by James Beard
Punch the dough down, then shape it into a ball and let rest for 2 minutes. Pull off equal pieces about the size of golf balls and shape into balls—about 2 dozen of them. Place them on a buttered cookie sheet about 2 inches apart or, if you want the rolls joined, about ¼ inch apart. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk. Beat the remaining egg with the cream and brush this onto the rolls. Bake in a preheated 375° oven for about 20 minutes, or until the rolls sound hollow when tapped on the bottom and are a lovely brown color.
VARIATIONS
• After the dough has had its first rising, punch down, let rest for 2 minutes, and then turn out on a floured board. Divide in half, shape into loaves and place in two buttered 9 × 5 × 3-inch loaf pans. Let rise until almost doubled in bulk. Bake at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes.
Bread Sticks
Bread sticks can be made in many different ways. For example, you can use ordinary bread dough, roll it into pencil-thin cylinders, and bake on a sheet sprinkled with cornmeal; or you can use Parker House roll dough, roll it into very, very thin cylinders, and bake without a preliminary rising on a buttered sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. The baking time is about 15 minutes at 375°, or until the sticks are browned.
Other types of bread sticks, like those done here, are given a slight rising after being shaped, and if they are allowed to rise still further, they make small loaves or what the French call baguettes, similar to French bread and pleasant to eat fresh or even warm. The bread sticks made from this dough taste yeasty and have a nice crunch to them. They will keep well for several days and are fun to serve with salads, as a snack with drinks, or with first courses.
[About 20 sticks]
2 packages active dry yeast
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
¼ cup olive oil
1½ cups warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
3 to 3½ cups all-purpose flour
1 egg white beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Coarse salt, sesame seeds, poppy seeds (optional)
In a large mixing bowl combine the yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the oil and ¼ cup of the water. Beat this mixture well with a wooden spoon for about 3 minutes. Add ½ cup of the flour and continue beating with the wooden spoon. Alternately add flour, 1 cup at a time, and water until you have a fairly soft dough, reserving approximately ½ cup flour for kneading. Remove the dough to a floured surface, and knead for several minutes until it springs back very briskly when you press your fingers in. It must be smooth and satiny, and all the flour on the board should be absorbed.
Let the dough rest on the board, covered with a towel, for about 5 minutes, then shape it into a roll about 20 to 22 inches long. With a very sharp knife cut it into at least 20 equal pieces. Rest the dough again for 3 or 4 minutes, then, using the palms of your hands, roll out each piece as long as the baking sheet or sheets you will use. (Or roll them any size you like and cut them.) Oil or butter the baking sheet, sprinkle lightly with sesame or poppy seeds, and arrange the bread sticks on it about 1 inch apart. Let them sit about 20 minutes, until they just barely begin to rise. Just before putting them in the oven, brush them lightly with the egg and water mixture and sprinkle with coarse salt, sesame seeds, or poppy seeds. Bake in a slow oven (300°) for about 30 minutes, depending upon the size of the bread sticks. They should be nicely browned and very crisp.
NOTE
These will stay crisp for several days, stored in an airtight container.
VARIATIONS
• To make baguette loaves, let the lengths of dough rise longer, or until they have doubled in bulk. Slash them with a sharp knife or a razor blade, brush with the egg wash, and sprinkle with coarse salt, sesame seeds, or poppy seeds. Bake as above; they will take about 40 to 45 minutes.
• To make twisted breadsticks, roll out as directed above. Using two hands, pick up the rolls and twist, turning clockwise with one hand, counterclockwise with the other. Return to baking sheets and bake as directed above.
Alvin Kerr’s Zephyr Buns
These buns have beautiful texture, shape, and color, perfect for an elegant dinner or luncheon.
[18 buns]
1 package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
¼ cup melted butter
1 teaspoon cool water
Soften the yeast in warm water and stir in the sugar and salt to dissolve. In a bowl, beat 2 of the eggs and blend in the flour. Then stir in the yeast mixture and melted butter. Knead vigorously in the bowl with the hands, till the dough leaves the sides of the bowl and is elastic—about 5 minutes. Make into a ball, put in a buttered bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1½ hours, or till doubled in bulk. Punch down and divide into 18 equal pieces. Roll the pieces into balls and arrange, well separated, on a buttered baking sheet. Let rise 30 minutes, or until doubled in size. Brush with the remaining egg beaten with a teaspoon of water. Bake in a preheated oven at 375° for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Cool on a rack.
Crackling Biscuits
Crackling bread, found in many countries, has always been one of the more novel breads. It was a way of using the crisp residue from rendering pork or goose fat. In Italy a dough like the Pizza Caccia Nanza is often braided into a rough loaf, with very coarsely ground black pepper and cracklings added. In America we’ve been cooking cracklings in both white bread and cornbread for a long time. Here I am going to give you an unusual Central European crackling biscuit that comes from George Lang’s excellent The Cuisine of Hungary, perfect for a goulash or a choucroute.
