Taralli

Taralli  (also called ciambelle) are chewy, anise flavored bread rings. In Southern Italy they are treats typically made for Christmas and Easter. They can be finished plain, like here, or with icing and colorful sprinkles.  Because they are handmade, they don't need to be perfect, in fact, their irregular rustic look is part of their charm. Have them with breakfast or a between meal snack, with a cup of espresso or with a glass of wine before dinner. Initially they will be crunchy, but become more chewy after a few days. Store in an airtight container. 

Give them out to friends for Christmas and Easter treats! 

This recipe makes about thirty 3" diameter taralli - 

1 cup of warm water
1/2 cup white wine

6 Cups all purpose flour

1 packet active dry yeast

3/4 cup sugar

3  tbs. olive oil

2 tsp salt

2 tbs fennel seeds

Pour the cup of warm water into a glass bowl or large measuring cup. Add the yeast and dissolve in the water. Add the sugar, olive oil and wine and let sit until bubbly. Add the salt. 

Put the flour in a large mixing bowl (or if you want to do it old school, mound the flour on the kitchen counter and make a depression in the center). Slowly add the yeast water into the center mixing it into the flour with a fork or spatula while adding the fennel seeds.

Continue to add the yeast water until you have a workable mixture. The dough should be fairly firm at this point but still pliable. Knead the dough until smooth, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand for 1 hour for a short rise.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut dough into pieces a little larger than the size of a ping pong ball, then roll out each piece into a rope, about the thickness of your finger about 6-7 inches long. Form into a doughnut like shape, pinching the ends together.

Meanwhile bring water to a boil water in a sauce pot.

Drop 4 - 5 dough rings into the water at a time. When they rise to the top, in about 3 minutes, remove with a strainer and place on towels to dry. 

Place the taralli on cookie sheets in the middle of the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes on each side or until a medium golden color. 

Remove, and cool. Store in an airtight container for up to a month (but they'll be gone way before that) or freeze for up to 6 months.

Red Pot Whiskey Rebellion Bread

 

I'm calling this Red Pot Whiskey Rebellion Bread  because I added some of the spent grains I used in making my own whiskey and it's baked in a red cast iron Dutch oven. It's a safe bet you don't have spent cracked rye, malted barley and wheat berries that are used in making home made rye whiskey. They give this bread a sweet, earthy, nutty flavor but not like rye bread.  You can substitute a little whole wheat flour though that will approximate the taste. 

Just a little back story - 

The Whiskey Rebellion took place in SW Pennsylvania and parts of Virginia and Maryland in the early 1790's. It was an armed, but mostly peaceful, revolt against the newly mandated excise tax on whiskey. Farmers in the western frontier were accustomed to using their surplus rye, barley and wheat to make whiskey. These farmers resisted the tax. In these regions, whiskey often served as a medium of exchange because hard cash was simply not available. Many of the resisters were war veterans who believed that they were fighting for the principles of the American Revolution, in particular against taxation without local representation.  It was the first big test of the power of our new nation's federal government. George Washington, largely influenced by Alexander Hamilton, sent an army of 12,000 soldiers to western Pennsylvania to shut down the insurrection. The farmers lost, the government won. Come to find out, I had 4 gr gr gr + grandfathers on my mothers side who participated in the Whiskey Rebellion on the side of the rebels.  Once I found that out I put it on my bucket list to try making rye whiskey myself. And I did.

Ingredients - makes 1 loaf

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour plus more for sprinkling

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
 
Equipment
Large bowl
Plastic wrap 
Large Dutch oven with oven-safe lid
Parchment paper
Whisk
Spatula
 
Instructions
Place the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Make a well in the center, and add the water into the well. Stir until it forms a wet shaggy dough.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in size and bubbly, 6 to 8 hours.

After that first rise, fold the dough over on itself several times in the bowl with a rubber spatula then re-cover and put in the refrigerator to slow rise over night. Letting the dough slow rise overnight will give more flavor to the bread. 

(If you are in a hurry, you can omit the slow rise in the refrigerator).

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and let come to room temperature- at least an hour or more.

Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper. Turn the dough out of the bowl onto it, folding it over on itself at least once while you do so. Quickly shape the dough into a round ball. 

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 450°F and place a large Dutch oven with its lid on the rack. Let it heat up for about 30 minutes. .

Using the parchment paper as a sling, carefully transfer the loaf, still on the paper, to the Dutch oven. If desired, make a slash or shallow cut on the top of the dough with kitchen shears or a sharp knife so that the bread can expand while baking.

Place the lid on the pot and put it in the oven. (Be careful, the lid is hot!) Bake covered for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake for 10-15 minutes more.

Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and use the parchment paper to transfer the bread to a wire rack. Let cool at least 15 minutes before slicing the bread.

Slather with REAL butter while still warm and ENJOY!!! 

Focaccia

We never had or even heard of focaccia growing up in our house but then again the Italian side of my family came from southern Italy and then again focaccia, while around for a LONG time in Italy, never made it big here in the US until some trendy foodies "discovered" it and got other foodies on board, then it became a "thing" here like ciabatta. But don't get me wrong, I'm not disparaging focaccia in any way. We really like it and have made it many times over the years or at least since the mid 1990's when we got Carol Fields book - Focaccia, Simple Breads from the Italian Oven. 

