Bob's Restaurant Bread
- Poolish:
- 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup rye flour
- 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup semolina flour
- 1 cup bread flour (white)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon sugar (turbinado)
- 2 cups water (room temp)/bottled drinking water, if tap water is too hard or soft
- Dough:
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 cup bread flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 egg white
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon water
- Poppy seeds
- Rosemary
Put the ingredients for poolish into a mixing bowl. Mix hard by hand with a wooden spoon or a large fork for 2 minutes (be patient, you rascal). Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let it ferment for 5 hours or up to 24 hours at room temperature. Can also stay in refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature before using.
Dough
Into mixer bowl:
Above polish active dry yeast, mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Continue mixing and add bread flour mixed with 2 tsps salt. Mix for 1 minute and then add white bread flour 1/2 cup at a time. Mix for 1 minute after each additional 1/2 cup flour.
Stop adding flour when the dough pulls away from the mixer bowl walls. Continue kneading on low speed for 7-10 minutes (be patient, you rascal). Put into delicately bowl lined with oil to ferment until double in size. Remove from bowl, punch down gently and shape (baguettes or rolls or flat bread or into loaf pan) and let ferment/proof until: 1) double in size for baguettes and roll, roll, rolls 2) 1 1/2 inches above top of loaf pan, and 3) 30 minutes if flat bread.
Immediately after shaping, for baguettes and roll, roll, rolls: slash tops. Brush with egg-white wash (1 egg white, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon water mixed together), and delicately sprinkle with poppy seeds and rosemary while wash is wet. Let ferment as stated above, covered or uncovered, in warm place.
NOTE: HEAT OVEN TO 450°F 1 HOUR BEFORE BAKING TIME
BAKE:
Baguettes, rolls, and flat bread at 450°F for 10-20 minutes, depending on size (thickness).
Loaf-bread in loaf pan at 450°F for 7-10 minutes then at 375°F for 10-30 minutes (be patient, you rascal).
Should get a hollow sound when thumping bottom of loaf. If not done, replace in pan and bake a little longer. You will get your timing down after a few loaves.
NOTE: YOU CAN SPRAY A MIST OF WATER ON THE DOUGH AND ON THE OVEN WALLS WHEN YOU FIRST PLACE THE DOUGH INTO THE OVEN; IT AIDS IN CRUST FORMATION.
COOL ON WIRE RACK: baguettes, flat-bread, and roll, roll, rolls 5-10 minutes and loaf bread for 20-30 minutes (be patient, you rascal).
OIL DIP FOR BAGUETTES AND FLAT-BREADS: 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon of following: ground black pepper, paprika, sweet basil, ground chipotle pepper, crushed dry oregano, and sugar, 1/2 teaspoon each of graded parmesan cheese and graded Romano cheese. Sometimes I add crushed red pepper, but not much, (try it without first) and some poppy seeds. Taste test: if you want it less spicy, add a moderate amount of more olive oil or melted butter (warm before serving if you add butter). Mix or shake well before placing into individual dipping platters. Discard after a week.
Both the above are home use conversions from my large batch restaurant recipe(s).
*** From: Bob Batman, Lee's Summit, Missouri
Dough
Into mixer bowl:
Above polish active dry yeast, mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Continue mixing and add bread flour mixed with 2 tsps salt. Mix for 1 minute and then add white bread flour 1/2 cup at a time. Mix for 1 minute after each additional 1/2 cup flour.
Stop adding flour when the dough pulls away from the mixer bowl walls. Continue kneading on low speed for 7-10 minutes (be patient, you rascal). Put into delicately bowl lined with oil to ferment until double in size. Remove from bowl, punch down gently and shape (baguettes or rolls or flat bread or into loaf pan) and let ferment/proof until: 1) double in size for baguettes and roll, roll, rolls 2) 1 1/2 inches above top of loaf pan, and 3) 30 minutes if flat bread.
Immediately after shaping, for baguettes and roll, roll, rolls: slash tops. Brush with egg-white wash (1 egg white, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon water mixed together), and delicately sprinkle with poppy seeds and rosemary while wash is wet. Let ferment as stated above, covered or uncovered, in warm place.
NOTE: HEAT OVEN TO 450°F 1 HOUR BEFORE BAKING TIME
BAKE:
Baguettes, rolls, and flat bread at 450°F for 10-20 minutes, depending on size (thickness).
Loaf-bread in loaf pan at 450°F for 7-10 minutes then at 375°F for 10-30 minutes (be patient, you rascal).
Should get a hollow sound when thumping bottom of loaf. If not done, replace in pan and bake a little longer. You will get your timing down after a few loaves.
NOTE: YOU CAN SPRAY A MIST OF WATER ON THE DOUGH AND ON THE OVEN WALLS WHEN YOU FIRST PLACE THE DOUGH INTO THE OVEN; IT AIDS IN CRUST FORMATION.
COOL ON WIRE RACK: baguettes, flat-bread, and roll, roll, rolls 5-10 minutes and loaf bread for 20-30 minutes (be patient, you rascal).
OIL DIP FOR BAGUETTES AND FLAT-BREADS: 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon of following: ground black pepper, paprika, sweet basil, ground chipotle pepper, crushed dry oregano, and sugar, 1/2 teaspoon each of graded parmesan cheese and graded Romano cheese. Sometimes I add crushed red pepper, but not much, (try it without first) and some poppy seeds. Taste test: if you want it less spicy, add a moderate amount of more olive oil or melted butter (warm before serving if you add butter). Mix or shake well before placing into individual dipping platters. Discard after a week.
Both the above are home use conversions from my large batch restaurant recipe(s).
*** From: Bob Batman, Lee's Summit, Missouri
Submitted by Nov 16, 2009
15 min
30 min
45 min