[About 12 to 14 biscuits]
1 package active dry yeast
3 tablespoons warm milk (100° to 115°, approximately)
3¾ cups all-purpose flour, preferably unbleached
1 egg
½ pound pork cracklings, finely chopped
1 tablespoon rum
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, or to taste
¼ pound melted lard
⅓ cup dry white wine
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and stir in 1 tablespoon of the flour. Let proof for about 10 minutes. Mix the remaining flour with the egg, cracklings, rum, salt, pepper, melted lard, and wine. Thoroughly combine with the yeast mixture, turn out on a floured board, and knead extremely well. Place in a buttered bowl and turn to coat the surface with butter. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Punch the dough down, and let rest for 3 or 4 minutes, then roll out, fold over, and cover with a cloth. Let rest again for 10 minutes. Repeat this process three times, rolling, folding, and resting. After the final rest period, roll out the dough to a thickness of ½ inch and cut into rounds 1½ inches in diameter or into squares. Score the tops of the biscuits in a lattice pattern with a very sharp knife and brush with the beaten egg yolk. Let the biscuits rest until the glaze dries, then place on buttered baking sheets and bake in a preheated 400° oven about 25 minutes.
FLAT BREADS
Pita
Armenian Thin
Norwegian Flatbread
Lefse
Pita Bread
Pita bread is that flat, round, softish bread called, among other names, Syrian bread, Armenian bread, and Middle Eastern bread. Its two layers are almost separated in the baking, and one can split it very easily to use with shish kebab and even with hamburgers, as well as all kinds of other sandwiches. It is also extremely good buttered, cut into strips, and baked in a slow oven to get quite crisp, to be served like Melba toast with soup or salads or cold fish dishes. It can be wrapped and stored in the refrigerator or frozen successfully.
Pita bread must not be allowed to get crisp when it comes freshly bak
ed from the oven, but should be wrapped in foil or plastic to keep the bread loose and soft after the puffing up that occurs during baking. Although it can be made with all-purpose flour, it’s much better made with hard-wheat flour, which gives a better texture and rises better. Pita loaves are great fun to make.
[8 or 9 round loaves]
2 packages active dry yeast
¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
2 cups warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
¼ cup olive oil
1½ tablespoons salt
6 cups hard-wheat flour, approximately
Cornmeal
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in ½ cup warm water in a large mixing bowl and allow to proof. Then add the remaining 1½ cups water, along with the oil, salt, and 5 cups flour, mixing in vigorously, 1 cup at a time. (The dough will be rather sticky.) Turn out on a floured board and work in the remaining cup of flour or more if the dough is too sticky. Knead for a good 10 minutes or more until the dough is smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball, place in a buttered bowl, and turn to coat with butter on all sides. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1½ to 2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.
Punch down the dough, turn out on a floured board, and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Divide into eight or nine equal pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Cover the balls with a cloth or foil and let rest for 30 minutes. Flatten each ball with a well-floured rolling pin and roll to ⅛-inch thickness in approximately 8-inch circles. Dust two baking sheets with cornmeal, place two circles on each sheet, cover, and let rest again for 30 minutes. (Leave the four remaining circles on a lightly floured working surface and transfer them to the baking sheets, dusted again with cornmeal, when the first four are baked.)
Preheat the oven to 500°. Put one of the baking sheets on the lowest rack of the oven for 5 minutes. Do not open the oven door until the 5 minutes are up! Transfer the sheet to a higher shelf and continue baking 3 to 5 minutes longer until the loaves are puffed like balloons and just very lightly browned. Repeat the procedure with the second baking sheet, unless, of course, you have a large enough oven so that the baking sheets can go in side by side on the same shelf (or use two ovens, if you are fortunate enough to have two). Remove to prevent a crisp crust from forming and to ensure the familiar spongy pita texture. The loaves should deflate on cooling.
NOTE
After cooling, the pita can be frozen. The loaves will reheat in the oven in 10 to 15 minutes.
Armenian Thin Bread
Throughout the Middle East one finds many versions of the crisp flatbreads. The one I have chosen here is simple to make, a good keeper, and extremely pleasant in flavor and texture. It is also a nicely accommodating bread that seems to go along with almost any type of food. I find it keeps best in a tightly covered tin.
[4 10 × 14 sheets]
1 cup warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
1 package active dry yeast
½ stick (¼ cup) butter or margarine, melted and cooled to lukewarm
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
3¼ to 3¾ cups all-purpose flour
Pour the warm water into a large, warm bowl, sprinkle in the yeast, and stir until dissolved. After it has proofed, add the cooled butter, salt, sugar, and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Add enough additional flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Place in a buttered bowl and turn to coat with the butter. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk.
