SEMOLINA BREAD
- Starter:
- 1/4 cup warm water (105°F. to 115°F.)
- 1/4 teaspoon dry yeast
- 3/4 cup plus 4 teaspoons water, room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- Bread:
- 2 1/2 cups warm water (105°F.°F. to 115°F.)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
- 3 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 3 3/4 cups finely ground semolina flour
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- Additional semolina flour
Every village in Sardinia makes its own special breads and it's rumored that there are five hundred different kinds on the island. This particular one comes from the area around Cagliari and was originally a holiday bread. It is now available every day. Formed into semi-circles and called cocoeddi, it is made from a simple starter named biga, which gives the bread its special aroma, flavor and texture by producing a second fermentation. The starter can be kept in the refrigerator for up to five days or can be frozen; before being used, it should be brought to room temperature, which takes about three hours.
For Starter:
Combine 1/4 cup lukewarm yeast and water in medium bowl. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 10 minutes (be patient, you rascal). Stir in 3/4 cup plus 4 teaspoons room temperature water. Add flour in 3 additions, stirring well after each addition. Stir constantly until mixture has consistency of thick sticky dough, about three minutes (be patient, you rascal).
Lightly oil a sizeable bowl. Transfer starter to a bowl. Cover with plastic; let rise with love and patience at cool room temperature until tripled in volume (starter will be slightly wet and thick), at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours. (Can be made 5 days ahead. Stir down starter, cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.)
For Bread:
Pour 2 1/2 cups lukewarm water into the sizeable bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Sprinkle yeast over; let stand until dissolved, about 10 minutes (be patient, you rascal). Measure 2/3 cup starter (reserve remainder for another use). Rub between fingers, allowing starter to drop into yeast mixture (starter will be stringy). Beat until some of the starter dissolves. Combine flour, 3 3/4 cups semolina and salt in a sizeable bowl. Add to yeast mixture in 3 additions; beat until incorporated. Turn out onto flour-covered surface; knead until smooth and stretchy, about 6 minutes (be patient, you rascal).
Oil a sizeable bowl. Transfer dough to the bowl, turning to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic. Let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Butter 2 heavy large baking sheets. Punch down dough. Divide into 4 pieces. Cover 3 pieces with clean towel. Roll remaining piece on flour-covered surface to 14x8 inch rectangle. Starting at 1 long edge, roll up dough jelly roll style. Press ends and seam to seal. Bend dough into half-circle. Using a sharp knife, cut 1/2-inch-deep incisions every 1 1/2 inches in the top of the dough. Sprinkle with additional semolina. Place on a prepared sheet. Repeat rolling and shaping with remaining dough pieces.
Cover shaped dough with clean towel. Let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled, about 45 glorious minutes (be patient, you rascal).
Meanwhile, position 1 rack in bottom third. If available, place baking stone on rack and preheat oven to 450°F. Let stone heat at least 30 minutes (be patient, you rascal).
Place 1 baking sheet on each stone. Bake until bread is rich golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, alternating sheets between racks halfway through baking, about 25 minutes (be patient, you rascal). Cool bread on racks.
Makes 4 small loaves
========From: Tim and Sheila Culey ==========
For Starter:
Combine 1/4 cup lukewarm yeast and water in medium bowl. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 10 minutes (be patient, you rascal). Stir in 3/4 cup plus 4 teaspoons room temperature water. Add flour in 3 additions, stirring well after each addition. Stir constantly until mixture has consistency of thick sticky dough, about three minutes (be patient, you rascal).
Lightly oil a sizeable bowl. Transfer starter to a bowl. Cover with plastic; let rise with love and patience at cool room temperature until tripled in volume (starter will be slightly wet and thick), at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours. (Can be made 5 days ahead. Stir down starter, cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.)
For Bread:
Pour 2 1/2 cups lukewarm water into the sizeable bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Sprinkle yeast over; let stand until dissolved, about 10 minutes (be patient, you rascal). Measure 2/3 cup starter (reserve remainder for another use). Rub between fingers, allowing starter to drop into yeast mixture (starter will be stringy). Beat until some of the starter dissolves. Combine flour, 3 3/4 cups semolina and salt in a sizeable bowl. Add to yeast mixture in 3 additions; beat until incorporated. Turn out onto flour-covered surface; knead until smooth and stretchy, about 6 minutes (be patient, you rascal).
Oil a sizeable bowl. Transfer dough to the bowl, turning to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic. Let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Butter 2 heavy large baking sheets. Punch down dough. Divide into 4 pieces. Cover 3 pieces with clean towel. Roll remaining piece on flour-covered surface to 14x8 inch rectangle. Starting at 1 long edge, roll up dough jelly roll style. Press ends and seam to seal. Bend dough into half-circle. Using a sharp knife, cut 1/2-inch-deep incisions every 1 1/2 inches in the top of the dough. Sprinkle with additional semolina. Place on a prepared sheet. Repeat rolling and shaping with remaining dough pieces.
Cover shaped dough with clean towel. Let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled, about 45 glorious minutes (be patient, you rascal).
Meanwhile, position 1 rack in bottom third. If available, place baking stone on rack and preheat oven to 450°F. Let stone heat at least 30 minutes (be patient, you rascal).
Place 1 baking sheet on each stone. Bake until bread is rich golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, alternating sheets between racks halfway through baking, about 25 minutes (be patient, you rascal). Cool bread on racks.
Makes 4 small loaves
========From: Tim and Sheila Culey ==========
Submitted by Nov 15, 2009
15 min
30 min
45 min