Whole Wheat Italian
windows
In my studio apartment, there are four windows. Two in the living space, one next to the stove, and one next to the bathtub. All four windows face a scene of brick and iron, and when the sky is blue and the angles are just right, some rays of sunlight drift down and illumine the sills.
The inclination to become weary from the lack of sunlight is natural, especially when the day is long and the break of dawn never happens. So on the days when I’m home and resting, and nature and urban dwelling cooperate, the little light on the windows provide a disproportionately large source of happiness.
Four days ago, sun and sill aligned, and I baked. The bread has an ethnicity, but only because I am willing to pander to those who want their bread to have a better name other than “57% Whole Wheat Football Shaped Bread”. Suggestions are welcome, and the winner will receive a loaf of what is currently known in my heart as “The 57:43 Whole Wheat:White Wheat, Crusty, Great with Hearty Stews Bread”.
Whole Wheat Italian
Yield: Two loaves
Time: 25 minutes, plus 2.5 hours rising time and 45 minute baking time
Ingredients:
2 cups warm water (warmer than 100° but not >110°)
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons active-dry yeast
1½teaspoons table salt
2⅔ cups Whole wheat bread flour
2 cups All-purpose flour
4½ teaspoons vital wheat gluten
approx. 2 teaspoons olive oil (for greasing the bowl)
Instructions:
1. Dissolve sugar in warm water in a large bowl, and sprinkle yeast over the mixture. Let it hang out for 10 minutes
2. In the mean time, mix together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, vital wheat gluten, and salt in another large bowl
3. Spoon a little under half of the flour mixture into the yeast+water mixture, and stir it out until it’s smooth. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the bowl and let it rest for 15 minutes
4. Pour in the rest of the flour mixture with a spoon, and mix until most of the really wet parts of the dough have disappeared
5. Knead the dough right in the bowl, picking up all of the flour against the side of the bowl for about 5 minutes, until it’s a smooth ball. A small bit of the dough might stick to bottom of the bowl, and that’s ok
6. Drizzle olive oil into the now empty flour bowl and turn it over so at least 90% of the dough is greased. Drop a piece of parchment paper or kitchen towel over the top of the bowl, and allow it to double in size (about 45 minutes)
7. Pat down the dough, fold in thirds, turn it over, repeat 4 times. Pat down one more time, cover, and allow it to double a second time
8. Shaping:Divide the dough into two equal pieces, and flatten each piece into 8″x8″ squares on a floured surface. Fold two corners of the square down to the middle of the square, like you’re folding a paper airplane. Take the nose of the airplane, and start rolling it down toward the tail of the plane, making a log shape. Place the two logs onto a large piece of parchment paper, with about 4” between them. Squeeze the far ends of each log under itself, so that each log resembles a football. Dust with flour, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise until almost doubled in size
9. Preheat the over to 500°, with baking stone/high-quality baking sheet on the middle rack in the oven, while the logs rise for the third time. Ten minutes before putting in the logs, add hot water to a broiling pan/baking sheet, and put on rack directly below the middle rack.
10. After the logs have risen, using either a razor blade or sharp chef’s knife at a 45° angle, cut a ½” deep slit 1½” from the top to bottom of each loaf. Sprinkle/spray cold water over the loaves
11. Slip the loaves with the parchment paper onto the baking stone/sheet, and bake for 10 minutes. Quickly rotate the loaves by handling the sides of the parchment paper, and bake for about 35 minutes at 400°, or until loaves are medium brown, sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, and/or register at 210°. Place loaves on cooling rack for 2 hours.
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How about White? Wheat? DON’T MAKE ME CHOOSE!