Home Baked Bread - 2
from Italian Traditional Food

Making home baked bread

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Stages in bread-making

There are four distinct stages in home baked bread-making. Don't be afraid to try your hand at making home baked bread.

1 Sponging

This helps to speed up the general rising of the dough and produces a fine grain in the finished home baked bread. The flour is sifted into a warm bowl with the salt, a well made in the centre and the total quantity of liquid, with the yeast dissolved in it, is poured in.

Draw in enough flour from the sides of the well to make a thick batter. Liberally sprinkle the top of the batter with flour taken from the sides, cover with a damp cloth and set in a warm place to rise; a fairly cool airing cupboard or a cupboard in a warm kitchen is suitable, where the temperature is 75F - 80F.

Leave for about 15 - 20 minutes, or until bubbles start to break through on the surface, which indicates that the batter has started to rise. The batter or sponge, as it has now become, is ready for the next stage.

When dough is doubled in size, turn out of bowl on to a floured board.

2 Rising

The rest of the flour is then drawn into the spongy dough which is kneaded well on a board or table and transferred to a greased bowl.

Turn the dough over in the bowl so that the top surface is lightly greased. This will prevent a skin forming.

Cover the bowl with a damp cloth. Set in a warm, draught-free place until double in bulk. A steamy atmosphere helps the rising and the temperature should be between 70F - 80F. The dough is then ready for shaping. Shape the dough as wanted and then line it into the bread tins.

3 Proving

This next stage is a short period of rising carried out after shaping dough, when it is put in a slightly warmer place than for general rising; for example over the stove or in a warming drawer, at about 80F - 85F and left there for 10-15 minutes until the dough begins to swell.

4 Baking

Immediately it is clear the dough is rising, the loaves or buns (in their loaf tins or on baking sheets) should be put into a pre-heated oven. As a general rule all yeast mixtures are baked in a hot oven, but if the dough is rich the temperature is lower.

Page 1 of this article on home baked bread can be found on the previous page.

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