Punch the dough down, divide into four equal pieces, and roll each piece into a rectangle 10 × 14 inches. Place on ungreased baking sheets and bake in a preheated 350° oven about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the sheets and cool on racks. If desired, the bread can be softened by holding under running water. Serve with cheese or other appetizers.
Norwegian Flatbread
You are probably familiar with the packaged thin, crisp flatbread from Norway. Often used for pâtés or spreads it is extremely popular all through the country. This delicate commercial bread has been made for centuries at home and is not difficult to prepare. It entails a deft rolling job, but is well worth the trouble because of the crisp, mealy flavor that is excellent with smoked fish or salt meats cut paper thin.
[4 12-inch rounds]
2 cups coarse barley flour
2 cups coarse whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 to 1½ cups lukewarm water
Blend the flours and salt and gradually stir in the water until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Transfer to a floured board and knead thoroughly. Divide the dough into four parts and roll into paper-thin circles about 12 inches in diameter or to fit your griddle—or an iron skillet will do. Lightly flour the griddle and bake the dough over rather low heat. (Pierce the dough lightly with a fork before placing it on the griddle if you wish to keep it from bubbling.) It will take 15 to 18 minutes for each side; the bread must be extremely crisp.
NOTE
The flatbread may be stored in a large wooden box or in a tin.
Lefse
Lefse is a rather unusual flatbread of Scandinavian origin, and there are many different recipes for it. It can be eaten warm or cold. When cold it grows quite firm and crisp, but is traditionally dipped lightly into water and softened before being rolled with a filling or simply spread with butter. When it is eaten warm, it should be taken from the griddle, folded into a napkin, and served with butter, cheeses, preserves, or other fillings. In either case, it is easy to prepare and delightful to eat.
[12 to 14 lefse]
1 cup sour milk or buttermilk
¼ cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons corn syrup
½ teaspoon baking soda
⅛ teaspoon cardamom
3½ cups all-purpose flour, approximately
Combine the ingredients and work the mixture with the hands, or in an electric mixer with a dough hook, to make a soft, pliable dough. Divide the dough into two pieces and roll each piece about ⅛ inch thick into a square, oblong, or circle. Cut into squares or circles with a 4- or 6-inch cutter. Bake on a lightly floured griddle, over quite low heat, 12 to 15 minutes on each side. The lefse should color very slightly.
NOTE
If it is not to be eaten warm, lefse should be stored in a tin or a box, where it will become crisp.
FILLED BREADS
Pissaladière
Pizza Loaf
Lahma bi Ajeen
Pissaladière
This is one form of the Provençal version of pizza. It calls for tomatoes, puréed onions, anchovies, and ripe olives and is baked using a brioche dough or a plain white bread dough. I prefer the brioche. Use the recipe for Brioche Bread, flattening the dough out into a wide pan and spreading the filling over it. It makes an attractive, delicious hors d’oeuvre or luncheon dish. I used to buy it in a bakery in St. Rémy in Provence, where I lived several summers, and found it much to my liking, as I am sure you will.
[8 to 12 servings]
1 recipe brioche dough (see Brioche Bread)
6 large ripe tomatoes or 1 one-pound can Italian plum tomatoes plus 2 tablespoons tomato paste
Olive oil
1 or 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 medium Spanish onions
3 tablespoons butter
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon rosemary, crushed in a mortar
Anchovy fillets
Ripe olives, preferably the soft Italian or Greek type
Prepare the brioche dough. While the dough is rising, prepare the filling:
Peel, seed, and cut the tomatoes in very small pieces (or, if using canned tomatoes, drain, seed, and chop). Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet, add the tomatoes and garlic, and let them reduce to a paste over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Peel and chop the onions and steam them in the butter over low heat, covered, unt
il they form a rather thick purée.
After the first rising, roll the dough out to about ⅜ inch in thickness and line two 9-inch-square cake tins or one 12-inch tart pan. Brush with softened butter and put in a warm place to rise slightly.
Sprinkle the brioche shell with the grated Parmesan. Spread the onions over it, and sprinkle with the rosemary. Cover with the tomato purée. Arrange the anchovies in a lattice pattern on the tomatoes, and place an olive in the center of each opening. Brush the olives with a little olive oil. Bake in a preheated oven at 375°, until the crust is golden and cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes. Brush the top with more olive oil before serving hot as an hors d’oeuvre or a main luncheon dish.
Pizza Loaf
This is a rolled loaf that I often bake in a soufflé mold. I have a glass mold that is perfect for it, although porcelain works well too. The loaf has great flavor and texture and is made with a filling reminiscent of pizza. It is ordinarily served warm as a first course for an Italian meal or as a cocktail snack. Extraordinarily good in a novel way, it does not keep very well, and should be made only if it can be eaten still warm from the oven.
