Ingredients
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 1/4 cup biga
2 tbsp lard
2 tbsp sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp canned tomatoes with juices
1 small anchovy fillets, boned and c
1 tbsp capers, drained and chopped
6 small cocktail onions, chopped
2 tbsp artichokes, finely chopped
3 gherkins, chopped
2 roasted red peppers, chopped
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, unbleache
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cracked black pepper
Directions
Recipe by: Carol Field - The Italian Baker Refrigerate the Biga until
cold. stir the yeast into the water in a small bowl; let stand until
creamy, about 10 minutes. Saute the mushrooms briefly in the oil and
let cool. Roughly chop the tomato, mushrooms, anchovy, capers,
onions, artichoke, pickles, and red peppers in a food processor
fitted with the steel blade. Remove to another bowl. Process the
oregano, flour, salt, and pepper with 5 or 6 pulses to mix. Place the
cold starter and the lard over the dry ingredients. With the machine
running pour the dissolved yeast through the feed tube as quickly as
the flour can absorb it. Add the vegetable mixture and process just
until combined. Finish kneading by hand on a well-floured surface,
sprinkling with 1/2 to 2/3 cup additional flour as needed, until
elastic, moist, and velvety.
First Rise: Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic
wrap, and let rise until doubled, 1 to 1
1/2 hours.
Shaping and Second Rise: Shape the dough on a floured surface into 1
large or 2 smaller round loaves by rolling the dough first into a
taut log, then shaping it into a round loaf. The dough will be
slightly sticky; sprinkle the dough and the work surface with flour
while shaping it. Place each loaf on a peel sprinkled with cornmeal,
cover with a slightly dampened towel, and let rise until doubled,
about 50 minutes.
Baking: Thirty minutes before baking, heat the oven with baking
stones in it to 425F. Just before baking, cut an even slash around
the shoulder of the loaf or 3 slashes across the top with a razor.
Sprinkle the stones with cornmeal and slide the loaves onto the
stones. bake, spraying 3 times with water in the first 10 minutes,
for 45 minutes. Cool on racks.
Servings: 1 servings
Piccia Calabrese (Calabrian Bread) Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Bread; Breads
The History of Recipes
Transcribed cooking instructions as a concept can be traced far back into history, at least as far back into history as the Egypt of the Pharoahs, and maybe further still. In practice though, these, early recipes were just very basic hieroglyphic or cunieform recipes for food preparation.
In an interesting twist, the oldest recipe found, according to experts in ancient history are a few tablets in the Sumerian language which describe the making of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made anyone who tried it feel wonderful and blissful. During the time of the Romans a roman called Apicius wrote a few documents describing recipes prepared by the Romans. In his publication, he tells us how the meals of wealthy Romans were split into starters, main course and afters, something we still use today. Aspicius informs us how the cooks of Roman times were skilled in the use of many different aromatic flavors, including some familiar names such as thyme, mint and asafoetida. Later on, in the 15th century, people returning from the crusades brought back many foods and spices from the East, including basil and rosemary. The introduction of these new tastes was responsible for an increase in manuscripts on food, most of which still exist in private collections. Over the next few hundred years, the powerful and wealthy competed with each other to offer the most extravagent banquests, and as a result the best cooks and their collection of recipes could command a high salary. However, it was during the nineteenth century that formal cookery and recipe books became really popular. The Famous Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and Fannie Farmer in the US, spent years to assembling, trying out, and writing down recipes for their fellow cooks to enjoy. When we get to the 20th century, cook books were in great demand, as a result of increased literacy, people having more leisure time and a general increase in wealth. |
We hope you enjoy this Piccia Calabrese (Calabrian Bread) recipe.
