The surface will be bubbly after rising.
• Generously dust a work surface with all-purpose flour. Turn the dough out onto the flour, then sprinkle flour on top. Fold the top and bottom of the dough into the center, then fold in the sides to make a free-form square. Use a dough scraper or a spatula to turn the dough over, then tuck the corners under to form a ball.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and generously dust with flour. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet, seam-side down, and sprinkle with more flour. Cover with a cotton kitchen towel (do not use terry cloth) and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 2 to 3 hours.
• Position a rack in the bottom of the oven and place a 2- or 4-quart cast-iron or enameled Dutch oven (without the lid) on the rack. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F for at least 30 minutes. When the dough has doubled, carefully transfer the hot pot to a heatproof surface. Uncover the dough, lift up the parchment and quickly invert the dough into the pot (shake the pot to center the dough, if necessary). Cover with the lid and bake 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until brown and crusty, 15 to 30 more minutes. Turn out onto a rack to cool.

HERBED PEASANT BREAD

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook onion in butter over low heat until tender. Cool for 10 minutes. , Transfer to a large bowl. Add milk, sugar, salt, herbs, yeast and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes., Punch the dough down. Shape into a ball and place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes., Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes. Remove to a wire rack; brush with melted butter. Cool.

HERBED PEASANT BREAD

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook onion in butter over low heat until tender, about 8 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes.
• Place in a large mixing bowl. Add milk, sugar, salt, herbs, yeast and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
• Turn onto a floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.
• Punch the dough down. Shape into a ball and place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
• Bake at 375° for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove to a wire rack; brush with melted butter. Cool.

HERBED GARLIC BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the bread, stir together the butter, mashed garlic, and herbs in a small
• bowl and season with salt and pepper. Tear open the loaf of bread
• lengthwise, spread the herb-garlic mixture over both halves and sprinkle with a little olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes.

ALMOST-FAMOUS ROSEMARY BREAD

Steps:

• Stir the yeast, sugar and 1/4 cup warm water in a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer). Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the flour, 1 1/2 tablespoons rosemary, the fine salt and 3/4 cup warm water; stir with a wooden spoon (or with the dough hook if using a mixer) until a dough forms.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, dusting lightly with flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (Or knead with the dough hook on medium-high speed, adding a little flour if the dough sticks to the bowl, about 8 minutes.)
• Brush a large bowl with olive oil. Add the dough, cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until more than doubled, about 2 hours.
• Brush 2 baking sheets with olive oil. Generously flour a work surface; turn the dough out onto the flour and divide into 4 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, sprinkle some flour on the dough, then fold the top and bottom portions into the middle. Fold in the sides to make a free-form square. Use a spatula to turn the dough over, then tuck the corners under to form a ball. Place seam-side down on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, putting 2 balls on each baking sheet. Let stand, uncovered, until more than doubled, about 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the loaves 10 minutes; brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with the kosher salt and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon rosemary. Continue baking until golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Serve with olive oil seasoned with pepper.

PEASANT BREAD

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl whisk the flours and the salt. Set aside.
• Grease a separate large bowl with butter or olive oil and set this aside. (This bowl will be used for the dough's initial rise).
• In a standing-mixer's bowl, dissolve the sugar into the water. Sprinkle the yeast over the top. (If you'd like . at this point . to ensure the yeast is active . you could let the mix stand for 10-15 minutes . or until it's foamy and/or bubbling just a bit. I typically don't).
• Add the flours and salt.
• Mix (**Note: The original recipe outlines stirring with a wooden spoon, which works . but I like to use my mixer with the dough hook and let it go for 4 or 5 minutes on medium speed) Note: the dough will be on the wet side. Transfer the dough to the greased bowl from the preparation step.
• Cover bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot to rise for at least an hour . or until it's about doubled in size.
• ** Typically, dough at our house takes 3 or 4 hours to double . point being . don't sweat the exact time.
• Grease 2 oven-safe bowls with about a Tbsp of butter each.
• Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
• Punch down your dough . and divide it into 2 equal parts. One by one . place each half on a floured counter-top. Quickly form a ball with each part & transfer them to your prepared bowls.
• At this point . the original recipe calls for letting the dough rise until it's doubled again in size . and this certainly works. I've taken to putting the dough into the fridge overnight for its second rise. There's something that happens to dough when it ferments for a long period of time in a cool environment.
• Pre-heat oven to 425.
• Bake for 10 minutes at 425. Reduce the heat to 375º and bake for 18-19 minutes longer. Remove from the oven . letting the loaves sit for 5-10 minutes before turning them over onto cooling racks.
• If the bowls have been greased well . the loaves should easily fall out out onto the cooling racks.
• You'll have to gauge it based on taste . I cook the loaves on the lower end of the time the original calls for because we like them pale & soft. If that's not for you . they can always be placed back into the oven (outside their bowls) and baked for about 5 minutes longer.
• Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

PEASANT BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and sugar. Add the yeast mixture and remaining water; stir until combined. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Stir dough down. Divide in half. Place each half in a greased 1-qt. round casserole or ovenproof bowl. Brush tops with butter and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. , Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Remove from pans; serve warm if desired.

