04-29-2007, 12:01 PM
Try this bread. It is amazing as well as being completely different than any bread you may have tried before.
ENJOY!
Titus
Roman sourdough bread
Ingredients:
500 gram spelt flour
¼ litre white grapejuice
200 gram sourdough on room temperature
75 gram fresh goat cheese (chevre) at roomtemperature
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon each of aniseed and cumin seeds
½ teaspoon salt
and also some yeast (15 gram fresh or 5 gram dried)
Temper the sourdough with 1 decilitre of the grape juice, 100 gram spelt flour
and honey (sponge). Let this stand for at least an hour on a warm spot, then mix
in the other ingrediënts. Knead well until you have an elastic dough. Let it
rise on a warm spot under a damp cloth for an hour. knead again, and let it rise
again for an hour. Now you can create your bread in any form you like. Use your
fantasy, or create a simple loaf.
When the bread is formed, let is again rise, this time for half an hour. Preheat
the oven to 220ºC/425ºF. Bake the bread for 20 to 25 minutes.
Spelt flour: Spelt is a grain. This grain flourishes best on poor ground, with
no pesticedes. That is why less and less spelt is being cultivated since the
beginning of the twentieth century. It is an uneconomical crop. Apicius names
spelt several times in his recipes. You can buy spelt flour (at least in the
Netherlands) in organic foodshops.
Sourdough: What is it. Sourdough is a mixture of lukewarm water and flour
(wheat or rye), in which "wild" yeast cultures grow. The mixture (water to flour
1:1 to 2:1) must stand for a couple of days at room temperature. The bacteries
in the mixture will multiply and cause the caracteristic sour smell. These days
often "tame" yeast is also added to the breaddough to help the rising along.
How to make your own sourdough. When you want to make your own dough you have a
small problem: how do you catch wild yeast?
You can set the flour/water mixture someplace and hope for a satisfying result.
One is dependent on what is in the air. Sometimes you get lucky and a great
sourdough is the result, sometimes you get something rather unsavoury, and
sometimes nothing happens. Start with 100 gram whole wheat flour and 1 to 2
decilitre lukewarm water. Let it stand at room temperature for a couple of days,
covered with a damp cloth. Stir well twice a day. When you have caught the right
yeast, the mixture will start to smell sour. After three days add 1 tablespoon
flour and 1 tablespoon water, repeat this the next day. In less then a week you
have a sourdough ready to bake bread with. When you want to, you can add a
teaspoon of honey or sugar.
How to get ready made sourdough. When you want to be on the safe side you can
ask a gift of sourdough from a friend that has a good one, or buy a "sourdough
starter" and follow the directions on the package. If you can't find any in the
stores in your neighbourhood, you could visit this site.
How to keep your sourdough. Once you have satisfying sourdough you have to take
care of it. Keep your little "pets" in the refrigerator in a closed container.
Some advice to punch some holes in the cover, but you then risk a rather smelly
refrigerator. At least once a week (twice is better) you have to air the
sourdough: let it stand, covered with a damp cloth, at roomtemperature for 24
hours. When you look at your sourdough you will see that it has seperated in
sediment at the bottom and a grey-brown fluid on top. Stir this well. You will
have to feed your pets: after stirring, add equal measures of lukewarm water and
flour. Take some of the sourdough out to bake a bread with, or to give away.
How to bake sourdough bread. For 500 gram flour (whole wheat, optionally mixed
with rye, oats, millet) use 100 gram sourdough and 3,5 to 4 decilitre water
(start with 3,5 decilitre, add more water only if the dough needs it). The
recipe for Roman bread has different proportions. You also have the right to
experiment!
Yeast: Fresh (pressed) yeast must be crumbled and mixed in some lukewarm water
with a spoonfull of flour. After fifteen minutes you add it to the bread dough
or sponge. Dried yest is mixed into the dry flour.
ENJOY!
Titus
Roman sourdough bread
Ingredients:
500 gram spelt flour
¼ litre white grapejuice
200 gram sourdough on room temperature
75 gram fresh goat cheese (chevre) at roomtemperature
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon each of aniseed and cumin seeds
½ teaspoon salt
and also some yeast (15 gram fresh or 5 gram dried)
Temper the sourdough with 1 decilitre of the grape juice, 100 gram spelt flour
and honey (sponge). Let this stand for at least an hour on a warm spot, then mix
in the other ingrediënts. Knead well until you have an elastic dough. Let it
rise on a warm spot under a damp cloth for an hour. knead again, and let it rise
again for an hour. Now you can create your bread in any form you like. Use your
fantasy, or create a simple loaf.
When the bread is formed, let is again rise, this time for half an hour. Preheat
the oven to 220ºC/425ºF. Bake the bread for 20 to 25 minutes.
Spelt flour: Spelt is a grain. This grain flourishes best on poor ground, with
no pesticedes. That is why less and less spelt is being cultivated since the
beginning of the twentieth century. It is an uneconomical crop. Apicius names
spelt several times in his recipes. You can buy spelt flour (at least in the
Netherlands) in organic foodshops.
Sourdough: What is it. Sourdough is a mixture of lukewarm water and flour
(wheat or rye), in which "wild" yeast cultures grow. The mixture (water to flour
1:1 to 2:1) must stand for a couple of days at room temperature. The bacteries
in the mixture will multiply and cause the caracteristic sour smell. These days
often "tame" yeast is also added to the breaddough to help the rising along.
How to make your own sourdough. When you want to make your own dough you have a
small problem: how do you catch wild yeast?
You can set the flour/water mixture someplace and hope for a satisfying result.
One is dependent on what is in the air. Sometimes you get lucky and a great
sourdough is the result, sometimes you get something rather unsavoury, and
sometimes nothing happens. Start with 100 gram whole wheat flour and 1 to 2
decilitre lukewarm water. Let it stand at room temperature for a couple of days,
covered with a damp cloth. Stir well twice a day. When you have caught the right
yeast, the mixture will start to smell sour. After three days add 1 tablespoon
flour and 1 tablespoon water, repeat this the next day. In less then a week you
have a sourdough ready to bake bread with. When you want to, you can add a
teaspoon of honey or sugar.
How to get ready made sourdough. When you want to be on the safe side you can
ask a gift of sourdough from a friend that has a good one, or buy a "sourdough
starter" and follow the directions on the package. If you can't find any in the
stores in your neighbourhood, you could visit this site.
How to keep your sourdough. Once you have satisfying sourdough you have to take
care of it. Keep your little "pets" in the refrigerator in a closed container.
Some advice to punch some holes in the cover, but you then risk a rather smelly
refrigerator. At least once a week (twice is better) you have to air the
sourdough: let it stand, covered with a damp cloth, at roomtemperature for 24
hours. When you look at your sourdough you will see that it has seperated in
sediment at the bottom and a grey-brown fluid on top. Stir this well. You will
have to feed your pets: after stirring, add equal measures of lukewarm water and
flour. Take some of the sourdough out to bake a bread with, or to give away.
How to bake sourdough bread. For 500 gram flour (whole wheat, optionally mixed
with rye, oats, millet) use 100 gram sourdough and 3,5 to 4 decilitre water
(start with 3,5 decilitre, add more water only if the dough needs it). The
recipe for Roman bread has different proportions. You also have the right to
experiment!
Yeast: Fresh (pressed) yeast must be crumbled and mixed in some lukewarm water
with a spoonfull of flour. After fifteen minutes you add it to the bread dough
or sponge. Dried yest is mixed into the dry flour.
Titus Publius Saturninus
Richard Tonti
Richard Tonti
