Sourdough Bread Naples Italy Food

SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• For the levain: Combine the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, water and starter in a medium bowl and mix to combine. Cover and let sit at room temperature until bubbly and increased in volume by about 20 percent, about 8 hours.
• For the dough: Add the all-purpose flour, water and whole-wheat flour to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Weigh out 7 ounces of the levain (about 1 cup) and add to the mixer (discard any remaining levain). Mix on low until a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Add the salt to the dough and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes; the dough should feel a bit sticky and wet but look smooth and very stretchy. Scrape the dough into a plastic or glass container about twice its size. Cover and let sit at room temperature until puffed, about 45 minutes.
• Put the dough on a floured work surface, flatten it gently, then fold in thirds like a business letter. Transfer it back to the container. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.
• Repeat the folding process one more time, transfer back to the container, cover and let sit at room temperature for another 45 minutes. After the third 45-minute rest, the dough should feel soft and pillowy; when pressed with a finger, it should leave an indentation that begins to spring back.
• Gently scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide in half using a bench scraper. Shape each piece loosely into a round by gently tucking the edges under. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Drape 2 kitchen towels into 2 medium (8-inch) bowls and dust very generously with flour. Dust the top of the dough rounds very lightly with flour and flip over using a bench scraper. Flatten one piece of dough into a circle, then fold the left and right sides of the dough over the center. Keeping tension in the dough, begin folding down from the top edge in 3 segments, sealing the bottom edge with the last fold. Loosely cup the dough and, using your hands and the tension between the board and the dough, pull the bread very slowly towards yourself while creating a taut ball. Gently flip the dough ball over and into one of the prepared bowls. Cover loosely with another kitchen towel. Repeat the process with the second piece of dough. Place both in a warm place to rise until about 1 1/2 times their size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• About 20 minutes before baking, position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven, put a 4-quart Dutch oven and lid on the rack and preheat to 500 degrees F. When preheated, carefully transfer the hot Dutch oven to a heatsafe surface with oven mitts (leave the lid in the oven). Flip one round of dough over into the Dutch oven. Using a sharp knife, scissors or bread lame, score the top of the bread in a cross or desired pattern. Return to the oven, immediately cover with the lid and bake for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature to 425 degrees F, uncover and bake until dark brown, about 10 minutes more. Transfer the bread to a cooling rack to cool completely. Return the empty Dutch oven to the oven, raise the temperature to 500 degrees F and let heat for 10 minutes before repeating the baking process with the second dough round.

SOURDOUGH BREAD NAPLES, ITALY

Steps:

• Combine water, starter, and flour. Mix by hand or use a stand-up mixer.
• This recipe requires a starter, which is not included in this recipe.
• Add salt and mix everything until you get a shaggy dough.
• Transfer dough onto a clean counter and proceed to stretch and fold at least a dozen times.
• Place in a covered container large enough to contain the dough after it has doubled in volume., which will take approximately 4~4.5 hours.
• Punch down dough and transfer to a clean counter for degassing and shaping.
• Place shaped dough on parchment paper, cover to prevent drying, and let stand for approx 45 minutes.
• Heat oven to 500 degrees Fahreinheit.
• Score loaves with a razor blade or sharp knife.
• Mist the inside of the oven with a spray bottle.
• Bake loaves for 10 minutes, and spray again with water.
• Complete baking for another 20~25 minutes until crust is golden brown.
• Remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack.

NAPLES - IT'S TO DIE FOR - LASAGNA

Steps:

• BECHEMEL Sauce: In pot melt butter and add enough flour to create a consistency thicker than pancake batter.
• Bring another pot with milk almost to a boil.
• Once milk has heated through, add milk all at one time to the flour mixture, beating with wire whisk the whole time.
• Bring back to boil then remove from heat and add salt and nutmeg.
• Set aside.
• MEAT SAUCE: Brown meat half way then add onions, garlic, carrots, celery and sweat vegetables.
• Add all other ingredients and cook a minimum of 2 hours at a low (barely) boil.
• ASSEMBLY: Use Barilla lasagna sheets!
• (1 box serves 6-8 in this recipe).
• Boil some water and slide them in for 5 minutes then drain and rinse well with cold water, they need to be soft and flexible.
• Ladle some meat sauce on the bottom of the pan.
• Then lay a layer of pasta sheets on top of that.
• Then spread bechemel sauce over pasta, layer of pasta, spread both cheeses on that layer, layer of pasta, spread more bechemel, layer pasta then cheeses until all is used.
• Bake in 350° oven until brown on top (just a little brown).
• Remove and let set for 5 minutes.
• Cut serving squares and place on plates then ladle a large ladle of meat sauce atop the lasagna.
• Garnish with lots or parmesan cheese.