PORTUGUESE PEASANT BREAD

Steps:

• In small bowl, stir sugar and yeast into 1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F); let stand until yeast mixture foams, about 5 minutes.
• In large bowl, combine barley cereal, cornmeal, salt, and 4 cups flour. With wooden spoon, stir in yeast mixture and 2 1/2 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees F) until combined. With floured hands, shape dough into a ball in bowl.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place (80 to 85 degrees F) until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch down dough and turn onto well-floured surface. Knead dough until smooth, about 5 minutes, working in more flour (about 3/4 cup) as necessary while kneading.
• Grease large cookie sheet. Cut dough in half and shape each half into a 6-inch round. Coat each round with flour; place on cookie sheet. Cover loaves with towel and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake loaves until golden brown, a total of about 35 minutes, using spray bottle to spritz loaves with water after first 5 minutes of baking, and again 10 minutes later. Cool on wire racks.

ITALIAN PEASANT BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Blend in rest of ingredients except butter.
• Shape into one large round loaf. Place on a greased cooking sheet and let rise until doubled. Brush with melted butter.
• Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 25 minutes, or until it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

PEASANT BREAD

Steps:

• Starter: The water should be at room temperature.
• Combine the water and yeast in a small bowl.
• Let stand I minute, then stir until yeast is dissolved.
• Add the flour.
• Stir vigorously for about 100 strokes.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl then cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap.
• Place in a warm (75 F) place until mixture is bubbly (2 -10 hours).
• Place the starter into a large (6-quart+) bowl.
• Dough: Add the water and yeast to starter.
• Add 1 cup, of flour and stir until it is well combined.
• Add the salt and only enough of the remaining flour to make a thick dough that is difficult to stir.
• Turn the sticky dough out on a floured work surface.
• Dip your hands in flour then knead the dough by pushing it down and forward with the heel of one hand, then pulling back from the top and folding the dough over with the other.
• Gradually add the remaining flour as you knead for 15 minutes.
• Dough will be strong and slightly sticky and will spring back when poked.
• Shape dough into a ball.
• Return dough to the bowl that has been coated with olive oil.
• Brush top of dough with a bit of olive oil,.
• Cover with a clean damp towel and place in a warm place until doubled in volume.
• Deflate the dough, place on lightly floured work surface.
• Knead briefly.
• Cut dough into 2 equal pieces.
• Knead briefly.
• Shape each piece into a tight ball.
• Place on a greased baking sheet.
• Cover with a clean damp towel and put in a warm place until doubled in volume.
• Preheat oven to 450 F and place oven racks to center of oven.
• Place a pan of water under the rack where the loaves will bake.
• Using a sharp knife score the loaves with cuts 1/4- to 1/2-inch deep along the surface.
• Place loaves in the hot oven.
• Bake for about 20 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 400 degrees F and bake another 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool for 1/2 hour.
• Brush tops with a bit more olive oil if you wish.

SPANISH PEASANT BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in 2/3 C water.
• Combine with salt, sugar, 2C water and 5 C flour. Beat 5 minutes.
• Add enough remaining flour, beating with wooden spoon, until dough is soft. Knead vigorously for 5 minutes.
• Place in a large greased bowl and brush top with melted butter. Cover and allow to rise until double. Punch down.
• Form into 1 large or 2 small oblong rolls. Place on lightly greased baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Brush with egg yolk glaze and sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds.
• Put bread in cold oven and turn oven temperature to 400 dg. Bake for 45-50 minutes. The bread will rise with the temperature.

FRENCH PEASANT BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast, sugar and salt in water.
• Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon until blended. Do not knead -- it will be lumpy.
• Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hours
• Oil a cookie sheet with olive oil.
• Oil hands and remove dough from bowl and divide into 2 rounds and place on cookie sheet.
• Sprinkle dough with cornmeal(optional).
• Let rise 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees and brush dough with melted butter.
• Bake for 10 min then reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake an additional 15 minutes.
• When finished baking, brush again with melted butter.