Most cultures have flat breads of one kind or another like naan, pita, tortillas, roti, chepati, matzo and, of course, focaccia's cousin - pizza. Flat bread is just that - flat, not formed into a loaf and typically less that 2 " thick. Focaccia has it's roots in the Liguria region in northern Italy. It can be rather plain, topped simply with olive oil and sea salt or studded with pieces of cured meats like pancetta or salami or herbs like rosemary or sage or vegetables like sweet peppers or caramelized onions or even sweet with sliced fruits or berries and dusted with sugar. Unlike other kinds of flat breads that are used as wraps or pockets to hold meats, cheeses, vegetables or sauces, focaccia is eaten simply as it is out of hand crispy,  chewy and flavorful.. 

The focaccia we usually make is simply flavored with white wine, rosemary, olive oil and sea salt. It is not complicated but it does require a little time and attention but what home made bread doesn't, and it is worth it!

Ingredients -

Sponge

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (1 package)

2/3 cup warm water (105 - 115 degrees F)

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Dough

1/2 cup water room temp

1/3 cup dry white wine, we like Pinot Grigio

1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The Sponge, from above

2 1/2 cups plus 2 tsp (360 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus up to 2 tablespoons as needed

2 tsp sea salt

Topping

About 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 - 3  x 4" long twigs of rosemary

1 tsp sea salt

Other things you might need - pizza stone, cooling rack, spray bottle

To make the sponge: 

Making a sponge is just a way of getting the yeast started. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a large mixing bowl. Wisk it in and let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. 

Stir in the flour and beat until smooth. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and bubbling, about 30 minutes.

To make the dough: 

Add the water, wine, and olive oil to the sponge. Whisk in 1 cup of flour plus the salt first, then beat in the rest of the flour until you have a dough that is very soft and very sticky. 

Turn the dough out onto a floured board or a counter top and with the help of a dough scraper, knead for 6 - 8 minutes pushing, pulling and flipping the wet dough with the scraper. Add up to 2 tablespoons of flour if the dough is too wet and difficult to work with. The dough should be soft but not wet.

First rise: 

Place the dough in a lightly oiled container. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let rise until doubles, about 1 hour.

Second rise: 

The dough should now be soft, full of air bubbles and stretch easily. Press it out to fill to the edges an oiled 10 1/2" x 15 1/2" pan or a round focaccia pan, as we use. Dimple it well with your fingertips. Don't be afraid to do some good strong dimpling. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise until the dough is puffy and doubles, about 45  minutes.

Baking: 

At least 30 minutes before you plan to bake, preheat the oven to 425 F. If you have a baking stone, put it in the oven at this time. 

Strip the leaves off the rosemary twigs and sprinkle over the surface of the dough, then again dimple the dough and add olive oil over the surface until it pools in the dimple marks. Sprinkle the sea salt over the top. 

Place the focaccia pan directly on the stone, or on the oven rack if you don't have a pizza stone, and immediately reduce the oven temp to 400 F. Spray the oven floor and walls with water from a spray bottle 3 times during the first 10 minutes of baking. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until golden. Immediately remove from the pan and let cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temp. ENJOY!

Rustic Whole Wheat Oatmeal Bread or Oatmeal Whole Wheat Bread

Some breads are meant to be part of a cold meat sandwich, some to be grilled for bruschetta, some are meant to be enjoyed with sharp aged cheese and some for a simple peanut butter sandwich. This rustic bread - so simple and easy to make and so good - is one of those breads that is meant to be served warm and slathered with butter, real butter, not margarine that supposedly tastes like butter. Fresh homemade bread slathered with butter is one of those simple pleasures in life you have to let your family experience. 

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 packet instant yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup rolled oats

Process

Combine warm water with yeast in a large mixing bowl and let set for 5 minutes.

Add the whole wheat and all purpose flours and salt stir together. The dough will be a sticky, rough dough.

Lightly grease another bowl, wet your hands and lift the dough out and into the second bowl.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for an hour. It will double in size.

Sprinkle the dough with flour and transfer to a generously floured work surface. 

Knead a few times adding flour as needed to make it easier to handle – a dough scraper will help – then add the oats a little at a time and knead until they are incorporated and the dough is no longer sticky.

Place on lightly greased baking sheet and sprinkle a light coating of flour over the top. Let rest for 45-60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450°F and place a metal or cast iron pan on the lowest oven rack, and have 1 cup of hot water ready.

When ready to bake, make 2 -3 slashes in the top of the dough, making a cut about ½-inch deep.

Place bread in the oven and carefully pour half a cup of hot water into the shallow pan on the rack beneath. Close oven door quickly. The steam produced will help the dough expand in volume quickly when it hits the heat in the oven. This is called ovenspring. It will also help form a better crust.

Bake the bread for 25 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown and crusty.

Remove the bread from the oven and cool on a rack.

Once cooled, but still warm, cut a few pieces for you and your loved ones and slather with butter – REAL BUTTER, damn it – and ENJOY!

Note: In case you are wondering, this cool cutting board, in the shape of the State of Pennsylvania, was a gift from my son Michael and daughter-in-law Miranda.