italian bread
, in my ninth entry into my bread category, I expressed my desire to take this whole yeast/flour/water/tada! thing a step further, and begged for some cookbook guidance. At the end of it, with almost equal votes for and , I was still torn, changing my mind back and forth until the final seconds of my order, eventually settling on the latter. On the day it arrived, I tore into it, certain that something would jump right off the page, and I’d be up to my elbows in flour, once again, that night. Instead, the opposite happened—I froze with terror. Bigas and poolishes and oh my god, all of these steps and seriously, are there any breads you can make in just a few hours and really, it was very humbling. And just like that, my fairy godmother of cookbooks found a way to deposit Berenbaum’s tome on my front step, equally intimidating. I was certain that I was completely over my head, silly to think that taking something one step further wouldn’t be such an involved process. What did I think it would be? One, two, three and then you’re ?
Estimated Nutrition (whole recipe, rough)
Counts 6 of 9 ingredients — the other 3 aren't in our nutrition table and contribute nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume — 6 portions →
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Barley | 1 cup cooked (157g) | 193 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
| Malt | not in our table | 0 |
| Semolina | not in our table | 0 |
Totals for the whole recipe, adding one typical portion per ingredient — listed above. Quantities in the recipe are not counted, so this is a rough guide only — not suitable for medical or dietary planning.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
- 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons to 1 cup water, at room temperature
- 3 1/2 cups biga
- 2 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
- 1 2/3 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon diastatic barley malt powder (optional)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, vegetable oil, or shortening
- 3/4 cup to 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water, lukewarm (90 to 100°F)
- Semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting